Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-02-05
THETARIFF REVISION
Will HARDLY Be Accomplished
At PRESENT SESSION.
The Standpatters will be Strong
Enough to Defeat Such Measure.
The Obedient Servants of Special
interests, Although the Sentiment
Is Growing.

The fac, that it seems to be generally
agreed that there will be no tariff re-
vision at this session OF congress should
provide food for those republicans who,
having no AK to grind, are chiefly con-
cerned in the public welfare. Why are
we not to have tariff revision? Is it be-
cause public interests or public senti.
ment does not demand it? There is
abundant testimony, even for one who
does not take the democratic view of the
tariff question, to show that public in
terests demand tariff revision, while the
very earnest and renewed appeals made
by republicans all over the country in
favor OF revision of the tariff ought to
convince even those who are usually non.
observing that such revision would be
clearly in line with present day public
sentiment.
The republican party must certainly
be a we'll disciplined organization else
the standpatters Of this period would not
advance a proposition which, we make
bold to say, is controverted not only by
the opinion of the rank and file OF repub-
licans but has been publicly repudiated
by some of the most distinguished re-.
publican statesmen and editors.
In this day the trusts find in the tariff
larger shelter than they ever before en-
joyed, and the American public feels
more keenly than at any other time in
history the impositions due to an enor.
mously high protective tariff. Even he
men who framed the present tariff law
had no idea that the American people
would long tamely submit to those rates,
and we have it on the authority OF Sena.
tor Dolliver, of Iowa, that Mr.. Dingey
explained that many of the rates in his
tariff bill were purposely placed high in
order that they might be used in bring
ing about reciprocity with other couh.
tries. But now republican leaders refuse
to make any serious moves in behalf OF
reciprocity, and at the same time they
insist upon maintaining the exorbitant
rates.
In 1888 John Sherman, then member
of the United States senate, said "When.
ever this free competition is eyaded or
avoided by combination OF individuals or
corporations the duty should be reduced
and foreign competition promptly in.
vited."
In 1891 Senator Pumb, OF Kansas, OBJ.
jected to the Mckinley tariff bill be-
cause, as he said: "There are dozens oi
lines of manufactures covered by the
terms of this bill, which are controlled
by trusts" and Senator Plumb ADDED
that the best way "to start out trying tc
reduce the exactions OF trusts" was to
''cut down the shelter behind which
trusts are created"
Several years ago the Iowa republican
convention and the Idaho REPUBLICAN
convention adopted in their platforms
planks demanding "any modification O
the tariff schedules that may be required
to prevent their affording shelter tC
monopoly" Even in Connecticut a re-
publican convention held severa! years
ago declared "if in any schedule import
duties are found that have been notori
ously perverted from their true purpose
to the inordinate enrichment OF corpora
tions, monopollstic in fact or tendency
we look to republican congress to apply
in its wisdom the needed corrective
without impairing the principle OF pro
lection"
The late Governor Mount, OF Indiana
in public speech delivered in 1899 ex'
pressed similar views. Former Senator
Washburn gave out in 1899 number O
newpaper interviews in which he said
republicans who had the welfare OF theil
party and their country at heart must
call a halt upon their party's tendency
to connect itself with trusts and must in
sist that the tariff shelter enjoy ed by the
trusts be destroyed.
The Chicago Record. Herald, the
Minneapolis Journal, the New York
Commercial Advertiser, the Portland
Oregonian, the Hartford Courant, the
Dubuque Qowa) Times, the Phila lelphia
Ledger, the st. Paul Pioneer.Press, the
Rockford (Ill.) Republican, the Keokuk
Iowa. Gate City, the indianapolis News
and the Chicago Tribune-all republican
papers-long ago and repeatedly de-
manded the removal OF tariff duties from
commodities controlled by trusts.
In 1901 Representative Babcock, o
Wisconsin, who still holds bis seat in
congress, delivered number OF public
speeches and gave out a number o.
newspaper interviews in all of which he