Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-11-10
On Tariff Revision Before
Boston Economic Club.
Revision Favored by Gov. Cum
ms, Iowa, and H. M. Whitney.
J. T. hGCIeary, Minnesota, and Col. Albert
Clarke Their Opponents.

Boston, NOV. 9.-FOur of the cOun-
tr.'s leading tariff authorities. two
fayoring Al tariff revision and two OPP
posad, had 4 joint debate. tonight, at
thc dinner of III" Economic Club. The
advocates or revision were Gov. A. b.
.ninrnius Of Iowa, and Henry Nj. Whit
nrv. the Democratic candidate for lieu
Tenant governor at the recent election
m this state. The defenders of the
nreseIt tariff We're Congressman James
~ AfrCl, airy of Minnesota, and Col. AL
hcrt Clarke. secretary of the Massa-
chusetts Home Market Club.
r Fl. Clements, editor of the Boston
Transcript. presided, and about 300
business men OF Boston listened atten-
lively 10 the arguments.
The revision side opened the debate,
Mr.. Whitney speaking in behalf of
reciprocity and tariff reform. His reel
nrocity arguments were in the main a
repetition of those made on the stump
last week. On tariff reform he quoted
statistics III which he endeavored to
show that of the 29,074.1l7 wage earners
in the country, the condition of three
quarters of them would be improved
by being able to supply their several
wants in the cheapest market. Mr..
Cleary said i'll part:
Mr. McClcary opened his remarks by
declaring that he was in exact accord
with the Republican national platform
ana President Roosevelt on the tariff
question, believing that there should
be no revision until the public interests
demanded it or We're promoted
thereby.
And nothing has happened since the
platform was adopted and President
Roosevelt announced his stand in his
letter OF acceptance to warrant us III
believing that the time for tariff re-
vision mas now been reached" said Mr..
McCleary.
The speaker agreed with Governor
Cummins i'll the iatter's recent state
rnent that there should be "a stability
in our tariff laws and that they should
not be changed for light or trivial rea-
sons
The making or unmaking of n tariff
act is Il tremendous task" said Mr..
NcCleary. and President Roosevelt in
his speech in Minneapolis, last year,
warned his countrymen of the danger
OF changing the tariff laws by persons
unfamiliar with the making of such
laws"
Tie speaker declared that of the Is
genep,'t7 sphedl,7e2a nn Ft,sA 'lsthgIty act
there are Il on which GOV. Cummins
offers no information.
He confines his allegations entirely
to the one which covers metals and
10
discuss that comprehensively but sim
ply makes some allegations concerning
parts of three or four Of them.
1T is true that we sold abroad, last
yrar. iron and steel products to the
amount of $13i.000.000. The manufact-
urc Of these products gave work at
GOOD wages to thousands of our people
and thus furnished a home market for
tens of millions Of dollars worth OF our
farm products and at the same time
reduced 10 our domestic consumers the
cost of similar manufactured articles.
Taking up Gov. CumminS' allegation
that steel rails We're sold cheaper
abroad than i'm this country Mr.. Nc
Cleary quoted comparative prices of
steel rails for six years, which showed
IHdI tIt IoIlllSl Ia ~ iN'la S'L |-c'of
and the American price S2St2 ton.
"Ac, ording to the census of 1900. we
produced. in this country, in that year,
manufactured goods To the value OF
$4,000. O000C0. which according to Null
hall. the English Statistician, is about
one third of all the goods manufactured
in the cntir" world. According to the
statistical abstract of the United
states. We exported in 1860 manufact-
urrd good to TIL. value of $l33,G ocu
in round numbers. That was an enor-
NOUS cApul alton, the largest up to
that ti!ac Ill The history of the coun-
try. Iut how small the amount eX-
ported seems when compared with the
total production. We exported only 5
per cent. of cur product. Stupendous
as was that amount of our production,
we i've at SO big a standard that We
could ana did keep at home for our
oW. use - pc" cent. of the total pro-
duCtion of our mills. Why. sir, rather
than cndanger the standard OF living
this revealed, we could well afford to
throw the other 3 per cent. into the
ocean. Eut we did not throw this
comparatively small excess away. We
sold it abroad. According to the report
If the industrial commission. 20 per
cent. OF the goods exported were sold
cheaper.
"Ani now. Mr.. Chairman. having ex-
amincd carefully all his evidence
submit to the candid Judgment of this
great and representative audience that
Governor Cummins has completely
failed TO produce the proofs so pro-
fuscly promised. He has utterly failed
to show that the tariff should be re-
yised at the coming session OF Con-
gress ana he has therefore justly in
CURED the penalty declared by himself
which is implied in his being properly
characterized as "a mere disturber OF
industrial tranquility"
Gov. Cummins said in part:
There must be. at least in the ab-
stract, some definition of a protective
duty. and those who desire to ind II
cannot go astray. 1t is duty thai
measures the difference between the
cost of producing the article at hon'
and abroad.
II am in hearty sympathy with thu
- ;f- ,