The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-20

.o..,,,A svsfem. for I fully recognl1e tbaf other classes. especially the s haA ng ers are vitally concerne1 In totaSS, Ia inc schedules. All that l malnsahn hae,, ,9 the. thh Srben after a tariff law has been in force ten years and a repIesenisiI tive body of protectionists sn pE ,,,sk ss and in interest, whose puslhess -,-ho them familiar with the facts ana .Sd,' Mno have no motive for misT5PTesoii s', siS v ' adont such a report as the one nave 1uoted from, 1t makes a case I0r IT. n.. vestfgatioa into the existing tarm " Congress for the purpose or ueted 1sd 'i'A'
 ina, how much revision Is needeu'
 s'The investigation in the ena WI. s be conducted by the committee or ways and means of the House ot o,p- n,p resentatiyes an6 py the The cheduies ara for them to recommend and TOT Congress to fix after they hear e evi- dence of the cost of production m @ @thls country and tba 5se eoSditions SUi e8lstins in each trade, and If it shall turn out that nopular opinion founded on sucn suhstantial evidence as that Which l have cited here should prove 10 be un- gonnded then the revision of the tariff will be confined to minor inequalltles. Ruf if the result of the investigation iustifies the report of the National AS sociation of Manufacturers, then the lewiston of the excessive schedules should be substantial, and the motive for the organization and maintenance of unlawful trusts to monopolize the manufacture and sale of articles in such schedules will be taken away.
 Prosperity Argument
 "Objection Is made to revision on the ground that we are enjoying business prosperity, that this will be disturoed, by a proposal to change the tarlI1, anu that we should wait until nara times before we revise. l cannot follow the argument The revision proposed IS To be by the Republican party and IS not to be a departure from the protec- tive principle but in conformity With it. It will affect only those persons ln- turiously who are making an unrea- sonable profit out Of an excessive rate. The present prosperity ~is not depen- dent on such q profit. It 1t were, then it would not be the prosperity Of the whole business community, but only for d few unduly favored at the expense or the community. In the present tenn per of the people, general prosperity has not prevented the remedying of other abuses and injustice don know why 1t should prevent this.
 'I had occasion in speech Whlcn delivered at Bath, Maine. now a9ou! opinion as in favor of an immediate revision of the tariff, but there point ed out and l only refer to It to repeal 1t and emphasize it. that the revision of a tariff involves so many different interests the country over as that ii could not be undertaken successfully by the Republican party, and therefore ought not to be undertaken at all, un- iii the party as a whole is in favor ot it. I ventured to express the opinion that the sentiment in favor of a re- vision in the Republican party waf crystaliZing to such a point that in a short time we might expect to have action upon the subject. What has happened in the last year has only served to confirm the view then ex' pressed, and it now seems to me thai even most of the extremists in the mat ter of the tariff are of opinion that fl would be not only unwise. but unsafe for the party to fail in its next na- tionaI platform to ledge itself to re- vision of the tariff as soon after th' next presidential election as possible
 sThose of us who favor. immediat, revision can well afford to wait unti after the next Presidential election Il order to secure substantial acquies cence by all Republicans. Certainly
 delay of action for eighteen month