Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1904-07-28

ward the Impairment Of It's l.
tegrity-His Last speech Was
stand Pat Deliverance.
President McKinley's last speech, d
livered at Buffalo on the 9th of Sci
tember, 1901, still serves as text fe
tariff discussions Of more or les
speculative character. The Bosta
Herald. for example, advances the e.
lowing Interpretation of that memot-
BILE address:
1T can be said without fear of cd
tradiction that 1t was President A4-
Kinley's intention to make his secoii
term memorable by laying down all
carrying through an administrative pll-
Icy on tariff questions which would
have implied both a revision Of the e.
listing tariff and the adoption by tie
country OF reciprocal trade treaties with
a number Of the leading nations OF th
world. What he wanted to do was to
gain the assent Of the great mass 3f
the common people Of the United States
in support Of the proposition that
needlessly high tariff tax was seriously
Objectionable, that revision Of the tariff
was essential under changing business
conditions and that one of the easiest
ways to revise the tariff was to use
needlessly high duties as counters OF
exchange in securing trade advantages
with foreign nations"
This is put with commendable eau
ton and conservatism, considering that
the Herald has always been an oppo-
nent of the tariff principle of which
Mckinley was the foremost advocate
and exponent. Yet little more is es-
sential to fair and faithful statement
OF the position taken and the policy
planned by the lamented president
There was not word in the speech
to indicate that President Mckinley
had modified his views as to the wis
dom of tariff protection for home in
dustries. There was not a word to
suggest that he wanted to revise the
tariff for revisions sake or because 1t
was not working well or because he
had any idea of abandoning the main
principle. He distinctly spoke Of the
policy of protection as now firmly es-
tablished." 1t is true that he proposed
to reduce needlessly high duties, not
Internationally, but as a means of Sc
curing reciprocal privileges in foreign
markets. There was not hint of dis
carding the underlying principles of the
existing tariff. The speech was, in
fact, a stand pat deliverance so far as
those principles were concerned.
Anybody can honestly say that "need-
less" duties should not be imposed.
But the term has different meanings
in different minds. A free trader will
say that all protective duties are not
only needless. but vicious, but nobody
will accuse Mckinley OF subscribing
to that view. Tariff revision will come
in time, not to change the principle, but
10 adjust the schedules to industrial
and commercial conditions. Who shall
perform that duty and who shall say
when 1t ought to be performed? We
think the people are willing to trust
the Republican party in both particu-
lars because they have had gratifying
oApeiichCe VIII tHdt pdTty us pro-
moter Of their prosperity. We do not
think they want the dictation or the
services Of the Democratic party In any
scheme of revision, because that party
has not shown a capacity for building
up the welfare Of the country.
1t may safely be said that President
Mckinley, IL he were alive, would
agree with the people In these matters,
would be one Of the foremost stand
patters, and would neither propose nor
support any scheme Of revision that
would abandon the protective system
or impair its integrity. Rochester
Democrat and Chronicle.
Would 1t DO Any Better NOwf