The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-02-03
Army Of Republican Pfottc-
tiOnists Is Preparing 10
Tame Stand-Patters
TARIFF COMMISSION
DEMANDED At ONCE
Wealthy Republican Manufacturers
Fearing Democratic Defeat, Pro.
pose to Raise Coin if Legs-
lation Is Not Effected.

I Washington. February Specially
-stand-patism is about to receive a
/ solar plexus blow. Thirty or more of
the leading manufacturers represent
; ing billions of capital and upwards Of
two millions of votes are in Washington
tonight prepared to perform the knock
| out stunt. Nearly all of them are re-
publicans and every one of them is a
protectionist and their purpose in COM
ing here is not to ask but to demand
that Congress. before it adjourns tho
present session and its members return
to their homes to engage in politics,
| shall pass a bill providing for a non-
| partisan tariff commission to take the
tariff, as far as it is possible out of
politics.
The leaders in the movement are here
to make frank and open confessions.
| They out-do the late Mr. Havemeyer.
who declared that the tariff is the
mother of trusts" by asserting that
| the tariff, that is the present sacred
! Dingley law, is a graft. They are the
! men for whom the tariff law was in
part framed. and when they go up to
| the capitol and tell Speaker Cannon,
! Chairman Payne. Representative Dali
! zell, Senator Aldrich and the rest of
| the stand-patters that they want re-
! vision, these gentlemen believe that
/ the lawmakers will be Obliged to sit up
and take notice.
Among those interested in the move
ment are the following:
National Association of Manufacture
ers, represented by President James w.
| Vaneleave of st. Louis. 5000 members,
! National Grange, represented by ex-
Governor N J. Bachelor of New Hamp-
shire, master of the Grange, having a
membership of 100000 farmers: the
| Merchants Association of New York.
| National Association of Agricultural
| Implement and Vehicle Manufacturers.
Merchant Tallors' National Protective
association, American Reciprocal tar
if League and 200 constituent organi-
cations, Carriage Builders National as
sociation, National Retail Hardware as
sociation, American Hardware manu-
facturers' association National Paint,
| Oil and Varnish association, Millers'
| National association, American Cotton
| Seed Oil association, Trans Mississippi
congress, Merchants exchange, st.
| Louis; Chamber of Commerce, Balti-
| more Board of Trade, Chicago; Nation
al Boot and Shoe Manufacturers asso-
clifton and the New York Manufacture
| ers' associa tion.
On Tuesday the delegation will have an
| audience with Speaker Cannon and the
| leaders in Congress and place their de-
| mands before them, insisting that Con-
| gress shall pass act creating tariff
| commission before the next presidential
| campaign comes on. On the following
| day they will call at the White House FOR
| the purpose of ascertaining whether the
| President is as firmly in favor of a tariff
| commission as he has heretofore ex-
| pressed himself to be. If not they declare
| that they want to see him back water,
| and then they purpose to tell him few
| things.
AS matter of fact. these manufacture
| ers are thoroughly alarmed over the situ-
| alton as it exists today and this they free
| ly admit. They do not mince words IN
saying that now, after the Dingley law
! has been in operation for nearly II years,
| the people have at last gotten on to 1t,
| and relalize that it is graft, framed
| in the interests of a few, and are pre-
| pared to raise sheol in the next eempaign
| if something isn't done before that time.
| These manufacturers appreciate the fact
| that the opponents of the tariff-that is,
! the democrats-are in full possession OF
| all the Information which they themselves
| have regarding the inequality and injus-
| tice of the schedules and are in a position
| to upset things unless something is done
| to stop them before election day rolls
around.
I,sa hot xx+l1il 10 oil a. rAPnf o.
| tionists that many of them have bene-
| flied under the law. they are afraid that
| if the republican party doesn't appoint a
commission which will make a scientific
| investigation OF the subject and report TO
| Congress, that the democrats will gain the
| election, the presidency and the House,
| and reduce the rates TO suit themselvs
| and to the detriment of those who favor
protection The bill which they favor.
| and which they will demand of Speaker
| Cannon that he allow to pass. is the
| Beveridge- -Steenerson measure.
The present situation summed up
| tonight by Fl. +. Miles, tariff expert and
| chairman of the tariff committee of the
| National Association of Manufacturers, as
| follows:
'''rhe manufacturers of this country ara
| tremendously In earnest in their demand
| for the immediate appointment of a nom
| rartisan tariff commission. VIII we get
| it? We are sure of it as republicans can
| pe, and we are all republicans as well as
| protectonists. The present tariff is rad
ically wrong, and was when 1t was made.
| Since 1897 the country has made infinite
| progress in all directions and methods.
as well as measures are necessarily more
| exact and the public interest is much
| more closely watched and served. Things
| have moral significance which they did
| not have 10 years ago. The present tariff
| was hurriedly made, 1t is illogical and
| can scarcely be said to be protective
| tariff. 1t Is tariff of discrimination and
| favoritism. tt has no exact and close
! relation to the principle Of protection.
which is supposed to justify it. There
| is an irresistible demand that legislation
| better conserve the rights of the indi-
! vidual than heretofore. We are going
| to profit by the experience OF the insur-
ance companies the packers. the railways
| and other great interests. and much re-