The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-04-03
TIPS ON PLATFORM
Discussion of the Tariff by Secretary
Root Before the Home
Market Club.
Canadian Reciprocity and the Phil.
ippine Charges Argued Out
by Mr.. Lodge.

by Mr.. Lodge.
Boston, April 3-Elihu Root, secretary
of war, and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Of
Massachusetts,, were the guests of honor
and the principal speakers last night at
the annual dinner of the Home Market
club, the representative republican or
ganization of New England. The occasion
was of signal interest because the speeches
were regarded particularly as the words
of the administration at Washington on
the anticipated issues of the next national
canvass. t...1 -'. .~.... .r-.. ia
Mr.. Root spoke on the tariff and Mr.
Lodge on the question of Canadian reci-
procity and of the charges made against
American soldiers in the Philippines. t#
When Mr.. Root was presented he adj
dressed himself to the POSTMASTER, to the
members of the club and. then in a happy
way to the ladies in the balcony.
Tariff and Its Revision. 4
He said in part: II remember hearing
Mr.. Tilden say that if you put hundred
men in room and make any proposition
whatever to them, some one Of the hum
dred would dispute it. "
Reducing this saying to its lowest de-
gree of one in a hundred we must look
for at least 100000 among the people in
wrong, and whatever is being done ought
not to be done or ought to be done other
wise.
':This useful but trying class Of our
fellow citizens has recently turned it's at
tention to the existing protective system
of the United States. If we had been a
free trade country, they would have been
protectionists. AS we have long been q
protectionist country, they are free trad
ers. TO them are joined the members Of
the democratic party who desire a change
IN administration, and the two demand
what they call a revision of the protective
tariff, but which they really mean to be a
destruction of the protective tariff. Along
with them go to some extent certain good
and true men who urge a real revision Of
the tariff, which they believe will make
1t better protective tariff than it is now.
1 wish to say some things which should
be glad to have come to the attention of
these good citizens, about the true nature
and necessary effect of the proceeding
which they wish congress to take In
saying them I am going to assume: g..
First that the principle of protection
should be maintained am not going to
argue the question Of protection and free
| trade. - i The second administration OF
Cleveland is moi, so entirely forgotten yet
that that question needs to be argued in
this country now. '.';'~ ~ @.-:
people Of the United States are now en-
joying a period of extraordinary and I'M
exampled prosperity, and I assume that
we don't want that prosperity to end.
1.-THE question is not whether under
some other law we might or might not
have become prosperous, or whether under
some other law we may or may not in the
future retain prosperity. 1t is that the
prosperity we have now to-day is the
prosperity Of productive enterprise which
has adjusted itself to the conditions thai
this Dingley law has created, and the
stability of those conditions in substance
| is essential to the continuance of this pres
ent period Of prosperity. j. < -. =
Dangers Of: Uncertainty. Il K 2e I:3 i
fThere, is no fetch in the tariff SEIZED
! ules and no sacredness In particular
rates of duty. If, through original 4erro
| or changes of conditions, the provisions
of the law work ill to the country, then
at the proper time and in the proper wa,
a sensible people will change the law.
| a law is working we'll as a whole. com
| mon sense requires that we should endur
some faults, even though they be Serious
rather than destroy the general good eff
feet by constant tinkering.
| "A revision of the tariff is a great an
difficult task, not to be undertaken excep
for grave and serious reasons. The de
| crees of an absolute monarchy can max
and change tariff laws without discussion
OF delay, but Ia, 900, 900 voters, represente
! by 1853 congressman and 90ssenators, can
not. The effect of this necessary discus
sion furnished the chief reason why revis
ion should not be undertaken until it be
comes a real necessity. The moment tn
discussion begins, uncertainty begins
with the menufacturer the farmer, tn
merchant. The process Of revision is a.
evil in itself Of no small proportions
| "A second considera ton is that yo
cannot get rid Of truths by revising tn
tariff unless you are ready to reduce tn
| duties III the classes Of. manufacture +
Which the so-called trusts are engaged
that is to say, in all the principal kind
OF manufacture-to such an extent as
put an enc to all American manufacture
In each class the trust Is the stronges
ana 1t duties are lowered below the poir
OF adequate protection the independer
manufacturer will 20 to the wall frs
1t IS impossible that reduction of dutie
should wipe out trusts except as it wine
out American manufacture. When tbs
happens, as trusts are the feature of til
;, day In foreign countries free trader an
: Frotectlonist alike, you will have subst
! tuted the foreign trusts for domest
trusts, and the prosperity Of foreig
Work1nen for the prosperity of America
Workmen.
A third thing to be remembered is thu
out OF L" possible revision is anybod
likely to get the kind Of tariff law that /
wants. Each state surrendered it's RICH
to have its own tariff framed according 1
its own ideas for the benefit of it's ov
,, industries when the constitution of II,
became the supreme law of the land. ar