The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-09-15
PRESIDENT R(|()SEVAT'S
LETTER Of ACCEPTANCE
Concluded from Thursdays lssue0
me Tariff.


me Tariff.
When we take up the great question
of the tariff we are at once confronted
by the doubt as TO whether our 0ppo-
nents do or do not mean what they
say. They say that protection is
robbery" and promise 10 carry them
selves accordingly if they are given
power. Yet prominent persons among
them assert that they do not really
mean this and that il they come into
power they viii adopt our policy as
regards the tariff, while others seem
anxious 10 prove that il is safe 10 give
them partial power because the power
would be only partial. and therefore
they would not be able 10 do mischief
The last is certainly a curious plea 10
advance ON behalf of II party seeking
to obtain control Of the government.
AT the outset il is worth while to
say a word as 10 the attempt to iden'
tify the question of tariff revision or
tariff reduction with ii solution of the
trust question. This is always sign
of desire to avoid any real effort 10
deal adequately with the trust ques-
ton. In speaking on this point at
Minneapolis on April /. 1903. said:
THE question Of tarif revision
speaking broadly. stands wholly apart
from the question of dealing with the
trusts No change in tariff duties can
have any substantial effect in solving
the so called trust problem. Certain
great trusts OF great corporations are
wholly unaffected by the tariff. Al
most all the others that are of any i'm
pOTIance have rs 4 matter of fact num-
berS of smaller American competitors.
and of course change in the tarill
which would work injury TO the large
corporation would work not merely
injury but destruction 10 its smaller
competitors. and equally OF course such
change would mean disaster TO all
the wageworkers connected with either
the large or the small corporations"
The Wilson Tariff Law.
There is little for me 10 add 10 this.
tempt was made by means of lower
ing the tariff to prevent some people
from prospecting TOO much. The at
tempt was entirely successful The
tariff law of that year was among the
causes which in that year and for some
time afterward enectually prevented
anybody from prospecting too much and
labor from prospecting al all.
The question OF what tariff is best
for our people is primarily one OF eX-
pedIency. 20 be determined not on alb
stract academic grounds, but IN the
light of experience. II is a matter OF
business. From time TO time schedules
must undoubtedly be rearranged and
readjusted to meet the shifting needs
OF the country. but this can with safe
" be done only by those who are COM
mitted to the cause Of the protective
system. To uproOt and destroy that
system would be to insure the prostrn-
ton of business, the closing OF factO-
rIes. the impOYerishment Of the farmer,
the ruin OF the capitalist and the star
walton of the wageworker. Yet If pro
lection is indeed robbery" and if our
opponents really believe what they
say, then it is precisely TO the destruc
ton and upr0oting OF the tariff. and
therefore OF our business and Industry
that they are pledged.
Reciprocity.
Our opponents assert that they be-
lieYe in reciprocity. Their action on
the most important reciprocity treaty
recently negotiated. that with Cuba
does not bear out this assertion. More
over. there can be no reciprocity unless
there is q substantial tariff. Free trade
and reciprocity are not compatible We
are on record as favoring arrange
ments for reciprocal trade relations
with other countries. these arrange
ments 10 be on an equitable basis OF
benefit TO both the contracting parties.
The Republican party stands pledged
TO every wise and consistent method Of
increasing the foreign commerce OF the
country That IL has kept its pledge Is
proved by the fact that, while the do
nestle trade of this country exceeds In
volume the entire export and import
trade of all the nations of the world,
the United States has in addition Sc
cured more than an eighth OF the ok
port trade Of the world. standing first
among the nations in this respect.
IL is a matter of regret that the pro
tective tariff policy, which during the
last forty odd years has become part
OF the very fiber Of the country, is not
now accepted as definitely established
These forty odd years have been the
most prosperous years this nation has
ever seen; more prosperous years than
any other nation has ever seen. Be
yOnd question this prosperity, could
not have come If the American people
had not possessed the necessary thrift,
energy and business intelligence to
turn their vast material resources 10
account. But IL is no les true that it
il our economic policy as regards the
tariff and finance which has enabled
us as a nation 10 make such good use
of the individual capacities of our citi-
zens and the natural resources Of our
country. Every class of our people is
benefited by the protective tariff
The farmer has benefited quite as
much as the manufactures, the NOR
chant and the wageworker
The Farmer and the Tariff.
The future of American agriculture
is bound up in the future of American
manufactures. The two industries have
become under the economic policy of
our government so closely interviewer,
30 mutually interdependent that nei-
N frnir IL,