Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-29
D|SP[EAS[D
The American Protective Tariff
League Issues Unexpected
Statement on Platform
PARTY IN EARNEST ON REVISION
League Issues Statement That Plank
is Sound Protective Doctrine, De-
spite Fact That 1t Openly Pledges
Revision-Great Fight in Election is
in tho West.

IN the west
Especial Washington Correspondence
Washington, June 29-For the mem
bers of the American Protective Tar
if League politicians in Washington
concerned in the welfare of the repub-
lican party cherish at this time neith-
err affection nor cordial esteem. This is
because the league, which has its head
quarters in New York, has sent broad
cast turnout the country a statement
declaring that the tariff plank as put
into the Chicago platform lis SOUND
protection PLATFORM
Why did the league put out this
statement? This is the question the
campaign managers of the party IN
power are asking Their answer is that
the league, having made up its mind
that the platform is one Tor souno
protection and a revision upward IN
stead of downward, is doing all 1t can
to bring to the support of the party
those who are now satisfied with the
tariff schedules. But this is not what
the party campaigners want. There is
so much agitation for revision ana
there has been SO much of promise FOR
a downward revision that the republt-
cans are apparently in earnest in in
tending to cut down the rates and they
incontestably want the people to know
they are in earnest.
Leaders Are Displeased.
Whatever the leagues reason may
have been for putting out the state
ment thus early in the fight, the re-
publican leaders do not like it. AS yet,
they have not replied to it. nor Will
they speak for publication regarding
it. One of the prominent men in the
campaign contented himself today with
saying:
"rhe country demanded revision.
The president was in favor of it. The
delegates to the convention were In
favor of it, and we have promised that
the revision shall take place. What
more is there to be said about tt?"
1t seems now that the campaigners
will take no notice of the protective
bothered about, however, is that the
democrats will attempt to use 1T as
campaign document against them. III
they do this, the republicans will SEND
out to their speakers the order to keep
before every audience that next winter
there is to be a revision which will be
a real, sure enough revision. This talk
of an upward instead of a downward
revision will be discouraged in the
most emphatic manner possible.
AS matter of fact, the literature
which is now, in course of preparation
for use by the republicans has much
to say about the promise of revision.
1t is made one of the keynotes of the
campaign And this is natural. 1t is
good politics. 1t is certainty that
the advocates of high tariff schedules
will not support the democratic tick
ct, and there is none but the repub-
licans left. Consequently. the
votes toward which the republican
managers must look are those in the
west and other localities where there
is the slightest sentiment for revis-
ion.
This is proved by the fact that sew
eral members of the republican ma
tional committee, who have been in
Washington recently, have all stated
that the great fight of this campaign
will be in the west. All plans are be-
ing made with that in view. The great
er part of the working force of the
national committee will be stationed
in Chicago. The men who will be put
in the field for speaking or for pub
licity work will have Chicago as their
central fighting point.
Fight On in the West.
One of the committeeman pointed
out:
with Bryan running on a Bryan
esque platform. the east is safe for the
republicans. We will not even have
to bother about the state of New York.
All the strength that Bryan will have
will be in the west"
It is from western states that the
cry for downward revision has come.
1t was to meet that cry that the tariff
plank was put into the platform at
Chicago. And, apparently, the west is
satisfied with it, No one has doubted
the sincerity Of its purpose. There it is
in black and white. a promise that the
tariff will be revised. No one has come
forward with the charge that 1t will
be revised up instead Of down.
Nothing Of this sort was heard at all
until the American Protective Tariff
League sent out the statement which
the republican leaders are frank to say
they consider as more Of a boomerang
than legitimate campaign ammunition.
If the league is satisfied, all we'll and
good say the republicans, but 1t can
accomplish nothing by exploiting its
satisfaction from one end of the coun-
try to the other.
These are the reasons why the re-
publican leaders who are now in
Washington cherish neither affection
nor cordial esteem for the members Of
the American Protective Tariff League,
which has its headquarters in New
York and which scatters literature all
over the country The league has ex-
pressed its satisfaction with the tar
iff plank but 1t has caused no salts