The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-13
TARIFF REFORM
LEADING ISSUE

- - - - &>e2A
Representative Richardson of
Tennessee Defines Attitude
of Both Political Parties.
BANKS GOING REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE A "FAL-
SUM FULMEN."
Washington Feb. l2-The attitude Of
the Republican party on the tariff ques-
ton, and the presidents recent special
message to congress, in which he called
attention 10 the necessity of certain leg
islatiOn, We're themes of a lengthy speech
IN the house today by Mr.. Richardson Of
Alabama.
He cleared mp the political atmosphere
and forcibly defined the position and views
OF both of the great political parties on
vital political and economic questions
Tariff reform said Mr.. Richardson,
rs the issue that would clarity the pol
itical atmosphere Let us stand for free
raw material" he explained. and the
victory IS ours.
6TOkSu 0GpuDitCdn FtSoSSSs
He charged that on that point the Re
publican party was weak and stood dis
credited with the people by its broken
pledges. He did not hesitate to say that
the tariff Will be an issue that appeal
ed to the people more than the Panama
canal, the railroads, the currency, the
freedom OF the Philippines. Imperialism
or the question of unframed malefactors
so soundly denounced by the president IN
his last message. The debate of the last
week, he. said. had demonstrated the
weakness and utter inefficiency of our
boosted gold standard financial sys-
tenn"
Party of Soup Houses.
He spoke of the multiplication of soup
houses, failing banks and other adver-
stiles and reminded the Republicans of
their exclamation during the panic Of
1898, when a bank failure was reported
that another bank has gone Democratic"
Mr.. Richardson charged that the banks
that failed last fall had gone Repub-
lican.
The stand-pat leaders who dictated and
directed the policies of the Republican
party. he asserted. declared with great
earnestness and sOlemnity that not a
single schedule of the Dingley, tariff
should be revised or considered until
after the presidential election and then
only by its friends"
Not Worthy of Belief.
No sound. sane man. he declared, pre-
tended to believe that and he did not
think that the leaders who made such dec
larations could expect the country to
take them seriously. The great trusts of
the country. he said, have fallen under
the present tariff system and these
friends" were now engaged in a hide
and-seek game to extend the friendly
powers Of arrogant corporations and COM
hines, by seeking to allay the fears of
the consumers by promises so often dis
regarded in the past few years"
The whole situation was. he said, that
the Republican leaders did not believe
IL TO be possible for the Republican party
TO have revision of the tariff at this
time, although, he charged. public opinion,
supplemented by Republican dissatisfac-
ton. has forced a reluctant consent to
hammer into the next Republican platform
a promise TO revise after the election
RooseVeIt's Recent Message.
Regarding the presidents message. Mr..
Richardson said II was in class by
itself and was In response TO the criticisms
that the newspapers had freely passed
upon him and the politics of his admin
istratiOn. Many of the recommendations
of that message. he declared, If carried
out at once by his party. would undoubt-
eddy be OF benefit to the country. Mr..
Williams the minority leader. ne said. had
pointed out clearly the portions of the
message that Democrats could ana woUid
Cheerfully indOrse, but he alleged the
message undoubtedly seeks TO make the
control of the trusts the paramount Is
sue in the present campaign"
If. he inquired the president was truly
sincere in the vigor and zeal of the rights
expressed in his message, or the pro-
lection of the individual rights of the
citizen against the rapacity of the trusts
why did he not recommend to his party
that a guarantee TO be given every Amer
lean citizen, the right to buy at home
the products of American manufacturers
as cheap as these products are sold in
foreign cOuntries?'
Would Solve Trust Problem.
If that was done che said the trust
problem could be s0fted. The message
however. he said was a strong plea for
the continuance of the Republican party
in power and really made no direct rec
ommeudatiOn for the relief of the burdens
of the people. 1t is, of course. highly
sensational" he said land stamped in
narily unique and startling personality OF
the president"
He credited the president with being "an
expert in the game of politics" and said
that his command of language left him
without rival among the noted pub
lie men of the country
The message as practical system for
the betterment of the country he said
was a ''falsum fulmen," and as a work
of craftsmanship was failure.
Hysteria Unnecessary.
The country. he continued, needed a
refOrmer. but there must be no hysteria
in such work 1t should be deliberate and
not sensational
In conclusion. Mr. Richardson said he
believed that the predatory wealth,
predatory poverty swollen fortunes
and the criminal rich" together with
the trusts" were evil forces abroad in
the land, and they ought TO be con-