Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-03-16
HEPBURN on THE TARIFF.
A Plain, Honest Statement of Republican.
ism vs. Iowa Ideaism, by the Dean of
IOwa's Congressional Delegation.

lowing in the Iowa Capitol. 1t is
plain, straightforward presentation
of the republican policy of protection.
common sense answer to the Iowa
idea, free trade theories of Gov. Cum
Minis and other leading politicians.
1t conforms closely to our ideas with
reference to real republicanism, and
is worthy the careful perusal of every
reader. The article is the reproduc-
tion of an interview on last Thursday
with Col. w. P. Hepburn of Clarinda,
one of Iowa's greatest statesmen. 1t
is as follows:
"There is no such thing as tariff
reform republican. Protection is the
basic principal of republicanism, and
he who calls himself republican and
does not believe in protection is not
republican-he is democrat.
Protection is the rock on which
the republican party is founded, he
continued. SIN the democratic party
you will find men who favor certain
republican principles. You will find
men who favor the republican system
Of national banking, or the gold stan
dard for money, or territorial expan-
sion. or the pension system, but you
never find democrat in favor of pro-
lection
"Do you mean that the republican
party does not favor tariff revision in
any form?"
"By no means. To revise the tariff
along the lines of progress and ad-
s, nE fhn NJ nj Of
protection. There have been seven
complete revisions of the tariff since
Abraham Lincoln was president. We
have had four since | came into con-
gress-one in 1888, one in 1890, one in
1897 and one by the democrats in 1894.
The Mckinley bill was one complete
necessary to reduce certain schedules
increase New methods of manufac-
turing and of handling productions
aud of doing business generally are
constantly being introduced. One of
the very best examples of this is the
present duty on steel rails. The duty
on steel rails was at one time $28
ton, today it is about 81 ton. The
tariff was voluntarily reduced because
we have learned how to make steel
rails as the years went by better than
any other nation in the wOrld.''
"Speaking of steel, it has been said
that the tariff shelters monopoly. Is
that true?"
Coupled with an unqualified denial
the very best answer can give TO that
is to give you the figures. In spite OF
our duty of 81 ton on steel rails. we
imported in 1902 $51, 100000 worth of
steel and IRON"
"What about the statement that cer
tain American manufacturers some
times sell their products for less in
foreign countries than they do in the
United States?"
81 have investigated several in
stances of this sort reported and /
have always found that this was done
exactly on the principle of the bar
gain counter in the department store
For instance, one year not long ago
one of the big plow manufacturers IN
Nc line sold q large shipment OF plows
in South American country at a
lower price than he was selling them
in the United States. The reason was
simple one. For some cause or other
this manufacturer had not been able
to get rid of all the stock he had
manufactured the year before. He
had in the meantime improved his
product and he could not sell 1900
plow to an up-to-date United States
| farmer in 1908. He had to get rid of
that surplus product and he did so by
selling it at a reduction to the South
Americans. 1t was so far ahead of
anything that they had that the small
| improvements of year or two did not
matter. There must be bargain coun-
ter in the market of the world as we'll
as in any local dry goods store. In
any event, how does this hurt the
American people if they are supplied
at fair price? 1t is one of the best
things that can happen to them. The
manufacturer is the only one who
suffers. If any factory has surplus
product it means that they have kept
their workmen employed steadily and
have been paying wages right along
without break. No person in the
United States ought to object to con-
ditions of that sort
"What do you think of reCiprocity?"
Reciprocity lis good thing and is
a republican doctrine in its true sense.
But it must be remembered that re-
publican reciprocity is the kind that
is real reciprocal arrangement. For
instance. some country that raises tea
and coffee but has no manufactures
may say to us that they would like to
have free market for their products
which we do not raise and in return
would give us free market for the
manufactured products which they
do not produce. This is reciprocity
and would be beneficial to both
countries.
What about the proposed reciprocity
with Canada?"
Canadian reciprocity has in it moth
ing of value for use. We cannot enter
into reciprocity agreement with a
nation that produces the same things
we do. Canada wants to build up her
manufactures and Canada has moth.
ing to sell except logs, which we do
not ourselves produce in great quanti-
ties to the extent of surplus, i. O..
farm products. We now have such a
large surplus of farm products that
we must sell them abroad where to a
great extent the foreign buyer has the
power to fix prices. Admitting