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

ana get your start now.
stance of his so-called evidence. He
says:
For the twelve months ending June
so, 1903, We exported and sold in the
markets Of the world, in competition
with the producers of every country,
hon and steel, not including iron ore,
and articles made of iron and steel,
of value of $96,642,4 67. For the twelve
months ending June 80, 1905. $134,727,-
921.
II affirm that they have sold and do
sell regularly substantially all the
articles named in the metal schedule
cheaper abroad than they sell them at
home For years they have been sell
ing steel rails at Sc per ton less in
foreign countries than they have sold
them in their own country. l take
this commodity as an illustration, be-
cause it is known to all intelligent
people, and what is true of steel rails
is true in greater or less degree of
the whole series" AZ
Unlmportant or Untrue. ,
Here we are offered one assertion
of moderate Importance which is true,
one allegation which would be of mi
nor Importance even If true but which
is not true, and one affirmation of
possibly some Importance if true, but
which is 80 per cent untrue. What a
performance in view of the high
sounding manifesto!
The assertion that we sold abroad
last year iron and steel products to
the amount of $134,Q0O,O00 is true, and
who regrets it? The manufacture of
those products gave work at good
wages to hundreds of thousands of our
people and thus furnished home
market for tens of millions of our
farm products, and at the same time
reduced to our domestic consumers
the cost of similar manufactured ar
ticles.
The allegation that our steel rails
have for years been sold abroad six
dollars per ton cheaper than a. home
would be of little Importance even if
true, in view of the undisputed fact
that in this country we have the low
est freight and passenger rates, quail
| ity considered, in the world.
| But the governors allegation is al
most wholly untrue.
| The final affirmation that our manu-.
featured products of iron and steel
are substantially all sold cheaper
abroad than at home might possibly
be Of some Importance if it were true,
but as matter of fact it is only about
one per cent true and is almost ex.
actly ninety-nine per cent untrue, as is
shown by the report of the industrial
| commission.
Assertion Is Not Proof.
Before examining these allegations,
| 1t may not be amiss to direct atten-
ton to the fact that the governor has
couched his manifesto in the Ian
guage of judicial procedure. This is
eminently proper. Such a debate as
this, dealing with matters of far-reach-
| ing import, should certainly be con-
Quoted in judicial spirit. And testi-
| mony offered should be subjected, in
some measure at least, to the we'll
established rules of evidence. In the
case at bar, which might well be en-
TITLED 'The Tariff Agitators versus the
People of the United States" the gov
ernor appears as attorney for the
plaintiff. He opens his argument to
the jury with an impressive pronun-
citation to the effect that he proposes
to establish his case not only by "pre-
ponderance Of evidence" but also "be.
yond reasonable doubt" And yet
Mr.. Chairman, he has really not sub
mitted any evidence whatever. He
has not cited his authority for soil
tary statement he has made. He has
offered simply his own unsupported
assertions and affirmations. | submit
Mr.. Chairman, that it is not the prac.
tice in any court in the land to per-
nit an attorney to palm off on the
jury his own unsupported assertions
as evidence.
Steel Rails.
The governors allegation about steel
rails had about it certain impress
siveness, because it was specific. 1t
was really extra. impressive, because
it was one of the very few instances
in which the governor descended from
glittering generalities and favored us
with what seemed to be facts. He said:
For years they have been selling
steel rails at Sc ton less in foreign
countries than they have sold them in
their own country" Now. honest In.
jun" Mr. Chairman, didn't you have a
sort of feeling as the governor said
that that he was stating generaliza-
ton, the facts for which he had looked
up in authoritative sources of informa-
ton and verified with care?
But, Mr. Chairman, the allegation
cannot be substantiated from any
source that would be accepted as au-
thoritative. In fact, 1t is substantially
and essentially untrue. 1t may be and
probably is fact that in exceptional
cases our manufacturers of steel rails
have sold them cheaper abroad than at
home. But so have the railmakers of
free trade" England Minneapolis
flour can sometimes be bought cheaper
in Des Moines than Minneapolis, but
there is no tariff between Minneapolis
and Iowa. Scotch steel is often sold
cheaper in England than in Scotland
but there is no tariff between those