The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-09-08
western Tarin Sincerity.

a Western Republican dissents from
the assertion made ia these columns not
long ago that 4no member Of either the
Finance Or Ways and Means committee
living west Of Indiana indicated by his
vote or speech any desire to comply
with the pledges OF the Chicago plat.
form, except with reference to things
which bis own state did not produce
The correspondent does not question
this 50 far as committee members are
concerned, but does point to several Elk.
amples Of SELF denial On the nart 1T The
Republican progressives Minnesota. he
says, produces more iron ore than any
other state in the union Mr.. Weyer
hauser the lumber king maintains
headquarters ia ST. Paul, and yet the
Minnesota senators voted to place lum-
Der and iron ore on the free list. The
correspondent makes the further point
that the agricultural schedules are prac.
tically imperative, and 50 in securing
their maintenance at high figures the
Western senators were not really bur.
dening the rest Of the country, az were
the New Enganders III insisting on
protection on cotton and wooIens, Ia
the actual exclusion Of the foreign pro.
duet ne accordingly holds that criti.
tism Of the Westerners' position Is uu-
warranted
While the Minnesota senators are en-.
titled to credit for their vote on the
lumber and iron orc schedules. as this
correspondent reports IT. he should re-
member that they both voted to in.
crease the House duty On barley from
2i cents, as it was in the Dineiey law.
to 80 cents, and also to increase the
duty On barley malt The Ways and
Means committee originally reported ia
favor 81 rs cents on this article. but
the House raised II to n and the Sen.
ate To 40, increases which were intend
ed 20 prevent. and To do To 4 large de
gree prevent, actual iulportations Po.
tat0 starch is another item on which
the altruism OF the Progressives" was
tested One Of the senators from Min
nes0ta was twitted by Mr. Scott of
West Virginia on the Minnesotan's
readiness 70 vote for 4 duety Of nearly
90 per cent on this article Congress
ioBel Record, page 3,l2S). IN defence
Of this he said @The senator from
West Virginia seems to be troubled AL
good deal about my attitude On this
tariff question. II does not trouble me
at all. ! am always here 10 do what n
think Is right from my standpoint and
to represent az far as / can the people
Of the state Of Minnesota" This means
TO get fer them what they think they
need Still this potato starch deserved
no duty OF 20 per cent. Even though
we export fifty million pounds Of starch
Of all kinds and import only six mil
lions, the debate showed that It Is one
of the most distinctly trust controlled
products Of the United States. and that
The effect OF the duty is to raise the
price of it TO American consumers.
If this and similar agricultural items
are imperative, why did the Progress
siyesa work 50 hard for them Most
products we export for sale
id competition with others Of the same
character 10 The free markets aof the
world II the theory Of The Chicago
platform were applied to them. that
tariff duties should be measured by the
difference in the cost OF production
eae., all these articles would 60 on the
free list Gratifying as the Western
revolt against extreme protection may
be, its leaders are not without the need
Of mending walls at home Boston
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