Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-14
REPUBLICANISM AND DEMOCRACY
tReply to T. D. Foster on the

Possessing as I do the highest re-
gard for the business ability
of Mr.. Foster and the most
kindly feeling toward all the gentlemen
VINO addressed the meeting recently
held in East Ottumwa, at which the
Iowa idea" was discussed, I trust that
l may be pardoned for defending the
most vital principle Of the republican
MISREPRESENTATION, and 1t is this prin-
speech. He says;
"First-That our present tariff Is
fast alternating our customers and turn
ing the world against US commercially.
Second-That our present tariff is
enslaving the people.
Third-That its operation is in OPP
position to sound business principles.
t'ourth-That our present prosper
1ty. is not real but borrowed and will
have to be paid back with interest"
The first statement is not supported
by statistics and the second has no
foundation in fact. The third presup-
poses that an economic law which will
not permit people to buy where they
can buy cheapest to be contrary to
business principles, although he does
not assert this well-known theory Of
free traders. -
The fourth is in the nature Of an as
sertion supported by a prophecy. !
now quote Mr.. Foster:
I'm support Of my first statement,
have to say that the company I rep
resent, and the one majority of my
hearers look to for your daily living,
has been engaged in selling meats to
continental Europe for more than thir-
ty years.
There were no barriers to trade and
commercial intercourse in those earlier
days, but the Mckinley tariff changed
all that. Nations at once began legis-
lating against the imports from the
United States, which has been kept up
ever since, with but slight intermission
during the life Of the Wilson bill All
this Is aimed at American tariff and
has resulted in curtailing imports from
the United States to a minimum"
We all appreciate the value of the
Morrell Packing company to Ottumwa
and southeastern Iowa and have wit
messed it's growth and development
| with pride and pleasure common to all
But Mr.. Foster assumes that the Nc
kinley tariff caused European nations
| to begin to throw barriers in the way
Of our exports and that they have con-
tinued to do so except during the life of
| the Wilson act. This would indicate that
the conditions for the exporter was
more desirable under the Wilson act
than that which existed under the Nc
Kinley act, or than now exists under
the Dingley act But what are the
facts? Statistics compiled by the
treasury department show that the
value of our exports We're greatly In
creased under the Mckinley actiGand
for the first time in the history of tbs
nation reached in. 1892 $1,015,7 32,011
But in 1898 the first year Of Cleveland
and tariff reform, our exports fell
off s170,000,0O0 and our imports IN
creased S40000,000. I'm 1895 when the
| Wilson act had full sway our exports
| fell 1912, 1893, 421 below that Of 1892, the
full amount exported being $793,392, 500
The first year-of the Dingley act 1897
increased our exports $23S,615 1872 over
the reform period of 1895 and the f1sca
year 1903 shows that we sold to other
nations 1925, 745,424 worth more thar
we sold during that brief period 1895
| to which Mr.. Foster refers and in which
he gives us the impression that nc
| barriers were laid in the way Of oul
exports by other nations. The figures
seem to indicate that the more they re.
| taliate against our tariff acts the more
they buy from us. I am incluned tt
us the right to legislate for our owr
| best. interests and the fact that Ger.
many and France have passed tariff
acts does not indicate that they have
done so because; of their hostility to ouI
tariff. but for the reason that they hav,
| witnessed the progress Of the United
States under protective policy ane
deem it wise to adopt it themselves.
! Great Britain contemplates tn,
adoption of a tariff, why, to retaliat,
against US? No it is to turn the bal
ance Of trade in her favor and to pre-
serve for her own industrial classes
the right to manufacture for their owl
home market and that is the only fea
ture of the situation they can control
They will continue to buy meat, flour
oats and corn of us Just as they have II
the past and our prices will not be de
1 creased because Of any tariff Legislation
they may adopt, or that we may main
tain.
i I now come to the second PROPOSE
i ton: That our present tariff is en-
Shaving the people" I have alread,
said that this statement has no founda
ton in fact, and / call attention to tn
Increased savings of the masses as in
dicated by deposits in savings banks
!. increase Of life insurance. Increase o
wages to laborers and mclha .ics an,
J Mr.. Fosters admission that the pas
five or six years have been prosperou
ones" and Through 1t all as a -natio