New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-05-06
TALK ON THE TARIFF
TOICES FOR FREE TRADE.
BOurke Cochran Tells Economic
Club Democracy Is Not Dead.

Club Democracy Is Not Dead.
Tariff problems were the theme of discussion
last night at the dinner of the Economic Club at
! the Hotel Astor. Two speakers appeared in favor
! of protective tariff and two in advocacy Of free
| trade.
Theodore P. shonts president OF the INTERIOR
! Cugh and Henry r. Towne president of the Mer-
chants Association, upheld the protection system
discussing different phases of the question, while
| Kenyon Cox, artist and author, and w Bourke
| Cochran. argued in favor of free trade. Mr. Cox
! limited his arguments to the subject Of art, but
Mr. Cochran ran the whole industrial gamut in his
| address, saying that he an avOwed free
| trader, 'unappreciated, perhaps, he said but
also unterriied.'
| The Democratic orator also took occasion TO re-
mind his five hundred hearers that Democracy is
not dead, although there may be no political party
| honestly devoted to maintaining its doctrines. He
| also criticised the Congress that passed the Wilson
| tariff bill
| Mr.. Shonts speaking on Wages, Prices and the
| Tariff" said tariff legislation cannot without
great injustice and inequality take the form Of an
| immutable code Of laws. He therefore advocated
a periodical revision of the tariff
Mr.. TOwne spoke in favor of permanent tarir
| commission that would receive salaries and enjoy
| in their of investigation for the guidance of
| Congress the same rights as the Interstate Com
| merCe Commission.
| Mr.. Cox said free trade on art would stimulate
| the demand for works of art and that the Ameri-
can artist had nothing TO felr in competition with
| his foreign fellows.
Mr.. Shonts said
| The temporary dsorganizaton Of trade and re-
preston Of business initiative pending the period
| OF actual revision, while disadvantage. and
sometimes a serious disadvantage in itself is com
pensated for over and over again by the just and
equitable redistribution OF governmental protec-
! tion. and b. the conviction the people will thus
! obtain that justice and equality will ultimately
h steel yh6sG n5 % fRe
| same degree OF protection that they had when
| established and resourceful plants OF foreign
lions operated by cheaper labor.
ton industry OF the South which to-day requires no
PrQ2tecuon' and nope never may: might yet be
veloping agriculture OF equatorial lands where the
that a protective tariff upon cotton might become
essential to preserve from prostrati9n vast ana
| ampes purposey drawn from remote premises
illustrate my general Jews In wise apPmc4ti%n
only satisfactory solution Of this always perpeN-
i do not sympathlze with the criticism some ONE
sell abroad cheaper than they sell at home An
industry must i've and. therefore. IL is essential
! that in its entire operations a reasonable profit
| shall be reaped. and yet it may sometimes happen
that in the interest OF the general enterprise loss
! can well be sustained upon particular venture.
| The multiplied evidences on every hand of our
aIij ?it e AsTinn % SteT r fan8 2 lions lions
| Of this system laid in the days Of of Wash
| inEton. Il received the support Of the far
periods Of national growth It is feeling today the
iiberaZing influence those broad expressed
| by William Mckinley in his last great speech at
Buffalo,
Mr.. Towne said that the tariff question the
greatest factor in the nations prosperity and that
it should be handled businesske basis. 1t
should he said. be made political or partisan
question.
In his argument for permanent tariff board or
commission. Mr.. Towne said
The members OF Congress unqualified for the
work They show # every day: but it is not their
I IL,
placed on a scientific basis Senator Dolllver in his
action the tariff BILL has held It up to rdicue
and scOrn, and should be ashamed of The
tariff question is not before Congress only; it is
before the people and should be answered in the
right way. The revision should be on facts and
not on misrepresentation or fayoritlsm."
SIR. Cox. in his speech tariff on works Of art
said that artists strongly opposed to a tariff
their work The art importers. he said are the
only persons who favor IT. IF the artists had
been listened to-" said Mr.. Cox THE tariff would
have been taken off twenty-five years ago. Art is
not primary necessity. People be comfort
able without IT. We have to teach people to want
what we do Art is a cultivated taste the more
one gets of the he wants. Art did not stop
short with the cultured court of Empress
Josephine. There men who produce good
work to-day. The price Of work of art is no
criterion OF its merit. Even bad art has ar edu-
eating influence. Every picture collector first
bought poor pictures but they taught him TO like
better ones"
Mr.. Cochran, who the oratorical piece
resistance Numbered forth his familiar
arguments and closed his speech follows:
This Is democracy. II is the whole demo-
cratic gospel, the Alpha and Omega of democratic
principles You say that democracy is dead. 1
deny il. There may be political party honestly
devoted TO maintaining its doctrines. but 1t is none
the less a truth. never absent from the spirit OF
man. Corruption may embarrasS il, but IL
stihe II. Some way other this living principles
Will become embodied in the constitution and laws
of this nation. II IS deeply planted in the
hearts of its people Then democratic government
VIII be reestablished its perpetuity secured. Then
prosperity Will be measureless and ever growing.
The following officers and executive committee
elected last night: Francis Lynde Stctson
president; John C. Milhurn and William McCarrcH.
vice presidents; c. NJ. Bergstresser John Bates
Clark, Henry Clews Stuyvesant Fish, John Hays
Hammond. Roo Ogden. Herbert Parsons Lawson
Purdy, Edwin r. A. Seigman, Thomas r. Scer
James Speyer Calvin Tomkfns Frank A Wander
lip Paul Warburg and Edward b. Whitney execu-
tive committee