Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-11-14

McCleary quoted statistics to show that
the prices of steel rails have averaged
forty cents a ton lower in the United
States i'll the last six years than
abroad.
/ Mr.. McCleary's speech follows:
j. T. Mccleary's Address.
Should congress at the coming ses-
sion revise the existing tariff law, and
should the United States adopt the
policy of reciprocity in competing
products? These are the questions for
discussion this evening. Governor
Cummins and Mr.. Whitney answered
both questions in the Affirmative Col
| Clarke and answer both in the mega
tive. The issue Is clear cut and we'll
defined.
These questions are far reaching in
| their consequences and the answers
finally given to them will greatly af-
feet for veal or woe the people of the
United States. We cannot finally an
swer them here tonight. The people
iof the United States themselves,
through their representatives in the
! two houses of congress, alone have
power to do that. But discussions like
this, if conducted in proper spirit, can
do much to help in reaching wise
conclusion.
l propose to discuss first the ques-
ton of tariff revision
True Republican Doctrine.
In my speech of April %, 1904, in
congress, l said:
Are tariff schedules sacred? No;
but the welfare of our people should be
sacred to those whose actions may
greatly promote or greatly retard it,
Should our tariff laws never be re-
vised? Certainly they should. When?
Whenever it becomes .,eyident that
there is more to be gained than, lost by
the people of the United, States through
such revision"
/ On this question of tariff revision
the republican national platform,
adopted exactly two months later, said:
I'VE insist on the maintenance OF
the principle of protection, and, there
fore, rates Of duty should be read
justed only when conditions have so
changed that the public interest de-
mands their alteration
The first sentence of MI. Roosevelt's
letter accepting the nomination for the
presidency was this:
II accept the nomination for the
presidency rendered me by the repub-
lican national convention and cordially
approve the platform adopted by it,
In speech in Minneapolis on the
evening of April 4 1908, President
Roosevelt had already announced the
| Identical doctrine, as follows:
1--WE cannot afford to become fossil
lied. or fail to recognize the fact that
as the needs of the country change it
may be necessary to meet these new
needs by changing certain features OF
our tariff laws. Still less can we af-
| ford to fail to recognize the further
fact that these changes must not be
made until the need for them out
weighs the disadvantages that may re
suit
so that in the views that expressed
on this question eighteen months ago
in my speech in congress, and which
here and now reaffirm, | was and am
in exact accord with the republican
national platform and with President
Roosevelt. My statement was that the
tariff should be revised whenever 1t be-
comes evident that the interests of the
people will be promoted thereby. The
statement of the platform, approved
by the President, was even more eau
tious than mine, saying that there
should be no revision of the tariff until
the public interests demand It,
| The good sense of the position taken
| by the republicans in their national
platform which is the so-called stand
pat" position) is so apparent that it
would seem that not only the Presi-
dent. but everyone else that loves his
country. should indorse and approve it.
Has Anything Happened?
The republican national platform
was adopted on June %, 1904. Evi.
IDENTIFY the republican national con
yention did not believe that the time
for revision had then arrived or it
would have said so in the platform.
Mr.. Roosevelt's letter of acceptance
was given out at Oyster Bay on Sep
TENDER IL, 1904 Evidently President
Roosevelt did not think that the time
for revision had then come, or he
would have said so. In his letter OF
acceptance, which discusses the tariff
very fully, there is not one word that
would indicate that the President
| thought that the time for tariff re
vision even by it's friends, had then
arrived OF Was ilGdT. VNOI Ids ue lIUlll
| that day to this in any message to con.
gress or other public utterance even SO
rluch as limited that he thought that
the time for tariff revision had been
reached or was near.
| The democratic platform and pres
idential candidate both demanded i'm.
mediate tariff revision downward. In.
deed, the tariff was one Of the leading
issues of the campaign. But President
Roosevelt standing squarely and un.
equivocally on the republican platform
was elected by an unprecedented ma
jority; on the same platform the re-
publican majority in congress was
largely increased; and the republican
position was thus overwhelmingly In
dorsed by the American people. The
election took place almost exactly a
year ago. Evidently the great major.
ity of the American people believed
then that the time for tariff revision
had not yet arrived.
Has anything occurred, has there
been any material change in the con-
,j;+iore. tho uoa,. sinoo ,,aop1o