Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-14
SHAW ON THE TARlEE.

At this time, when there are SO
many discussions of the tariff from so
many different standpoints, there is
danger that the real object of tariff
and the real difference between the
stands taken by the two parties, unless
at intervals the lines be laid down
calmly and dispassionately. Secretary
Shaw in his recent speech at Rich
mond, Va, made some pertinent re-
marks that may we'll be repeated for
general information. He said:
You must bear in mind that there
was never tariff law enacted that
was perfect or that anyone claimed
was perfect. No two congresses would
ever enact the same bill. Every tar
if law is an aggregation of compro-
misses. All that the republican party
ever claims for any tariff law is that
the principle is perfect The rate will
be too high here and too low there,
hut protection will be found in its ev.
cry feature.
''The opposition party never claim
| that their tariff measures are perfect.
They only claim that the principle of
| free trade On which they profess to
construct their tariff laws is the cor.
rect principle. They claim to elimin-
ate every element of protection from
all their tariff laws, as England elm.
mates protection from her tariff laws
England provides tariff for the sole
purpose of revenue and the democrat.
ic party processes to do the same. They
have openly and repeatedly denounc'
ed protection as robbery-they strike
at the principle.
while the republican party never
claimed for any tariff law that it was
perfect and never promises to enact q
perfect tariff law, it does claim that
! all its tariff laws are builded on the
principle of protection. 1t has never
sacrificed one industry for the sake
of building up another and never will
Neither will it prejudice one locality
| in the interest of another. 1t will be
national and not provincial. 1t viii
protect the south as well as the NORTH
the east as well as the west, and the
west as well as the east.
"The wool schedule of the Dingle!
! law may not be perfect. 1t may be
too high or it may be too low, or the
differentials may have been incorrect
Nv worked out. 1t is constructed OF
the protection principle, however, ant
under it Virginia farmers sell thei
wool and their sheep at far bette
prices than during Mr.Cleveland's las
administration, when the duty wa
4 placed so low on both sheep and OF
wool that this industry was ruined.
"Thus the schedule is arranged t,
give protection to the wool growers
and to every wool operator, skilled ant
unskilled. Wooden cloth, for instance
is worth over seventy cents pc
pound and fifty-fve per cent ad valo1
EN-. The duty on velvet carpets il
sixty cents per square yard and fort,
per cent ad valorem. | repeat that
is not an easy task to construct tai
if law and work out these differer
tails. al the republican party claim
is that it constructs tariff laws o.
principle. What would you think Q
n wool manufacturer who would CLAIM
to be q free trader as applied to woo
and a protectionist as applied to WOO
en- manufactures?
Mr.. Shaw does not claim that tn
tariff schedules are sacred, nor tn
republican party stands unyieldingl
for their maintenance in the presen
form forever. He makes it clear, how
ever that the republican party's basi
principle is protection and that tn
theory is a part of the party That
a statement in plain and simple lar
guage of the facts about the tart
and the stand the party takes upo
the subject.