Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-19
LISTENED TO SHAW
PRINCIPAL SPEAKER AT THE RE-
PUBLICAN CELEBRATION.
Tariff Should Be Revised, He Con-
tends, Only at an Extra SEES
; sion of Congress.


the Academy of Music last night, at which
Secretary Shaw was the principal speaker.
The meeting was opened by J. Hampton
Moore, president of the National Republican
League, who presented Gov Stokes of New
Jersey as the presiding officer. The gov
ernor delivered short speech. in which he
felicitated the republican party for its
achievements He was followed by Score
tary Shaw, who said in part
Secretary Shaw's Speech.
The republican party is. and ever has
been, progressive. 1t has gone on solving
problem after problem, and while 1t has
sometimes hesitated and occasionally
tripped. it has neither fallen nor fed 1t
has met its every responsibility and full
hiied Its every pledge. 1t is impossible to
appreciate the steadfast, onward course of
the republican party without comparison
with the record of our political opponents
The first complete victory achieved by the
democratic party in third of a century
was in 1892.
After referring to the campaign preceding
that election, and noting particularly the
attitude of the democrats that the tariff Is a
tax, the Secretary continued; THE result
was landslide The democratic party car
ried New York. Connecticut, Indiana (the
home of the republican candidate) Illinois,
Wisconsin, California. half Of Michigan, and
yielded only plurality even in Iowa. We
were defeated, horse, foot and dragoon We
went out of control, but not In disgrace
for with lasting pride de we now turn to
the record of that same year. We had
little left except the principles of the re-
publican party, but those principles, gentle
men, AFFORD sufficient capital on which to
begin business.
Grover Cleveland believed In the plat
form on which he was elected, and his mes
sage rings true to free trade but the men
w elocfed uvff1 ha
free trade platform passed the Wilson
German law. built upon no principle and
full of Inconsistencies Mr.. Cleveland de-
clared the bill to be full of 'perfidy and
dishonor, and refused to sign it. 1t pro-
tected iron and steel and a score of other
articles. but put wool and coal and twenty
other things on the free list and lowered
the duty below the point of protection on
twice as many more
Free wool drove four million sheep to
the slaughterhouse in twelve months, and,
this coupled with the closing of factories.
forced the price of livestock so low that
the average price of horses steers, cows,
calves, sheep and pigs sold in Chicago fell
off on the average over IS per head in four
years. million men forced out of en-
ployment reduced the average consumption
of wheat from about six bushels per capita
in 1892 to less than three and one-half
bushels in 1884.
Factories extinguished their fires right
and left. Lockouts enforced by bankruptcy
doors by the dozen each day for months,
and for four years no farmer in the whole
northwest built house or fence or doveeote,
and repaired only from necessity.
81 have no desire to disguise the fact that
In a few localities there Is now some rest
lessness on the tariff question. The Ameri-
can people are like every other people; they
grow restless under prosperity and we'll
nigh desperate under adversely"
Revision of the Tariff.
Secretary Shaw briefly discussed the
term "standpatter." saying that In some To-
calities the term is opprobrieus. Senator
Hanna, the Secretary said, first employed
It In its political significance in 1902, when
he uttered the words, II say stand pat
He argued that Senator Hanna did not
mean by that that the tariff should never
be revised, nor did he intimate that 1t
might not be wise to revise 1t five years
hence, or even one year hence. Speaking In
the present tense, Senator Hanna has said,
STAND pat
Secretary Shaw, continuing said
Let us avoid any division In own
ranks. The republican party is now stand
Ing pat, and the republican who has in the
past sought to convict his party of neglect
ing the best interests of the people has to
that extent embarrassed the coming election.
l am not now discussing the merits of i'm
mediate revision These local reyisionists
for the sake of local interest may be cor
rect. They certainly should not be asked
to apologize. for they mean well, but they
are In no position to exact an apology from
those who are and who have been in har-
m',ny with the last national platform. with
the speeches and messages of the President
and with the action of Congress.
In my state for five years some of my
political brethren have strenuousIy contend
ed for an immediate revision of the tariff.
/ nave thought It unwise to teach the peo-
pie that they are being imposed upon by
my party. In the first place. 1 have not
believed they are being imposed upon
have recognized that there are some inc
qualities In the present tariff law. Ii
could do 1t In night would make num-
Der of changes. But while / have recog-
nized that the Dingley tariff law. like any
other tariff law ever made and like every
other tariff law that ever will be made is
imperfect have recognized that it's opera
ton has brought employment to every man
who is willing to work and has secured
to every toiler unprecedented compensation
Recognizing that the farmer has never sold
his products so high, and also that the aver
age laboring man has never been able to
buy SO many of the necessaries of life with
days work as now, l have not sought to
teach the American people that they are
being imposed upon by the party to which
belong.
Neither would teach discomfort IL 1 be-
lieved 1t important that the tariff be imme-
diately revised can express myself no
better than to quote the substance of a
speech made in my own state four years
ago, when said. I have never urged tarifr
revision, and have never opposed a tarin
revision. Why should 1? Who am I?
am but nurse In great sanitarium, a
majority OF the physicians In charge or
which practice the school OF medicine or
which am disciple.
When to Revise Tariff.
The Secretary argued that no political
party within the last fifty years has ever
revised the tariff downward and carried
the next election. and he added: "I do not
believe the republican party will ever
again undertake revision OF the tarin on
the eve of an election. The only safe time
to attempt process OF this kind Is at an
extraordinary session OF Congress, called
Immediately upon the inauguration of
new administration. Business win then
have time to adjust Itself before the next
congressional election. and there will be
time to justify the wisdom OF the act before
the next presidential election.
we must adopt a principle and then
logically apply 1t. II 1t is to be tariff for
revenue only. then let tariff for revenue
only be applied to the producers of citrous
fruits in Florida. to the producsrs of tex
tiles and other articles of apparel In New
E.nuiaud nj tn the ftrof7ffrers of xuftaaf