Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-28

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mote reciprocal treaties in those things i
which by nature we must Import,
Contrast his utterances with those I
of our great President Roosevelt de-
livered at Minneapolis March IA, 1903. !!
stand the ruinous policyAof readjust- !
ing its business to radical changes In !
the tariff at short intervals. especially
when, owing to the immense extent
and variety of our products, the tariff
schedule carried rates of duty on
thousands Of different articles.
Sweeping and violent changes In such
tariff, touching SO vitality the inter-
ests Of all of us, embracing agricul-
merce, would be disastrous in any
event, and they would be fatal to our
present well being II approached on
the theory that the principle Of the
protective tariff was to be abandoned.
Lessons From History.
1.-THE business world, that is the en-
tire American world, cannot afford. II
it has any regard for Its own well
fare, even to consider the ADVISABLE
ity of abandoning the present system.
Yet on the other hand where the In
change as with us. must OF necessity
be the case, 1T Is matter Of prime
Importance that we should be able,
from time to time to adopt our eoor
nornic policy to the changed condi-
tions,
"'Our aim should be to preserve the
policy OF protective tariff in which
the nation as a whole has 2acquiesced
and yet whenever and wherever nee
essarv to change the duties in partic-
ular paragraphs or schedules as mat
ters Of legislative details, IL such a
change Is demanded by the interests
of the nation as q whole.
In making any raadjustment, there;
are certain important conditions which
cannot be disregarded, II a tariff had.
on the whole, worked we'll, and II
business has prospered under 1t, and
II prospering, 1t may be better to en-
dure some inconyenienees. and in-
equalities for b time than by making
changes to risk causing disturbance;
and, perhaps paralysis in the indus
| tries and business In the country. Tho
fact that q change In given rate Of
duty may be thought desirable does
advisable to make the change immed-
lately, Every tariff deals with duties
on thousands of articles, arranged In
hundreds Of paragraphs and in many
schedules.
" These duties affect vast number
of Interests which are often conflict
ing, II necessary for our welfare,
slider the question of changing the law
as a whole or changing any given rate
Of duty, but we must remember that
whenever a single schedule Is consid-
4 cred some interests will appear to de-
mand change In almost every sched-
ule In the law; and when 1t comes to
upsetting the schedules generally. the
aHeet upon the business interests
would be ruinous.'
Every republican and lover Of his
country should recollect, In the light
OF the governors position, that era of
our history which began with the year
1892 with the second election Of Gro
! YER Cleveland as president Of the Unit
Cd States and which eliminated In
the panic Of 1893. The same cry
against tariff; the same demand for
the redemption Of duties, the same
charge that the tariff was a breeder II
4 trusts and monopolies, was made dur
ing that year, and under the inspira.
\ tion OF the election Of 1892, the demo
cratic party enacted the famous Will
son tariff bill Every business man In
that time who survived that great
crisis In our business affairs will re.
call the disaster and ruin which en-.
4 sued from the revision Of the tariff
i While, In many cases, the changes IN
the duties were not in themselves rad.
ical, yet the disturbance In business
became 30 serious; business uncer:
families developed TO- SO great de.
gree and trade was practically para;
llyzed and the country precipitated
Unto the throes Of commercial panic
4 1T cannot be said that our tariff
should never be changed, but follow
4 ing the guidance Of President Roose
|, welt we can demand that steps look
j ing In that direction should be
J. weighed with the utmost care and, un
4 less the demand be imperative and
conditions such as to demand imhedi
n ate action, it will be wise for us t.
], stand pat and to preserve the rule Of
business conditions. We are passing
1 through a remarkable business era In
the United States today. Our foreign
trade is greater than at any time in
our history. Our domestic trade
eclipses the foreign trade manifold
! It's conservation is infinitely more i'm
t perative than the development of the
} foreign trade and we should hesitate
to sacrifice that which is certain and
within our own control for an illusivt
4 competitive foreign trade. Shall the
fruits of this magnificent policy ac
I cruing to the American people BIZ
J idly abandoned? 1t was asserted by
! Governor Cummins in his inaugura
! address that unless we change otii
policy the English markets might be
4 closed upon tls. He gave utterance tt
!, dire forebodings as the result of agita
! tions inaugurated by Mr.. Chamberlain
; for the adoption of a protective policy
+ 10 England against American impor
! tations and, during the last few
months 1t has been developed that pub
). liz .nnininn in ENGLAND witt not tnler