The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-05
RICHARDSON ON
 TARIFF MEASURE

Huntsville, May 4.-(Special )--Judge William Richardson, representative of this district in Congress, is here to attend the marriage of his daughter. He talks in- terestingly and most vigorously of the Payne tariff bill. The exposure of its false pretenses by both democrats and re- pubicans has thoroughly opened the eyes of the country to the wrongs and iniqui- ties to which the republican party has car ried the doctrine of a high protective tariff for protection's sake" he said. q do not believe that any tariff bill ever before presented to the country for con- sideration met with the same public dis trust and suspicion that is now being &C., corded the Payne bill. This complaint
 is by no means limited to democrats but it embraces republicans and all classes of people, It really looks like the only friends and advocates of the Payne bill
 are the benefcaries of great monop- olies and special interests.
 There are strong, common sense req
 sons for this prevailing suspicion that a Chinese process of juggling with words of double meaning has been resorted to,
 instead of an honest, plain, simple down. ward revision of the high duties of the ! present Dingley tariff on broad principles. Why, the Payne bill as 1t passed the 1 House and went to the Senate recom- mended an average increase of duties over the present Dingley law That revelation to the country was a distinct shock and the hypocricy of the whole game was transparent The great republican leader of the Senate, Senator Aldrich, when hard pressed on both sides by democrats and republicans, asserted that the republican party was not committed to a downward revision of the Dingley tariff bill What possible relief can the army of consum- CTS who bear an unjust share of the tax burdens of the country expect from a bill framed as this great leader di- rects, for his is the master hand in the tariff tinkering. The republicans do not seem to realize that a new tariff era has dawned on the country and if they do realize it they are utterly unable to shake off the high protection carbuncles and leeches that have grown wealthy and strong under the protection of the Ding ley law
 No man in this country ought to de- sire free trade for 1t Is utterly inn practicable, but every patriotic, unselfish citizen desires to see that kind of pro lection given our home industries and that kind alone as will guarsntee good wages to American labor and by fair competition will yield some revenue that will go into the treasury of the government and help pay its expenses and not all of it to the pockets of the manufacturers. There is a general demand throughout the country that all of those articles classed under the head of the necessities of life be relieved of the heavy tax burdens. The republicans put a heavq tax on coffee and tea. The tax on coffee was so absurd that they returned coffee to the free list and placed tea there also. It is not at all certain what Aldrich will do with coffee and tea. On women's hosiery and gloves they increased the duties of the Dingley law an average of 90 per cent Cotton goods worn by the masses of our people were transferred to the high est class of dutiable cotton cloth, really making the duties on that class of cheap cotton cloth used by the people prohibit tory-all for the exclusive benefit of tho cotton mills at Fall River, New Bedford and other New England mills. The con- sumers, together with the army of sal aried men and laborers of all classes whose wages have remained practically stationary for years past, are demanding in this tariff bill a fair, square deal. These sufferers are in the front of the line and my sincere sympathies are with them."