Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-08
CONGRESSMAN JOHN F. LACEY
EXPRESSES HIMSELF ON THE
GERMAN TARIFF
PRODUCTS OF FARMS
Bays 81 Per Cent Find Market At
Home - The Tariff, the Farmer, the
Manufacturer and Miner - Talks to
Those Who "woud Not Stand Pat
Even ina Glover Field"

Those Who "WouId Not Stand Pat
Even ina Glover Field"
Washington, D. c., March 6.-Ad-
dressing himself to those "who would
not stand pat even in clover field,''
Representative John F. Lacey, of Iowa,
took occasion during the debate on
the Indian appropriation bill today to
express himself on the subject of the
German tariff.
He took the position emphatically
that the United States could not af-
ford to sacrifice her commerce with
Great Britain in order to win German
markets by tariff concessions.
He Illustrated this by figures show
ing how little we sell to Germany in
comparison to Great Britain, and how
little we sell to Great Britain in COM
parison with our home market
Eighty-seven per cent Of the product
OF our farms, he said, find a market at
home.
MIR. Lacey's Address.
Following is given Mr.. Lacey's adj
dress in full:
Mr.. Speaker:-It is the tendency
OF the human mind to look back with
longing regret to the past which is
gone and forward with hope to gold
en- future.
1T is the present that is always
complained of. It's good is minimized
and it's evil is magnified. There is
nothing so disappointing as attain
ment. We think the least of that
which we possess. The bird in the
hand is never SO attractive as the one
In the bush. though it is homely
maxim that 1t is worth more. 1t is
the experience Of all sportsmen that
the Imagination dwells longingly upon
the big fish that got away. The one
brought home is likely to be looked
upon with more or less scorn by the
fishermans wife. This mental pecu-
liarity should be resisted
The Home Market.
The markets of the world" are al
ways held up as the most attractive
OF all to the imagination. The import.
ance OF great and increasing home
market Is likely to be underestimated.
The philosopher !, in Esop's Fables
walked along, looking up at the. stars,
and fell in an open well at. his feet. ].
'Eighty-seven per. cent Of. the pro-
ducts of our farms under existing con-
ditions find a market, and good one,
the best in the world, in the United
States. @
In the last year we exported farm
products to the amount of 1888, 16O, 1854.
The average export of farm. products
from 1890 to 1893, inclusive, was
$677,S96,S7O.
The German Tariff.
Germany takes pride in sending
the products of her factories to all
parts of the world, bearing the famil-
lar legend Made in Germany
1--WE admire her for her enterprise,
but we are not willing to have our
American tariff laws also labeled
Made in Germany
The, farmers of Iowa will view
with considerable distrust any propo
sition to discriminate against our best
customer, Great Britain. For the
year 1904 our exports to the United
Kingdom exceeded our entire exports
to all the following countries put to-
gether: Germany, France, Holland,
Italy, Belgium, Canada, Spain, Cuba,
European Russia, Denmark and Japan.
1--WE all desire to maintain relations
of the most friendly character with
Germany. Vast numbers of her best
citizens have crossed the ocean and
cast their lot with us "a most welcome
and useful addition to our population,
Our friendship with Germany has
been traditional.
Under the peculiar form of govern.
ment Of the German empire the land.
owners have power in parliament
largely in excess Of their numbers, as
the representation is not distributed
in proportion to the population.
A tariff law was framed in Ger.
many hostile to the interests of Amer.
lean farmers, and it was proposed that
this law should take effect on March
l, 1906.
Exports to Germany.
"Our exports to Germany in 1904
were 1914 ,7SO,992. Our German i'm.
ports were $118,13s,OS9 Our Imports
were largely of manufactured goods
upon which the Germans addede the
value of their labor. On the other
hand, our exports to Germany were
mainly of raw material which she de-
sired to use in her manufactures. and
included $s7,392,O63 of raw cotton.
The raw materials exceeded s120, OO0.-
600 in value.
When we compare this with our
enormous exports to Great Britain,
which in 1904 amounted to s537, 34O,-
$50, 1t is quite obvious that we could
not afford to make any treaty with
Germany giving her products pref
erence over those of Great Britain.
q Some enthusiastic supporters of
Ehe proposition to give special conces
.slons to Germany over those allowed
TO the balance of our European custo.
mers have asserted that we might in
crease our market for meats in Ger
many by such concessions to an
amount equal to from $50,00O,OOo to
S100. 900 900 per annum Tbesa f,rrrree, !