The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-11-11
PROMINENT men
TALK ON TARIFF
N Dinner Discussion Of tho
Providence Economic Club.
REVISION AND RECIPROCITY
Congressman, Business Man and Editor
Present Their Views on Different
Phases Of Tariff Question
REVISION AND RECIPROCITY

The third dinner discussion OF the
Economic club of Providence was held
last night at the Wellington. The sub
ject under consideration was Tariff Re
vision and Reciprocity" 1t was discussed
In Its various phases by Osborn Homer.
secretary OF the Boston board OF fire
Underwriters; Eugene w. Foss OF Boston
ana congressman james Thompson Nc
Cleary OF Minnesota
MoS"-N Homer and Foss spoke in behalf
or tariff revision and Congressman Nc
IIeary argued for t&e present tariff. In
the absence OF President John G Peeram
PROFESSOR Henry H. Gardiner OF Brown
university presided. After a few in
troducGry remarks. explanatory OF the
OBJECT OF the club and the situation that
mace tariff necessary He introduced
as the first speaker Osborne Homer who
said In part:
1T seems to methat anyone who makes
study of the conditions under which
the tariff law OF 1897 was enacted can
think OF IL i'm the same manner now
Probably no one had any more to do with
that law than your own Senator Aldrich
than whom there is no one better In
formed as 10 the tarin situation. You
know that a number OF your own manu-
factnrers went on To Washington at the
time the law was passed. particularly
those who were interested i'm wool They
believed that the tariff on wool might be
considerably less with great good to the
people of the country. but certain num-
ber OF western senator's could not see
that and the manufacturers were obliged
10 submit TO the extortionate demands OF
those senators.
My friend from Minnesota comes frSrn
an agricultural area. They have dairies
out there and when this tariff law was
passed he did the best ne could for them:
he got tariff OF six cents pound on
butter. six cents pound on cheese, etc.
Now. take corn. for instance. Practically
oil OF the corn in the country is grown
In our states OF the middle west vet our
friend went back 20 Washington and said
we want a tariff OF 10 cents a bus1e-l on
corn. and got II. A man I'm Kansas was
once asked why the people there were
so Overwhelmingly i'm favor of high tariff
The reply was that II was an altruism OF
the American people"
Congressman McCleary was the second
speaker. In discussing the tariff he said
II believe I'm the reciprocity advocated
by James q. Blaine and WILLIAM McKin-
ley. James G., Blaine was 5Iatesman
He looked over this country and he In
vited representatives OF North and South
America TO Washington. where as a re-
suit we had the Pan-American congress
Many OF these countries produce articles
which we do not produce, and we likewise
produce articles which these countries do
not produce. Accordingly by Mr. Blaine
II was arranged that there should be an
equable exchange In the admission of
products without duty into the respective
countries. That is the Kind of reciprocity
that ] believe in.
81 am In favor OF dual tar1N. II you
want one. but Il would be to take the
present tariff as a minimum. Our affec-
tion Is due first to the country and then
20 the president, and though the man who
now occupies the chair at the White
House occupies perhaps a dearer place
in the hearts of his people than any other
man who ever sat there, yet he does not
make the laws. No president can make
the law. Congress makes the laws and
makes them with the idea OF first bene-
fitting the country"
The last speaker was Eugene \, Foss
of Boston. who advocated reciprocity He
spoke I'm part as follows:
Reciprocity" he said, as fair trade.
II isn't free trade. You must have pro-
lection to have reciprocity. We have had
a taste OF reciprocity in this country and
we know something about IT. In 1896
when the Republican party met in con-
vention at St Louis. they put into their
platform this declaration: Reciprocity
and protection are twin measures They
go hand in hand Later the Dingley bill
was enacted. 1t provided for protection,