Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-30
RAYNER ROASTS
TARIFF MEASURES
MARYLAND SENATOR DECLARES
NO DEMOCRAT CAN VOTE FOR
PENDING ALDRICH PAYNE
BILL BEFORE THE SENATE.
tBy Associated Preas.)

(By Associated Press.l
WASHING ON, u. c., April 29.-De-
claring that free trade is impracticable in
this country, and asserting that not
single. Democrat would vote for it If pre-
scented to him in bill, Senator Rayner.
of Maryland, in the senate today deliv-
cred an address denOuncing the Payne
Aldrich tariff measure as failing to pro-
vide revenue and protecting the industries
controlled by trusts rather than giving
any relief to the consumers of the coun-
try.
Mr.. Rayner frequently entered upon
oratorical flights and concluded with
series of condemnations of the so-called
trusts of the country. He declared his
belief in incidental protection in order
to maintain the wages of American work
ingmen.
No Free Trade for Him
II have never believed in free trade
between this country and any other coun-
tries" Mr.. Rayner said. II think from
every practical standpoint 1t is perfectly
preposterous to talk about it. 1 think
the country would vote such a proposition
down almost with practical unanimity.
81 believe in custom house taxation,
and / do not believe any other system
will ever take its place to the satisfa'-
ton of the American people. Free trade
is not the question before us, and no
amount of reproach and adjectives will
deter me from stating what the question
really is.
IF there were a resolution now
boIaly before the senate in favor Of the
entire abolition of tariff duties I do not
believe that the doctrine of free trade
would receive a single vote upon our
side of the chamber"
Reads the Platforms
Reading from the Democratic plat
| forms of 1876 and 1892, Mr.. Rayner said
| hey embodied his party's axiom, and
| that is" he added, that we have no
| constitutional power to collect tariff
duties except for the purpose of reve-
nue." The pending tariff bill, he de-
| clared, should be entitled "A bill to en-
courage the industries of the United
States and for no other purpose" He
did not believe IT would add very much
to our present revenue collections.
He characterized the whole frame
work of the measure as protection and
revenue afterwards. If he had the
framing of a tariff bill he said he would
| levy the lowest tax possible upon the
necessaries of life and the highest tax
| possible upon the 1uxuries. and would
protect American labor so as to main
tain at all times the standard of Ameri-
can wages.
Throughout the whole bill would
look out for the consumer. You may
| examine this bill, outside of the free
| list, and IL is almost impossible to dis
cover the consumer in any OF it's COM
| plicated schedules"
Grows Very Humorous
Speaking humorously upon what he
declared to be the inconsistence OF the
-H1N
materials he recounted his experience as
a member of the house OF representatives
while the Wilson bill was under con-
sideration.
THE bill will not. and it does not"
predicted Mr.. Rayner, 'in any substan-
tial degree lower prices to the consum-
err: and 1 make another prediction, and
that is that this bill will not in any
substantial degree affect the inordinate
profits that the protected industries are
now receiving through custom house
taxation"
Mr.. Rayner combatted the idea that the
great corporations of the country ben
eft the customers by utilizing econ
omies or increased wages. On the other
hand. he declared of the trusts:
They raise prices, they limit produc-
ton, they lower wages, they contract
the demand for labor, they throttle COM
petltlOn, Iney HlOnOpOlZ0 lHe WSdlln
of the land, they withdraw 1t from the
channels of circulation, and when they
are driven from one state they obtain
their franchises in another and then re-
turn with insolence to pursue their call
ing in TIE place from which they are
banished
II can look around in my own state and
observe that whenever a new enterprise
is started that comes in conflict with
a. Il N1,o
cormorant does upon his prey, and that
their rapacity is never appeased so long
as a spark of vitality is left in any COM
petitor that crosses their path.
II do not find within this bill a line
or sentence that weakens their grasp up
on the commerce of the country. On the
contrary they show their hateful front in
almost every schedule of this bill.
LAS against them, If had the oppor-
tunity in the framing of a tariff bill
would open the ports of entry of this re-
public. 1 would bring them in COMPETE
ton with the markets of the world. It is
said that If we do this. we will interfere
with other industries that are competing
with them. There is hardly a word Of
truth in that statement, because they
tolerate no rivalry and permit no inter-
ference"
Nelsn Takes the Floor
After Mr.. Rayner had made an ex-
haustive speech in opposition to the gen.
eral protective tariff policy of the Re-
publican party, Mr.. Nelson took the ofor
10 present his objections to some of the
schedules.
Tie manifested especial satisfaction
over the discovery by himself Of what he
said were numerous 'jokers'' in the lum-
Der schedule. While ostensibly the rates
of duty on lumber were lowered, he said
they, in fact, were higher even than the
Dingley rates.
NAVAL STORES CONCERN