The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-08-13
HEPBURN ON TARIFF.
lows Congressman Makes Strong
Address at creston.

The Union county republican con-
vention at Creston was the most en-
thusiastic and successful one ever
held at that place. The features of
the occasion were an address by Con-
ressman Hepburn, and the stand
pat resolution adopted declaring de-
voticn to the time-honored principles
of the party, ratifying the action of
the last state convention and pledg-
ing fidelity to the platform; also ten
dering thanks to Congressman Hep
burn for his faithful services.
In his address Col Hepburn said
in part:
I'VE have had much of newspaper
talk in Iowa and elsewhere with ref
erence to the tariff question. This
talk is the result of declarations in
Iowa republican platforms made at
times when the mass of republicans
was giving but little or no attention
to such matters because the conven-
tons were called solely for state pur-
poses. Under such circumstances
but little consideration is usually
given to state platforms upon nation
al political subjects. The republican
party recognizes the fact that the
doctrines are to be found in the de-
clarations Of their national conven-
TONS For example, the republican
party in Iowa when convened for
state purposes, and state purposes
only, did, in 1875, declare: Third,
that we favor tariff for revenue so
adjusted as to encourage home indus
tries Again in 1877 the platform
declared: Eighth, that we favor a
wisely adjusted tariff for revenue.
On the first platform we placed Sam
uel J. Kirkwood as our candidate for
governor. In 1877 we nominated
John H. Gear. Two stalwarts for
the protection system; two men who
never wavered in their advocacy or
that form of tariff that has made the
country great and that has made the
republican party the great benefactOr
of the nation.
Protection to Labor the Great Thing
"Just how these declarations crept
into the platforms l am unable to say.
I know that they were not expressive
of the sentiment OF the republican
party. 1 know that if there is any
question upon which there has been
no serious division in the ranks of
the republican party from 1861 up TO
the present time it is that principle
that looks to the protection of Amer
lean labor, the expansion of the great
field of the United States through the
protection Of the products of our FAC
tories and our soil and our mines.
And while we have been at all times
unwavering in our devotion to pro-
tective system we have at no time
advocated or believed that any partic-
ular system of schedules were of
permanent character. In the thirty
five odd years that the republican
party has had legislative power in
the United States there have been
five general revisions of the tariff by
the republican party and one by the
democratic party. Since l have been
in congress there have been three
complete revisions of the tariff by
the republican party generally result
ing in a reduction OF rates of duty
and, occasionally, when the necessity
required it, there has been an in
crease.
Real Question OF the Tariff.
"The question has not been is
rate high or low, but will the duty
increase the number Of days work.
will it increase the wages, will II
make more certain the constant en-
ployment Of all of our people, and
while this object has been the one
deemed of most Importance the re-
suit has been almost universally a re-
duction in the cost to zthe consumer
of the necessaries and luxuries of
life.
81 have no doubt that within a very
few gears there will be a revision OF
the schedules of the Dingley tarin
but express this opinion because OF
our experience rather than from
knowledge Of any existing necessity.
For example, sometimes hear
men say that the duty on STEEL manu-
.actu.lres rs too high ana that IL re-
suits in the present high price OF
steel. This duty used to be some
twenty-eight dollars; it is now more
than twenty dollars less and certain
" has not resulted in the prohibition
of steel importations for last year the
steel and iron importations into the
United States from abroad exceeded
fifty millions of dollars in value, ana
when we remember that the produc-
ton of pig iron under the Dingiey
law has increased from nine millions
of gross tons to nearly eighteen mil
lions, it is easy TO believe that it is
the extraordinary demand for iron
and .steel-the universal prosperity
that we have-rather than a duty OF
seven dollars and a fraction that
gives TO steel and iron products their
present value.
Admires Dingley Bill.
81 confess that have an adm1ra-
ton for the Dingley tariff bill. l be-
iieve that it's schedules were deter
.,;nad ,,nnn after careful laboriouS