The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-10-02
President Taft said:


AS long ago ~ August, 1909.
ventured TO announce that I was q
tarifi revisionist and thought that th,
time had come for a readjust ment OF
the schedules. pointed out that 1,
bad been ten years prior 20 that time
that the DingIey bill had been passed
that great changes had taken place in
the conditions surrounding the pro.
auctions Of the farm, factory, aud
mine. and ,hat, under the theory Of
protection. In that time the rates i'm.
posed in the Dingley bill, in many In.
stances, might have become excess.
i've; that il, might have been greater
than the differences between the cost
of production abroad and the cost Of
production at home with a sufficient
allowance for a reasonable rate OF
profit 10 the American producer.
said the party was divided on this is
sue, hut, In my judgment, the opinion
" the party was crystali1ing and
probably would result In the near fu.
ture IN an effort 10 make such revis.
ion. pointed out the difficulty there
always was In q revision Of the tariff,
due to the threatened disturbance of
industries to he affected and the sus.
pension of business, In q way which
made u unwise 20 have too many re-.
visions.
vindicates Ant. Election Attitude
In the summer Of 1907, my posi-.
tion on the tariff was challenged and
then 7 entered into \ somewhat fuller
discussion. II was contended by the
stand ps'ters' that rates beyond the
necessary measures Of protection
were not object ionable because behind
the tarih bill competition always re.
duced the prices and thus saved the
consumer But I pointed out in that
speech what seems TO me as true TO.
day ~ then. that the danger Of the
excessive rates was In the temptation
they created 10 form monopolies in
the protected articles, and those 10
take advantage Of excessive rates by
increasing prices, and therefore, TO
avoid such danger, IL was wise at reg.
ular intervals 10 examine the question
what the effect Of the. rates had been
upon the industries in this country
and whether the conditions with re-.
spect to the cost ~ production here
had 80 changed ~ n warrent q re.
duction in the tariff aud 10 make a
lower rate truly protective OF the in.
dustrv.
What Downward Revision Means.
at will be observed that the object
of the revision under such a state.
ment was not 70 destroy protected in.
dustries hut 10 continue 20 protect
them where lower rates offered a mf
hcient protection 10 prevent injury by
foreign competition. That was the
object of the revision as advocated by
me and IL certainly was the object ~
the revision as promised in the repub
lican platform.
"l want TO make as clear as 7 can
this proposition because in order 20
determine whether hill II compli.
ance with the terms of that platform,
II must be understood what the plat.
FORM means. A free trader is opposed
10 any protective rate because he
thinks that our manufacturers, farm.
ers and miners ought to withstand
foreign competition, or else 20 out Of
business and find something else more
profitable TO do.
Now, certainly platform promises
did not contemplate the downward re.
vision Of the tariff rates to such a
point that any industry should he in.
mrrd. Hence those who contend that
the promise OF the platform was TO re,
duce prices by letting in foreign com.
petition are eontending for free trade
and not for anything that they had
the right to infer from the republican
platform.
The ways and means committee
Of the house, with Mr.. Payne at It's
head, devoted a full year TO assemb.
ling evidence in reference 10 the rates
under the tariff and devoted an i'm.
mense amount Of work in the study
~ the question where the tariff rates
could he reduced and where they ought
Ia be raised with a view 10 maintain.
ing reasonable protective rate under
the principles Of the platform for ev-
cry industry that deserves protection.
They found that the determination Of
the question, which was the actual cos,
Of production and whether an industry
in this country could live under a Ger.
tain rate and withstand the eompeti.
tion from abroad was q question Of the
utmost difficulty In settling. Manufae.
turers were prone TO exaggerate the
INJURY which q reduction In the duty
would give and TO magnify the amount