The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-08-07
M'CUMBER'S RAP AT THE
CONFERENCE Committee
North Dakota Senator Explains His Stand and Why He Oh
jected to Conferrees Report in Brilliant Speech
on the Senate Chamber Floor.

lumber, but feel that my efforts in
combination with those of others have
resulted In securing a very substantial
reduction below the old Dingley rates
on these articles.
have felt it my duty in my labors
for what / regarded as party pledges,
to work with the party OF which I am
member. could hope for little in
fiuence in my efforts to secure the low
est possible reduction In the commit
tee IL / had voted against every item
that did not exactly meet my views 1
voted for the bill when it was up for
final passage in the senate. I felt that
there were some rates that were un-
necessary and hoped that the confer
ees might possibly bring out better
result. I have been at al times in
hearty sympathy with the president
and acting and working in harmony
with him for lower duties upon speci-
fic articles such as lumber, coal, etc.
have not agreed with him upon the
matter of the reduction Of the duties
upon hides. would, however, not al
low that little difference TO place me
In opposition to the president in his
efforts for general reductions. If the
northwest and my state suffer by rea-
son Of this, ] have no doubt but the
president thinks we will gain an equal
amount by a reduction in the price
of boots and shoes and other leather
articles, upon which corresponding re-
ductions have been made. / myself
have no such hopes. 1 do not think 1t
will make the slightest difference to
the consumer, while / do think the
| farmer will lose something in the price
of his hides.
Now, while each senator is at liberty
to follow his own conviction as to what
his duty is with reference to the final
passage of this bill, my own judgment
Of my duty is, having secured bill
which does substantially comply with
party policy and party pledges for
downward revision, to vote for the bill,
notwithstanding the fact that I would
prefer to have the duties somewhat
lower on some articles and somewhat
higher on others. l believe for in
stance that we should have maintained
Is per cent duty on hides. The con-
ferees, under the advice Of the presi-
dent, have seen fit to lower that duty
and with 1t they have lowered the
duties on goods manufactured from
those hides. would have preferred
the old duty on hides or even higher
duty. But the fact that / dill not get
it will not justify me in opposing
measure which has come very close to
what / think is right and just, and
brings our tariff rate in near accord
with the present demand.
But the bill as 1t comes from the
conferees in on the whole less favor
able to the general public and more
favorable to the protected Industries
than ft W. when it left the Senate
and 1 believe that it ought to go back
to the conferees for further consider,
alton.
Most of the arguments upon this bill
have been onesided arguments, have
been arguments which dwelt only with
extreme cases and not with averages.
have tried to avoid the extreme Of
either side of this tariff question and to
weight matters from the judicial
standpoint of an attorney representing
either side While / am not satisfied
with the bill because of the injustice
| in many instances against the agricul-
| turalist, / would be very far from the
/ II uIH d1lu NCAJ LetA ALOAAA
just duty which / owe to the public
and to my state if l did not present tne
good features Of this bin. They far
out number and out weigh those fea-
lures which are less favorable.
Discussing conference report Senator
| McCumber said:
The conferees on the part of the
senate were composed of members rep
resenting states whose manufacturing
| interests for the most part were far
in excess Of their agricultural inter-
ests. am not wholly surprised, there
fore, that in their zeal for the par
| tfcular interests of their state they
should have almost wholly forgotten
the interests of the purely agricultural
states. ] am not surprised that with
out any reason or any justification, and
as I understand, without any contest
they allowed amendments to be made
to the bill which surrendered the in
terests Of the agriculturist of the In
terests of the manufacturer.
Newspapers can shout now as much
as they see fit that somebody has won
a great victory in securing downward