Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-03-26

eminent administered ~ the republican
party is better than any government that
could possibly be administered by any other
political organization known to the Amert-
can people. With these preliminary sug-
gestions let me recur again to the tariff.
We are all profound believers in the
policy of protection. notwithstanding the
statement of an eminent republican, re.
Gently made, venture to say that protec
theoretically sound. 1t is not only vindf-
Gated by the experience of our people, but
can be defended by the highest and most
exact process of abstract reason. This
policy has written the brightest and most
glowing pages In the history of the reppb.
lie. 1t has contributed more to the honor
and renown of the American nation than
any other policy known to our Institutions.
God made us foremost In natural resources
protection has made us also foremost in
actual production. 1t has enabled us to pay
American wages, reward capital with an
American profit, and still occupy our own
markets.
The man who says that the followers cf
the Iowa platform have abated one iot OF
little of their belief in the policy o. pro
lection Is the only enemy that protection
has In the ranks of the republican party
The schedules which now carry this policy
into effect were adopted In 1897. have
no criticism for them They were adopted
when the country was In the depths of com
mercia distress, created apd P"roetuatei
by the weak ness and fa|incies of demo
cratic administration and democratic doc
trines. doubt not that some OF those
schedules were prepared u'der the expec-
tatioa, declared In the act itself, that they
would be lowered through the operation OF
reciprocal treaties. believe that these
schedules were the potent factors In the
commercial and Industrial rescue Of the
Mckinley administrator, and the prosper
ity which has ensued is the result of the
confidence which the people have always
felt In a government through the agency OF
the republican party, Six years have
passed-the most wonderful not only In the
United States but throughout the whole
world. They have seen an awakening and
earth, industrialiy and commercially. with
out parallel In recorded time. In our own
country changes In the methods and pro-
cess of industry have occurred which could
only be described in volumes devoted to
that purpose. and of which the intelligent
people of this country are instinctiveiy
conscious.
Under these circumstances. the question
propounded by the Iowa platform Is wheth-
err the time has come to make corresponding
changes in our important duties.
If l understand the real purport of what
we said last year 1t Is that the repubii,
Joined by the republicans of nearly every
state in the Union, believed that the time
had come In which the subject should be
again examined not necessarily In the way
of general revision of all the schedules
but that some of them and notably the Iron
and steel schedules, should be taken up for
the purpose of determining whether the
duties were SO high that they were being
used, not for the purpose Of protection
alone. but for the purpose of unduly en-
HANGING the prices of the various commo
dities manufactured from iron ore. There
are some other things which have also at
tracted public attention, but which l can.
not at this time mention.
for one, and believe that In this res
pect I speak the sentiment of the great
majority of the republicans of this state
hall hat Of lntf fng
high, and that they are capable of being
used for an unlawful object. We all know
the principle upon which protective duties
are laid. They are intended to equalize
the difference between the cost Of protec-
tion In this country as compared with com
peting countries, a difference in cost that
Is attributable wholly to the higher wages
paid to our workingmen, difference, how
ever, which Is partially compensated for
by the superior efficiency of our men and
the superior character of our machinery.
Mighty concentrations have occurred
since the Dingley law was passed, and 1t
Is claimed and Is undoubtedly partially
true that these concentrations were made
In order to introduce economies into manu-
facture. If these economies have been at
tanned by the concentration to which l
have referred, 1t is palpable that the gen
eral cost of production has been diminished.
All that we insist upon Is that protection
shall not be made the instrument of unlaw-
full gain; that 1t shall not be taken from
its high place and lowered to the selfish
plane Of Legitimate profit. We understand
perfectly that when the subject Is taken up
by congress there will arise differences of
opinion but we assume that these differ
ences will be composed through patriotic
effort precisely as they have been adjusted
in the past There are men. good republi-
cans too, who believe that some things
which are now on the dutiable list should
law was adopted, articles which com.
prise more than ne-half In value of all
the articles imported into the United States
were placed upon the free list
There were differences then upon the
subject among republicans, and there will
be differences still; but 1t may be that the
changes of the last six or seven years, the
combinations which have In some instances
substantially nonopolzed raw material.
will indicate that under the principle of
protection as 1t has always been under
stood some things that were then made
dutiable should now be made free, not for
the purpose of taking away the work that
Is now done within the limits of the repub-
lie, but for tie purpose of adding to the
labor which may be here expended. The
conclusion is that the platform OF 1902, in
so far as direct changes in the tariff are
concerned. does this and nothing more it
declares to the republicans throughout the
United States that the republicans of Iowa
believe that there are some of the schedules
that should be changed to meet the new CON
ditions and that congress should under
take the investigation of the subject guild
ed by the principle of protection, with the
same fearless determination that has al
ways characterized the work of republi'
can body.
The platform to which I have referred
also declares for reciprocity. This is
subject concerning which there has always
been much ambiguity In expression and
much difference Of real opinion. The ma
tional platform of 1896 seems to declare
for reciprocity in all commodities concern
ing which favorable provision can be made
The Dingley tariff law Of 1897 made ex-
press provision for such reciprocal treaties.
The national platform of 1900 seems, how
ever, to favor reciprocity only in non-com-
petitive commodities. Without therefore,
impugning the motives of any man who
differs from me respecting this very serl-
GUS subject, / believe that the whole mat
ter Is now open for the calm and careful
consideration of the republican party.
l believe that / can favor reciprocal
treaty In competitive things, strictly with.
in republican lines.
For myself, am profoundly convinced
that. us declared In the national platform
Of 1896. protection gives us the home mar
ket and to reciprocity we must look for
With our brilliant entry In a sovereign way
into the affairs of the world, which re
suited from the Spanish war, our CONNER.
ciai relations with other countries took on
a different phase s.-. .
Our competitors seemed for the first time
to fairly realize what inroads we were max
ing in the markets Of other nations, and
from that TINE lhere mas beth everywhere,
not possibly concerted but simultanc
Gus movement, to limit and hamper the
United States in its dealings abroad. This
movement is not n temporary but parma
nent one, inspired by well grounded fear
that the uneQualea energy and capacity
of the American producer Will conquer for
eign markets and held them MS securely as
we have held our own. Unwonted and ex-
traordnary activity therefore has been
TO seek an invitation is to invite an
insult.
Strarger-"Have you good catarrh
cure?" Druggist-"Yes, sir; / have