Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-21

changed conditions and the public
interest demand their alteration.
But this work cannot be safely
committed to any other hands
than those of the party of pro-
lection.
This is the tariff plank which was
drafted by Senator Lodge, discussed
by President Roosevelt and his council
OF the elder statesmen Of the republican
party at Washington, and after final
revision brought to Chicago in the
pocket of Senator Lodge. who is to oe
chairman of the committee on resolu-
tions.
The significance Of this tariff plank
and it is significance vastly exceed
ing in Importance the question
whether one good man or another IS
to sit upon the elephant some distance
in the rear OF the rough rider--is that
the standpatters have been defeated
and that the tariff is to be revised at
an early date by its friends of the
Republican faith, provided of course
the country likes the program well
enough to retain that party in power
at Washington.
According to the gossip heard among
the assembled representatives of the
republican people yesterday, this tariff
plank is going to give general satisfac-
ton in the west. 1t holds out the prom
Use of revision without setting any par
ticular date for the work. In the con-
ferences at the White House which led
TO the drafting of this plank 1t was
agreed by nearly all OF the eminent re-,
publicans who participated that reVl-
sion of the tariff could not we'll be de-
layed beyond the meeting OF the con-
sress to be elected next fall Conditions
have so changed that most consumers
and many manufacturers and produc-
ers admit the need Of a REIMBURSEMENT
OF the schedules. The question with
which President Roosevelt and his adj
visers We're confronted was how to hold
out hope of revision without giving
definite promise to revise. In other
words they wished to leave the door
open and decide the practical question
OF how much revision and how early
when they actually reach it, The fore
going language was decided upon after
many conferences, and there has been
no serious disagreement as to the prin-
ciple of free action which it conveys.
But among the men who decided upon
this plank there was discoverable but
little II any disagreement from the
proposition that. revision at an early
date is imperative.
So revision it is. And the stand
patters are defeated. President Moore
and Secretary Wakeman of the Pro-
tective Tariff Association are unhappy.
They have been here several days try
ing to find out just what the tariff
plank is to be- Their position is that
the party should not announce a
change of base, as Mr.. Moore puts It,
upon the eve of battle. In other words
he thinks the party should declare
that the present tariff is all right. and
that no changes need be made in 4
for many years. He will be grlev-
ously disappointed when he reads tbs
plank. Secretary Wakeman who was
active in throttling that innocent little
wait the Iowa idea. using in that MUIR
derous task the funds so literally SUD-
piled him by his organization of highly
protected manufacturers. is even moro
frank than President Moore. He says
there should be no revision at all, or
anything looking to 1T, at this time,
and adds that If there must be revision
it should be distinctly understood
that it is revision, upward that is
meant.
How much or how little revision
there is to be, and whether it is to be
in part revision upward and in part
revision downward are practical
questions to be worked out in congress,
not in the republican platform. | am
able to say, however, without fear Of
contradiction, that President Roosevelt
and the men who have prepared tbs
tariff plank prepared it with the idea
that it meant revision downward and
not upward. This does not necessarily
mean that they shall be able to expires:
their intentions in legislation, because
in our system, the power of the pro-
tectee is almost paramount at Wash
ington. But the friends and admirers
of Mr.. Roosevelt may depend upon !
that 1t does mean an earnest effort
| to carry out the pledge of the far
seeing Mckinley to lower the walls.