Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-10-01

"Our worthy governor declared. in
"one of his. public utterances that the
duty on steel was the cause of mo-
"nopoly and increased the price to the
consumer 100 per cent, and that the
duty should be reduced"
am sure that my friend did not In
tentionally impute to me statement
that was never made, and am equally
sure that If he does me the honor to
read what say tonight, he will never
repeat it,. ! never said in any utter
ance, either public or private, that the
duty IN steel was the cause OF monop-
oily, and l say now that in the great
majority of steel products there Is not
at this time, and never has been, a
monopoly. never said, either in pub
lie or private, that the price OF steel
was increased by reason of the duty.
nearly 100 per cent The statement
Is not true, and no sane man would
make It, I have said many times.
both In public and private, that be-
lieved that upon many of the products
of iron and steel the duty was too
high and should be reduced to the
protective point. ] repeat 1t, and !
shall use what influence ! possess to
bring about that result. But this Is
no more an impeachment or criticism
upon the policy Of protection than is
the censure of an imperfect law upon
evidence, an attack upon trial by jury.
II quote again from Mr.. Sullivan a
further reference to my views. He
said:
"Our worthy governor never uttered
"a truer sentiment that when he said
that the people needed competition
more than the monopoly needs pro-
lection"
This is so palpable misunderstand-
ing of a well known statement Of mine
upon this subject, that negligence Dor
ders closely on recklessness. In dis
cussing monopolies, in speech de-
livered at Minneapolis, said:
THE consumer is better entitled to
Competition than the producer to
protection.
I believed what I said then, and l
believe 1t now. II the time ever comes
when I must choose between monop-
oily of any important product and the
protection of that product, l am for
competition. do not believe that any
producer who successfully maintains
a monopoly, is entitled to the advan-
tages of protective duty. l do not
divide the people into consumers and
producers. say that when monop-
oily is established, there Is one pro-
Queer, and that all who use or buy
the product of his monopoly are con-
sumers; and I repeat that these con-
sumers have higher and better right
to competition in that article than the
single producer has to an import duty
upon II. This position Is not only con-
sistent with the deepest devotion to
the policy of protection, but II Is the
logical sequence Of the argument for
protection, for the obvious reason that
one of the conditions which protection
Is intended to create Is competition
between the producers Of the article
protected, in the country which leyies
the duty.
Mr.. Sullivan finds much food for
melancholy in the fact that the
phrase:
I'VE favor any modification of the
tariff schedules that may be required
ito prevent their affording shelter to
monopoly"
found in the republican platforms Of
1901 and 1902. was not repeated In
terms In the platform OF 1908. and be-
cause I favored the substitution Of
another expression. He asserts that
the clause in our platform substituted
for the one to which ! have just refer
red Is:
-tDuties that are too low should be
Increased, and duties that are too
high should be reduced"
In SO suggesting, my distinguished
friend does not employ the fairness
have q right to expect. II he has read
our platform with any care, he knows
that the phrase which was substituted
for the one he quotes, reads as fol-
lows:
Tariff rates enacted to carry this
policy into effect should be Just, fair,
"and impartial, equally opposed to
foreign control and domestic monop-
"oly."
claim no greater influence In the
councils of the republican party than
is exercised by It's humblest member,
and l hope that I win not be accused
of Wanting myself when I say that
am more responsible for the substitu-
ton of the one expression for the
other than any other man concerned
In the construction of the platform.
gave absolute loyalty to the platform
Of last year, and give absolute 10y.
atty to the platform of this year, for
with respect to the subject of which
| am now speaking, they are identical
In thought and purpose. l prefer the
expression OF this year, for believe II
to be clearer and more emphatic than
the expression of last year. l fancy
Mr.. Sullivan has accepted the headlines
of some enthusiastic reporter and has
not made himself familiar with the
real declaration of the republican con
vention. I hope that at some future
time he will inform his listeners what
the words:
Tariff rates enacted to carry this
policy into effect should be just, fair
"and impartial, equally opposed to for
"eign control and domestic monopoly
ito sectional discrimination and indi
"vidual favoritism, and must from time
ito timo be changed to meet the vary
ling conditions incident to the prog
"ress of our industries and theiI
changing relations to our foreign and
domestic commerce." mean. Let him
tell the people. especially what con
struction he puts upon the statement
that Tariff rates should be opposed
to domestic monopoly" do not pre-
tend to be the master. do not pretend
to have explored all the treasures OF