The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-05-05
TARIFF The TOPIC
vIllIAns COMPLETES ATTltK 0l
STANDPATTERS.
Democratic Leader Accuses Mo
nopolies Of Selling Cheaper to
Foreigners Than Americans.
Cushmanof Washington Makes
Caustic Reply.

CushmanOt Washing ton MAKES
Caustic Reply.
Washington, April SO.-The tariff
discussion started in the house Thurs
day afternoon occupied practically all
the time of the house on Saturday.
John Sharp Williams concluded the
speech he began Thursday, and con-
sumed the first two hours in collab-
Grafton with Towne, Of New York, In
which Towne read the letters and
other articles Williams wanted to in
clude, and Williams, standing beside
him, kept up a running fire Of inter-
jectory comment, explanation and ar
gument.
Williams, in touching upon Bou-
telle's explanation of the watch trust,
as spoken of by Bailey, showed by nu-
merous examples how other concerns
than the watch trust make q business
of selling cheaper abroad than at
home, and emphasized his demand
for q revision of the tariff that shall
make such practices impossible.
Boutelle appealed to Williams to
answer question as an economist, not
as q partisan. He wanted to know
whether it was not true that, when
ever the difference between the for
eign and domestic selling prices was
greater than the cost Of transportation
back from the foreign market to the
domestic market, the goods would in
evitably come back home and compete
in the domestic market with the goods
originally sold here.
Cheap Watches for Foreigner.
"That is exactly what did happen
in the watch case, !" replied Williams.
1T was because these watches were
sold abroad at price low enough to
enable their purchasers to pay for
bringing them back that they were re-
imported and sold here for less than
trust prices for goods originally sold
here.
''Oh, you can't dodge the facts any
longer" cried Williams, shaking his
flsht at the Republican side. ''You-
have to defend this system or destroy
it. You can neither deny the fact nor
get out of it, as the gentleman from
Illinois attempted to get out Of it. !"
When he had concluded with the
watch trust, Williams turned his at
tention to giving some of the proof
that Col. Hepburn asked for the other
day in challenging the statement of
Rainey that the steel trust sold rails
cheaper abroad than at home. To-
ward the close of his speech Will
Jams made this statement Of his per-
sonal conviction:
All Benefit Goes to Trusts.
81 would rather pay q direct tax
and have it given out by the govern
ment every week to the poor men
working at less than fairly remunera-
tive wages, than pay this indirect tax
and have it go into the pockets of
these favored trust magnates. It is
no more socialism than the present
method. You say You are levying du-
ty to produce better pay for working
men, but that is not the truth. It is
q tax for the benefit of men who see to
it that very little of it dribbles
through to the workingmen.'
At this point Fassett, of New York,
was prompted to INTERCEPT remark
about incidental protection.
H." replied Williams, ''if 1 walk to
the treasury and on the way step on
an ant, it is just the same to tho ant
as il l stepped on it Intentionally.
But l don't 60 to the treasury for that
purpose any more than I 60 hunting
for ants to crush.'
= Cushman Replies To Taunt
Williams was frequently intercepted
by the applause Of the Democrats.
"Mr. Cushman, of Washington, !"
said he, lis one Of the high tariff
fighters
Cushman, who is one Of the hard
shitters Of the high tariff fighters, re-
piled.
II have listened with intense inter-
est to the brilliant speech Of my friend
from Mississippi, he began For
several years have heard that speech
every year and have noted with inter-
est and pleasure the regular improve
ment. It has been changed in die
ton, in expression, in infection and
in gesture, but the speech is the same
old speech 1t was seven years ago,
when I heard it for the first time. -
Cushman spoke FOR half an hour in
defense Of the protective tariff system.
but was taken of the floor before he
had finished. owing to the former ac-
ton OF the house agreeing to conclude
general debate on the agricultural APP
preparation, which was the measure
under consideration. at $50 p. M, at
which time the house adjourned.
To Break the Cotton Trust.