New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-05-07
4 TARIFF FIELD DAY.
Senator Cummins's Speech-Many
LireLu CONOquies.

Washington. May Recommending the course Of
his colleague Mr.. DolliVer in his-attacks on the
pending tariff bin, Senator Cummins. of Iowa. in
opening his speech turned to Mr. Aldrich and said
that the who challenged the Repubhcanism
Of Senators because they seek revise the sched-
ules OF duties forty years old was taking most
remarkable course.
Have We arrived at that slavish state of public
opinion he asked in which it becomes a Ques-
ton of political fealty insist upon the correc
ton Of schedules made forty years ago when we
consider them IN relation to conditions existing to-
day?"
THE bin now before US which. il may be
sumed presents the views of the Finance Com
mittee respecting revision" said Mr. CumTnins
will not be accepted by those who have favored
revision Of the tariff either fuihlment of the
party pledge or as a settlement Of the contro-
-versy. II this BILL anything substantially like
il. becomes a law. I predict that campaign for
lower duties Will begin the moment the extraordi-
l.ary session OF Congress adjourns, and viii con-
tinue with increasing zeal until the Judgment en-
tered in the the public conscience IS also
entered in the journals Of Congress 1t gives me
no pleasure 10 utter this prophecy. for have ear
nestv hoped that revision in progress would
end the dispute for years TO come and that the
business Of the country would enjoy the peace
and tranquility which are impossible during the
existence of a movement TO materially change
duties upon imports
1t is idle. worse than Idle. to speculate upon
the technical meaning Of the words and phrases
employed in the last Republican platform upon
this subject. The declaration there found has
history and that history is familiar TO every MEM
Der Of the Senate.
PEOPLE DEMANDED REVISION.
Who insisted upon tariff revision? It was not
the manufacturer; it was not the lumberman' II
vas not the coal man: it was not the iron and
Steel man: il was not the glass man; it was not
the cotton or the woollen man; il was not the Oh
man. During the whole agitation never heard
YOU never heard-a demand from these people Ilat
he
those who believed whether they were rlght or
wrong l Will consider presently that the oulleS
slpon many articles and commodities were 100
high. from those who believed that they were
having TOO much for the things they had TO buy,
and that excessive import duties coupled WIZ"
other conditions were enabling favored Ie" 70
reap inordnate profits. and therefore, they "ahle'
as one of the steps leading TO the remedy Which,
they sought substantial reduction OF these duties
II is not necessary at this moment 10 inquire no"
many people so believed or in what part OF 'le
country they lived
There was no question. he said, that the Repuo-
Icsn party had promised revision ulioeI q &c
Inand for lower duties
u Go not saw" he added, that Senator mas
rot z perfect right carry into erect Ais oN"
views: do not say that he has not perfect rlsil
"a ,,ar,,5fa-a the nlatforln In a contest between
conscience and a party declaration, conscience
ought always 20 win. But a Senator VINO hohe7lls
believes that there should be no substantial Ieuuo
tion ought not 10 deude himself with the IDEA that
platform at the same time.
The peopie he said have seen the forces OF com
7,erition gradually weaken in the larger heios u
industry through concentration. combinations
agreements and all the other modern mechanism
which an ingenious age has discovered ool-
,tinuing he said:
They have seen competition shut out OF some
Of these fields by the Intervention OF eAt,.eEH7
ir7-ort duties They have felt the injustice OF
the discriminations which the vast Por u 80.
RECONSIDERATION systems infiict IheZ kneM
that these things wrong, and. aftef ptdiLLis
the burden until il became intoierabe theY ptsiI
20 move with Irresistible strength aiohs li4e 49,
zg-sv of reform They have made some prog -
toward the regulation of transportation anu M
repression of corporate evils. The last aGlillllS
rrsrlon viii remembered so long as the hiSto
Of our country is preserved for IT'S victories ~
The struggle for rate regulation and for corporate
fair dealing ..o,,. homo
The work has Just begun. and / slncerely nope
that the present administration VIII be no LeSs
distinguished than the last one for ITS energy III
dealing with these perpleXing problems one
mart however. Of the programme was assigned
hv common TO this ADMINS tralloi anu
IFS conspicuous leader assumed without heSlta-
lion the task Of tariff revision. The people kno"
well a. they knew what they wanted with respect
10 railways and industrial combinations ana
their intelligent. educated patrlouc instinct =
5ust as certain with respect to the taflH as IL
was with respect 10 transportation or monopoIleS.
II we fail substantially reduce the uuteS
lrDcD the important schedules. we but postpone
the Justice due the people, Justice which,