The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-05
TARIFF THE TEXT.OF.
 MINNEAPOLIS SPEECH

per cent, and would have given them d reduction of 25 per cent. more had IL not been for the opposition, in the hurrieu closing days of the last session. or cer- tain gentlemen wf1o by the way, nave
 been representing themselves both as
 peculiarly solfcitous for the interests of
 the Philippine people and as speciai
 champions of the lowering Of tarin au-
 ties. There Is a distinctly humorous slde
 to the fact that the reduction Of duties
 which would benefit Cuba and the Phil-
 ipplnes as well as ourselves was antagon-
 ized chiefly by those who in theory nave
 been fond of proclaiming themselves the
 advanced guardians of the oppressed na-
 tionalities in the islands affected and the
 ardent advocates of the reduction Of du-
 ties generally, but who instantly LOOK violent ground against the practical steps to accomplish either purpose.
 Moreover, a law was enacted putting anthracite on the Tree list and complete ly removing the duties on all other Kinds Of coal for one year.
 We are no~a in condition Of pros perity unparalleled not merely in our own history but fin the history of any other l nation. This prosperity is deep rooted ana due to the fact that the average Ameri- can has in him the stuff out of which victors are made in the great industrial i contests of the present day, just as in the great military contests of the past; ana because he is now able to use and develop his qualities to best advantage under our well-established economic system. We are winning headship among the nations of the world because our people are able to keep their high average of individual citizenship and to show their mastery in the hard, complex, pushing life of the age. There will be fluctuations from time to time in our prosperity, but 1t VIII con tinue to grow just so long as we keep up this high average of individual citizen- shin and permit it to work out its own salvation under proper economic legisla- | ton.
 The present phenomenal prosperity has been won under tarif which was mace | in accordance with certain fixed and def | mite principles. the most important of which is an avowed determination to pro | tecr the interests of the American pro | ducer, business man, wage-worker, ana | farmer alike. The general tariff policy, | to which, without regard to changes in detail, believe this country is irrevoca- | bIy committed, is fundamentally based upon ample recognition of the dinerence | between the cost of produchon--that Is. | the cost of labor-here and abroad. and | of the need to see to 1t that our laws l shall in no event afford advantage in our | own market to foreign industries over | over American capital to foreign lapor l over our own labor This country has | and this country needs hetter-paid. bet ter-educated. better-fed. and better-clot D | to be found in any foreign country. II | has and 1t needs a higher. more vigor- | ous. and more prosperous type of tilIers | If the soil than Is possessed by any oth- | or country. The business men, the mer- \ chants and manufac cturers and the man l ogera of the transportation interests show inc same superiority when compared witn
 men of their type abroad. The events or | the last few years have shown how skill | SrIlv the leaders of American industry
 usa in International business competition tI,e mighty industrial weapons forged for
 them by the resources Of our country tne
 H,ISdom of our laws. and the skill. the
 tn.sentive genius, and the administrative
 Saracitv of our people.
 It ia of course, mere trulsm tos sdy
 .hat we want to use everything in our
 n1.,ar to foster the welfare of our entire
 PoSo rolitic. Tn other words. we need 10
 tres, inc tariff as business proposltion,
 sroTo inc standpoint of the interests or tne country as a whole, ana not Wlsn @ erence to the temporary neeos oL ans noIiticaI party. It is almost as necesssr s, a, thst oI,r policy should be stable as tna' ' | tt shonld he wise. A nation hke our
 could moi long stand the ruinous p1ncy oi ras Sf1uEtine it's business to radical chanse in the tarIm at short intervals, especials
 when, as now, owing to the immense eA,
 tent and variety of our prooucts' th' tariff schedules carry rates or outy U. thousands of different articles Sweepins , AsoA ~AAlA@A AAAn&Aa tn such . tarln