Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-21
POLITICIANS EVERYWHERE ARE
INTERESTED in HAwkEYE
TARIFF VIEWS.
The Iowa Republican Tariff Plank Will
Be Read Carefully by People in Ev-
cry State in the Union and May Be-
come Part of National Platform.
[BY H. j. MAHIN.l
Washington Bureau Of the Courier.
wsebino&op n n ha,,, IN


1t is no exaggeration to say that all
eyes were on Iowa yesterday and the
trend of the resolutions adopted leaves
no doubt as to the view taken by the
majority of the republicans of the
Hawkeye state of the tariff question.
1t is possible that the tariff plank
adopted yesterday by the Des Moines
convention will be used as the model
for the tariff plank in the national plat
form presented to the convention to
be held in Chicago June 81.
There is no further doubt that the
tariff question is to be the realissue OF
the coming campaign. The democrats
are not crying for free trade as they
did in former years. but have adopted
tariff revision" as their war cry. 1t is
in fact no purely outlined policy but
simply an attack on the republican
principle Of protection. In the light of
these facts the Importance of the Iowa
convention is obvious. The tariff
question has been twisted into some
strange shapes in the past in Iowa and
1T is of the utmost Importance to the
republicanism of the nation that the
Iowa convention today shall make an
unquestionahle declaration of republi-
can principles.
The democrats are going to such
lengths in their fight for tariff revision
and are banking on the supposed d.
vision in the republican ranks in re-
gard to this question that the demo-
cratic congressional committee in
Washington recently made the pecu-
liar announcement that one of the ar
guments that would be used in the
campaign this year would be in the
line Of convincing republicans that a
democratic victory this year would
produce an ideal situation for all the
beneficiaries of tariff schedules, for
confronting democratic house would
be a republican senate thus rendering
tariff legislation impossible for two
years, and possibly for a much longer
time. The insincerity of the democrats
on the tariff question. could hardly be
more plainly demonstrated than by
this announcement. This line of ar
gument will of course be reserved for
congressional districts which have be-
lieved in and voted for the party of
protection to American industries.
/, 1t, was. recently stated that the re-
publican platform to be presented to
the national convention in Chicago had
been mapped out and n rough draft of
it was published. 1t is declared that
the tariff plank which will probably
be adopted at Chicago will be practi-
cally reproduction of the plank adopt
ed by the Massachusetts republicans.
This plank received the highest en-
dorsement of republicans in Washing
ton before its adoption and has since
been warmly received by republicans
in all sections Of the. country notably
the great Industrial and productive
element which forms such an import
ant part of the republican party The
plank it is stated will read substantial
ly as follows:
Protection which guards and de.
velops our industries is cardinal
principle of the republican party We
insist upon the maintenance of this
principle, but we recognize that partic-
ular tariff schedules are neither sa-
cred nor immutable. Rates Of duty may
be altered when changed conditions de-
mand their alteration, but no revision
should be undertaken unless it is clear
that the benefit would more than COM
pensate for the disturbance of bust
ness which inevitably attends revi-
sion Of the tariff. Nor can such re-
vision be intrusted with safety to any
other party than the party OF protec-
ton. To intrust it to the democratic
party is to again invite the democratic
disaster and panic Of 1893"
This, as has been stated, has met
with general approval among republic
cans but there is nevertheless and has
been for some time a disposition to
wait for the Iowa platform Many hold
the opinion that it might be very
wise thing to take for the national tar
if plank the plank put into the Iowa
platform Since Iowa is the, state
where republican discussion on this
question has attracted the most at
tention it is deemed most appropriate
that the tariff plank adopted this year
showing how little the furry has af-
fected the state organization would be
the strongest item that could be put
into the national platform
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