Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-25

: standpatism needed no endorsement;
ms record is a guaranty that no bene-
hciary of special privileges will be
disturbed. 1t was Congressman Sher-
man who, In speech in the house on
the 18th Of last April, boastfully de-
clared, I'VE recognize the fact that we
have Republican majority in the
senate, that we have Republican ma
: jority In this house, that ia ready to
resort to every legal, every proper
constitutional right to enact such
legislation as it deems for the best in
terest of the greatest number of our
: people, and which is willing and
: ready to accept full responsibility for
all those measures which are intro
duced here and which are hot enact
ed into law"
Maximum and Minimum Tariff.
The Republican platform suggests
thai there should be maximum tariff
and minimum, the maximum to be
used in retaliation and the minimum
in ordinary cases. This is merely
!, adding delusion to procrastination and
uncertainty. We have prominent Re
publican authority, Senator Dolliver
and Senator Hanna, to prove that In
the present law the rates were
knowingly made higher than neces-
: sary with the understanding that re
4 auctions would be made to secure
foreign trade. Mr.. Dolliver said in
the senate on January IS, 1909 ''It
is true that in the bill which he (Mr.
Dingely) reported from the commit
tee on ways and means he did put
duties up for the express purpose of
having them traded down" Mr.. Dol
liver insisted that the reciprocity pro-
vision in the Dingley act was as dis
/ tinctly part of the tariff policy as
i the coal schedule and complained that
mot one line of the wisdom of James
4 G. Blaine remained on the statute
books" and that mot a step had been
taken to fulfill the purpose of the last
Buffalo address of President Nc
Kinley." And yet the very men who
present this new plan prevented the
carrying out of the old plan.
Mr., Bryan on the Procedure.
How will Mr.. Taft explain to the
average man the benefits of protec-
ton? He can easily convince trust
tpaI it Iicfits by the tariff. hut wlla.
alb nj tila victim If l'le tlris,
The Poor and the Tariff.
The second step in the reduction Of
the tariff is a material reduction up
on the necessities of life, especially
upon goods competing with such
American manufactures as are sold
abroad more cheaply than at home"
At present the articles used by the
poor bear a higher rate ad valorem,
than the articles used by the rich
This statement can be verified by an
examination of any of the schedules
A tax upon consumption, even when
laid with absolute impartiality, bears
heaviest upon the poor, because our
necessities are much more uniform
than our possessions. People do not
eat in proportion to their income;
/ they do not wear clothing in proper
ton to their income; they do not use
! taxed goods in proportion to their in
| come. AS all taxes must come out of
ones income. no matter through what
system levied or collected, they are,
in effect, income taxes, and taxes on
consumption are really graduated in
come taxes, the largest per cent being
collected from those with the smallest
income. 1t is only fair, therefore, that
! in an attempt to relieve the people
| from the iniquities of high tariff, the
poor, who are ever-burdened should
be given first consideration. Then, too,
reduction Of the tariff on the neces-
| sites of life bring benefit to all the
people, while a reduction in the tax
upon Injuries would benefit but a por-
ton Of the people
Surely no one will object to reduc-
tion being made upon articles which
come into competition with American
manufactures which are sold abroad
more cheaply than at home. The
American manufacturer who sends
his good to foreign lands and there,
without any protection whatever, com
petes successfully with the manufac-
turers of all the world does not need
high tariff to meet competition in
the home market. And there are
enough articles sold abroad at low
price to assure large advantage to
the American consumers through the
carrying out Of this one plank.
Opposing View Of Two Parties.
Mr. Taft, however, finds the greatest
alarm in the following clause in our
platfrom:
Gradual reductions should be made
in such other schedules as may be nee
essary to restore the tariff to a reve-
nue. basis"
No Republican leader will now deny
that reductions ought to be made,
but who Is to make the reductions?
The only answer given by the Repub-
licans is that the tariff ought to be re-
formed by it's friends; that Is, that
those who made the last tariff law
should be entrusted with the making
of new tariff law. But suppose the
people adopt the Republican idea and
entrust the making of the tariff law
to Republican congressman; what will
be the method of procedure? In the
April, 1908, number of American In
dustries, Mr.. Miles says: "The people
instruct and trust congress to grant
just, equitable and ample protection"
Is not that just what the Republi-
can leaders claim to favor? They
want you to instruct and trust con
gress to grant just, equitable and am
pie protection" And what does that
mean? Mr.. Miles says that congress
trusts the Ways and Means commit
tee And Republican leader will