River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-04-09
TALKS OF THE TARIFF
The Presidents Views on the Prin-
ciple of Protection.
Speaks of Question of Revision IN
General and in Specific Instances
amendment of the Cuban and
Philippine Schedules.
Delivered at Minneapolis, April Al

delivered at Minneapolis, April Al
Ny Fellow-Citizens:
At the social session of the senate
held in March the Cuban reciprocity
treaty was ratified. When this treaty
goes into effect, it will confer sub
Stantial economic benefits alike upon
Cuba. because of the widening of her
market in the United States. and
upon the United States, because of
the equal widening and the progress
sive control it will give to our people
in the Cuban market. In the first
place we offer to Cuba her natural
market. We can confer upon her a
benefit which no other nation can
confer; and for the very reason that
we have started her as an lndepen-
dent republic and that we are rich,
prosperous and powerful, 1T behooyes
us to stretch out helping hand to
our feebler younger sister. In the
next place il widens the market for
our products, both the products of
the farm and certain of our manufac-
lures; and it is therefore i'll the in
terests of our farmers, merchants
and Wage-wOrkers. FINALLY the
treaty was not merely warranted but
demanded, apart from all other con-
sideratiOns, by the enlightened con-
sideratiOn of our foreign policy
More and more in the future we must
occupy preponderant position in
the waters and along the coasts in
the region south of us; not posi-
ton of control over the republics of
the south but of control of the mill
itary situation. so as avoid any pos
sible compiled lions in the future. I'm
der the Plat amendment Cuba agreed
to give us certain naval stations on
her coast. The navy department de-
cided that we needed but two. and
we have specified where these two
are to be. President Palma has con-
Guided an agreement giving them to
us-an agreement which the Cuban
Legislative body will doubtless soon
ratify.
Equally important was the action
on the tariff upon products of the
Philippines. We gave them a reduc-
ton of 25 per cent, and would have
more had it not been for the OppOsi-
ton. in the hurried closing days of
the last session, of certain gentle
men who, by the way, have been rep
resenting themselves both as pecu-
liarly solicitous for the interests of
the Philippine people and as special
champions of the lowering of tariff
duties.
The present phenomenal prosperity
has been won under a tariff which
was made in accordance with certain
fixed and definite principles, the most
important of which is an ayOwed de-
termination to protect the interests
of the American producer, business
man, wage-worker and farmer alike.
The general tariff policy, to which,
without regard to changes in detail,
I believe this country is irrevocably
committed, is fundamentally based
upon ample recognition of the differ
ence between the cost of production
that is, the cost of labOr-here and
abroad. and of the need to see to it
that our laws shall in no event af-
ford advantage i'll our own market
to foreign industries over American
industries to foreign capital over
American capital, to foreign labor
over cur own labor.
In making any REIMBURSEMENT there
are certain important considerations
which cannot be disregarded. IF a
tariff law has on the whole worked
well, and if business has prospered
under it and is prospecting, it may
be better to endure some incOnveni-
cnces and inequalities for time than
by making changes to risk causing
disturbances and perhaps paralysis in
the industries and business of the
country
One point we must steadily keep
in mind. The question of tariff re-
vision, speaking broadly. stands Who'll
" apart from the question Of deal
ing with the trusts. No change IN
tariff duties can have any substantial
effect in solving the sO-called trust
problem. Certain great trusts or
great corporations are wholly unaf-
fected by the tariff. Practically all
the others that are of any impor-
tance have as a matter OF fact num-
hers of smaller American competi-
tors: and of course a change in the
tariff which would work injury to the
large corporation would work not
merely injury but destruction to its
smaller competitors; and equally OF
course such a change would mean
disaster to all the wage-workers con-
nected with either the large or the
small corporations.
We have prospered marvelously at
home As a nation we stand In the
very forefront in the giant interna-
tional industrial competition of the
day. We cannot afford by any freak
of folly to forfeit the position to
which we have thus triumphantly att
tanned.
Youngest pilot in America.
Harry Harrington. son of Captain
Austin Harrington of Chicago, is one
of the youngest pilots on the great
lakes, reports the American Boy. He
is IL years old, and during last sum-
mer stood at the wheel Of the Harvey