Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-05-14
The Other Fellows Game,
When Senator Nelson of Minnesot

Wnen senator Nelson or MinneSOt;
had concluded his speach against the
excessive duties on lumber, Senator
ElkinS of West Virginia arose anC
defended the lumber tariff. He
announced that the tariff bill is by Its
title a bill designed, among Other
things, to %"equaliZe duties" 1t was
his argument that the duties upon the
products of one state or section should
therefore be equalized with the duties
upon the products of each other state
or section.
In its last analysis this argument
is that the different sections of the
country through their representatives
in Congress should trade the ex-
cessive protection afforded the pro-
ducts of their respective constituents
one against another. And so he put
it up to the Senator from Minnesota
that the products of that state "enjoy
liberal protection"
He said: = Let me read the list of
the chief products of the Senator's
State Minnesota and the duties
on the same. Standing at the head
of this list is wheat, on which there
30 cents a bushel; on vegetables, 40
per cent. ad valorem: on 25 corn, per
cent. ad valorem; on barley, 80 cents
per busllel; on cattle 81 a head; on
meat, % per cent. dd valorem; OH beef
> cnntS q nDnnH. an f1n rnf
know whether the Senator's State
produces cabbage, but the duty is 3
cents ahead; on hay there is a duty of
ST. a ton; on fax, So a ton: and on oats
20 cents a bushel. These products all
have a duty, some Of them a high
duty. l fail to find any products on
the free lists" and he asked, why
should the state of Minnesota be
favored with protection and high
duties while the products of my state
are free?'
This same argument may be extend
ed to every schedule in the bill. The
East is making the bill. The East is
according its products ''liberal pro-
tection''- for which the agricultural
West will be obliged to pay. In order
that the West cannot complain the
East is giving agricultural products
also "liberal protcction,'- protection
which is not needed and which is of
no benefit to the West.
This is not a fair trade" 1t is a
''gag.' 1t is done that the West may
not be in a position to object to the
excessive duties imposed upon the
products of manufactures owned by
the East. Will the gag" work?
With M western Senator, at least
it will not work. Senator Clapp of
Minnesota refused to allow Senator
Elkins to tie the ''gag' on him. He
interrupted the Senator from West
Virginia. He uncovered the ''game,"
and he gave notice that so far as he
was concerned, at least, it would not
work.
.s,s From the Record: o.
Mr.. Clapp. Has the Senator heard
any insistence upon the part OF the
Senators from Minnesota for a tariff
upon those products of that State at
the rate reported by the committed?
The attitude Of the Senators from
Minnesota will be that all these duties
should be placed at a point where
they will fairly, and no more than
fairly, amount to a protection upon a
given commodity. l think l a
voice the sentiment Of my colleague
when l say that we do not ask for any
30 cents a bushel upon wheat, We
expect, when it is reached, that the
duty upon wheat will be dealt with
as we desire to deal with the duties
upon other commodities, namely, put
to a point where it will have only no
more than reasonable protection.
81 do not intend that those who are
insisting upon rising the duties in the
bill in other sections shall do it upon
the theory that they have thrown US
the proposition of 30 cents a bushel on
wheat when we know and they know
that no such duty as that on wheat is
needed"
Will other representatives of the
agricultural states be equally clear
Drained and independent on this
subject? Let US watch and see who
will be gagged" by this n sided
trade"
How many will play "the other
fellows game?"
La Fullette's Magazine.
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