Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-03
ON CONSERVATIVE LINES
CONCERTED MOVE ON PART OF
TARIFF REvISIoNISTS.
President and Congress to Be Ad-
vised of the Situation-Permane
Commission Favored.

Determined to secure conservative iesis>
lation affecting the tariff before tariff
revision becomes a paramount issue IN
the next presidential campaign. COM
mittee of about thirty men, representa-
tives of the largest associations of man
ufacturers in the country. are assem-
bling here today in preparation for con-
certed move upon Congress. James W
VanCleve Of st. Louis president of the
National Association of Manufacturers. y
at the head Of the committee. and the lit
tie group backed. it is declared. by fully
100000 voters among the members or
the associations. is coming out into the
open with the declaration that they are
the wrongful gamers by an unjust tariff
Without qualification they announce
themselves in favor of the appointment
Of permanent tariff commission. ana oil
a sane and thorough revision OF the pres
ent schedules.
The committee will organize at the
New Willard and will cali on Speaker
Cannon and Senator .Aldrich. leaders OF
the "standpatters' in Congress. The COM
mitteemen of the manufacturers nave
had a pamphlet printed of arguments in
support of their demand for tariff COM
mission, containing hundreds of letters
from the heads of the biggest manufac-
turing and other industries in the country.
Copies are to be sent to all the senator's
and representatives.
To Call on President.
Wednesday they will visit the President
by appointment. In 1892 the President
came out strongly for tariff commits
sion, and the manufacturers feel he has
aot changed his opinion. but will come
to their support without hesitation.
BY their admission that the present
tariff schedules admit of graft Of the
most extensive pattern, the maRufactur-
ers and representatives OF some OF the
biggest industries in America, who are
backing the movement. expect to bring
about the complete overthrow OF the
standpatters.
When, they say. great majority OF
those interests, enriched by unjust tariffs,
band tog,......l- and confess the wrong that
has been done the American people
through the present tariff schedules. what
argument against sane revision of the
tariff can be found by the standpatters IN
Congress and tho huge protected interests
that have not as yet signitied their VIII
ngness to join the movement!
In speaking of the plans OF his COM
mittee. President Van Cleve says the as
sociat'ons arc urging the appointment or
tariff commission. not as revisionists,
but as stanch protectionists. II Is his be-
lief and that of the National Association
Of Manufacturers and the large number
Of organizations which indorse the imme-
date appointment OF commission that
such a commission is absolutely necessary
in order to protect the business interests
of the country from the harmful effects
of Il continued partisan agitation Tor
tariff revision during the campaign.
I'VE are in hearty accord with the
President he said. I'm believing that all
tariff rates should be adjusted on the
basis of difference in cost of production
here and abroad. and we also believe
10 n1s tod
a liberal allowance IN addition in favor
of the American producer"
Views of Committee Chairman.
H. T. Miles. chairman of the tariff
committee of the National Manufacturers
Association, was even more emphatic in
giving an outline Of the desires of him
self and his associates.
From one-half to two-thirds of the
stun made under this tariff bears to the
consumer an unjust and unreasonable price
because of the tariff" he said 1T il
timated by competent authorities that the
graft overcharge and wrong done the
American public because of the present
tariff reaches S;O0u.O00 a working dan.
We have the facts schedule by schedule.
and are prepared to make the details
public should we receive opposition TO our
demand for a permanent tariff commits
sion. through the appointment of which
a proper adjustment Of the tariff can be
procured.
I'VE are not agitators or reformcrs.
We are mostly republicans. and all pro-
tectionists.'