The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-19
MILLER REPLIES
TO McCLEARY
OPEN LETTER FROM LUVERNE
# CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE.
Repels the Charge that He Is Out of
Step with Party Men on the Cues
ton of Tariff Revision and Reiter-
ates Adherence to the General Dec
larations Of the National Platform.

ates Adherence to the General Dec
larations of the National Platform.
| Special to The Journal.
Luverne, Mimi, Aug. 19.-HerbertI
j. Miller, republican candidate for
congress from this district, has adj
dressed the following open letter to
his opponent Congressman James u. |
/ McCleary:
Dear Sir: have read in The Minneap-
oils Journal Of Aug. 10 your reploy to my
announcement as a republican candidate
for member Of congress in this district.
! The personalities in your reply pass
i without comment. III addition to these,
however, you therein impugn my republl- /
Icanlsm and charge me with giving aid
land comfort to opponents Of adequate pro
lection to American industries. By impli-
cation, necessarily, you include In the
same category and attempt to read out
of the party all republicans who believe
as l do and all republican newspapers
4 that advocate needed revision of the tariff
This is too important a matter to leave
unchallenged.
For twenty-five years, in this district,
beginning at time antedating your
residence in the state and covering the
ten years preceding your election to con-
gress when your political views were not
publicly known, have given unfaltering
allegiance and continuous support to the
republican party, and I submit that my
party loyalty will not De questioned by
any republican citizen or any republican
newspaper in THE state to whom I am
known.
Stands on the Platform.
The stated ground for this charge in
your reply is that the. statements in my
announcement are ''evidently not in har-
mony with the national platform The
true ground for your attack, however, is.
that these statements do not agree with
the extreme ultra protection stand you
have taken. I reaffirm that stand
! squarely upon the platform and that
! there is not one word Of disloyalty to it in
my announcement. For support of these
statements call attention to a comparison
of my announcement with the following
principles declared in the tariff plank Of
our national platform:
! Protection which guards and develops our in
dustries, is cardinal policy of the republican
party The measure of protection should always
at least equal the difference in the cost of
production at home and abroad. We insist upon
the maintenance Of the principles of protection
and therefore rates Of duty should be readjust-
ed only when conditions have so changed that
| the public interest demands their alteration.
To republican congress and a repub-
lican president this great question can be safely
Left to the People.
You must have overlooked the impor
tant fact that the platform fixes what
the measure Of protection should be "at
l least" but does not define what it should
\ be "at most" The great question Of
what it should be Eat most is necessar-
lily, and the equally important question
of the readjustment of rates Of duty Is
expressly, intrusted by the platform to
a republican congress and a repub-
lican president, and thus primarily to the
electors who choose congressman and the
president.
All other questions as to the tariff are
4 foreclosed by positive declarations. On
4 these two questions in the tariff plank
of the platform only can there be dis
agreement among advocates of protection
\ When, therefore, the platform has ex-
4 pressly left these matters open for dis
n cl.ssion and determination by the people,
4 can it be political heresy for republican
\ to express his views upon them? Do ex-
\ pressions of honest opinion on such ques-
\ tons justify one republican in charging
\ another with being political outcast?
4 Moreover, is it not the duty of a can
\ didate for congress to state his views
\ expressly on these matters which con-
i gress must finally determine, and the
\ platform contemplates that it shall de-
termine?
Rates to Fit Conditions.
With reference to the first Of these
\ questions | made this statement in my
4 announcement
First stand squarely upon the platform
/ adopted hy the last republican national conven.
ticn 77'
Second believe in the Roosevelt idea ,, in
corpcratcd III tie tariff plank Of our national
platform. enunciated by him in two messages
to congress and reiterated in his speech Of
April, 1908. in Minneapolis, that the true meas
Z ure OF prutccticn is determined by "ample rec.
1 ogniton Of the difference in the cost of produc
4 ticn. here aE'! abroad =.
I hold that while the principle Of nrotectior
Is sacred, tariff rates arc not infa1nle, and that
\ tnese rates should be changed as often exist
A ing conditions whether growing out of the for
nation of trusts otherwise, render the furthe,
= continuance of the present duty on any articul,
Unnecessary or harmful Or inconsistent with the
\ true measure of protection as defined by Presi
4 dent Roosevelt in our pla torn.
\ Tariff on Lumber.
I further stated that I favored the re-.
4 moval of the tariff on lumber and res
\ duction of present duties on certain com.
4 modities sold for export to the markets
4 they are protected against for less thar
\ they are sold for in the home market
4 on the ground that such duties are ,1n
h necessary and harmful and inconsistent
\ With the true principles Of protection.
l submit that my declarations az r.
4 the measure of protection and nv adyo
] cacy OF reimbursement of certain rates q
D duty by republican congress and a re.
v publican president are strictly in har.
4 mony with the declarations of our Mat
\ form. -
contend that the measure Of projection
\ / have advocated is sufficient to guard
\ and develop every American Industry tina
4 IS honestly conducted and is content wifi
4 reasonable profits Z
4 On the Aggressive.
4 In order, therefore, that the voters NAV
y pc able to determine for themselves which
p OF US, as you express it, is most "in har.
= mony with the national pla torn. =, i asl
you to answer publicly the following cues
tions a 49,
), First-Would you favor tariff built on -,
abroad? S0ss iieie az.
Second-Do you believe that the fftv-n,n+ ],
congress should take up the question Of tarif
revision? = t eai .
!, Ihfrd-When the tariff is revised do YOU he
iiefe that the revision should be on an ascend
ing instead of descending scale? -.
fourth-Do you still maintain that strayfs,o,
upward can always be undertaken safe1y,,9 -
F1fth-Do you know that combination ayia+
Wncse purpose Is to exact enormous profits on the
price of lumber? If sos or if such is the fact
do you favor the retention of the present fariA
on lumber? - i =
Sixth--1f no such combination exists do 70,
sui faycr the retention OF the present tariff
rate on lumber? 'N-5
"a Sefenth--Do you believe in a protective tarin
on wood pulp and pulp wood S.
E1ghth-Do you believe that commodities tha
are absolutely controlled by a trust or 81 ,noIo,,