The Somerset reporter., 1904-12-08
Senator Hale on Tariff Revision

Mr.. H4lr of II me is Il decided and de
terminrd "stnad paftern aud has no
tolerance for tn AZ tthuuu IN ttVor VI re-
vision. he ssvs tn Dinglry law should
not be molesttd. ard ha- expressed TIN
opinion thai there would he un revision
during the - h Congress IL &C lut-
The idea TINT any really serious seHli-
ment III favor of revision exists and con
troverts the opinion which has Dern ex-
pressed thai the Massachusetts gubcrna-
toriAl election WAS decided upon the
tariff and Canadian reciprocity Issue.
II have heard consid .rable talk about
revision" said Senator Hale, hut In my
opinion It has been based upon but little
genuine and substantial foundation. Al
This talk is Of a mercurial nature.
have heard similar expressions OF i'll
timed sentiment IN times past especially
in Massachusetts,. Recalling the time OF
Bel iamin Butler, | note that agitatiOns
of a like character have been set on foot.
As a matter of fact, do not believe that
there really is much sentiment in favor
of tariff revision IN Massachusetts, or any
where else In The country. The recent
elections showed plainly that the people
Of the entire North are satisfied with tx
isting conditions and do not desire u
change. If the election indicated any
THU ., it surely indicated that.
This talk that Douglas Was elected
Governor of Massachusetts over Bates
on account of the facl hat he favored IT,
vision and Canadian reciprocity is with
GU warrant. The real facts in the case
are that the election WIS Won upon
grounds of local character simply.
Gov. Bates antagon2-d the labOriHg
element and thereby got the disftv0r Of
the working man. He also estranged
the old soldier vote by his policy as Gov
ernor aud lost the support Of The veter-
ANS of the state. These two elements
werc largely responsible for bis GefeAt
and the election OF Douglas. Tariff re-
vision and Canadian recipracity in my
opinion, figured gnilieautly in the
net result
II think that Congress should stand
pat and fight the revision agitation. As
far as | am concerned, | shall do every
thing possible to defeat il. do not be-
lieve that existing conditions should be
disturbed. To attempt To revise the
tariff without going into the whole sub
Jet thoroughly and fundamentally is
impossible. II we start revision, we
must go to the very roots of the whole
proposition and thresh the entire matter
from the bottom up. There can be no
super fetal revision.
"What would be the natural result of
such action, therefore? The outcome
would be that business conditions would
be disturbed and upset and the business
of the country thrown into state OF dis
order, Disaster would follow and We
would soon perceive that we had made
Il great mistake.
at ali involves very dangerous step
| This il matter that cannot be dealt
with finland aud in a hurry. We should
ponder long aud well before we move.
"Expressing my individual opinion,
| am free to say that | do not believe
TINT there will be any revision during
the coming Congress. There is no nt-
cessity for it, Every friend of Ameri-
can industry and every man who wants
to see our wonderfully prosperous con-
ditions continue to prevail should fight
this movement to its DEATH