St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-09-29
Cong. Plumley on Tariff.
Defends the Payne Bill as Benefit to
New ENGLAND.

New England.
At meeting of the Methodist Brother
hood held in Montpelier last week
Tuesday evening Congressman Frank
Plumley of the second district OF Yer
mont gave an account of the passing OF
the recent Payne tariff bill and OF his
views on the subject. Congressman
Plumley' attitude on the recent enact
ment was favorable, and while he says
that it might be improved upon, still. he
points out that the law favors the East
and New England in particular and that
we of this section should be quiet on the
subject.
In regard to this measure the Con-
gresham said: 1T is to the House
that the full credit is due for the passage
Of the new tariff, for the lower branch OF
the national Legislature is the aggre-
gate representative of the republican
party of the country which, it is
ackno wledged by all, was directly res
ponsible for the passage of the act. The
act was built on plans suggested IN the
planks of the republican party and al
though the result in all cases was not
what the speaker desired still they were
as near an Interpretation of the wish OF
the party whose ideas of tariff revision
met with the approval OF the vast
majority of the voters OF the country as
demonstrated at the last election. Yer
mont, New England in fact the entire
East need not talk in behalf of the
question; better would it be for them to
keep still on the subject, for Vermont
and the East are well taken care of by
the new tariff measure and particularly
can | say this of this section of the East,
New England. New England is still the
center of the manufacturing industry
and the new law protects the manutact-
urers. protects New England.
when the Senate began its work on
the revision it started in on the old plan
of former Senates of placing tariff on
and where the Especial interest" wanted
it. They would have a stiff rate fixed
and then trade with some other section
of the country for favor in particular
commodity. AS a result there would be
raise on important matters against
the will of the people. President Taft
was approached by men of the mountain
States and asked to raise the tariff on
hides. The President lost no time in let
ting the country know his opinion on
this matter but had a personal letter
sent out by his own secretary stating
that he stood, not for tariff on hides
but for free hides. He was severely crit
icized at the time for not speaking before
case of this kind the legislative bodies
always resent being domineered over by
the executive. An opportunity came for
our worthy President, however. when
thirty or forty members of the lower
house came to him and asked him to in
tervene. Every time | went near the
Senate came away Disguised with the
way the bill was progressing. They
had bill which they were making ac-
cording to the old plan which mention
ed before. When asked how people
would know that the resultant tariff
would be an administrative measure
they replied that they would know it
because it would be Taft's measure and
he was easy and would surely sign it.
The House on the other hand said that
they would stand by the President.
Il went to the White House a few days
later and was met by Mr.. Taft. asked
him if he would stand by what he had
said, not in that blunt way you under
stand, and he said Yes gentlemen, | have
just said to Speaker Cannon that
although there is little jelly on the out
side there is stiff core in the CENTER
they thought him easy. When the bill
was finally sent to him he kept it over
night and the next day returned it unap-
proved. The house had been notified to
meet at noon and it took just two and a
half minutes for the prayer and the read
ing of the adjournment. We then sent
them that we had trouble of our own.
Then the triumph of the season occurred
when in four hours report was made
such as the President had first request
ed, that is, it contained the minimum of
| concessions and the maximum of require
ments. The House and the President
stood together throughout and yielded
only unwillingly. The bill of the House
was the best that could be had at this
session while that of the Senate was
vicious to say the least. AS Mr.. Taft
said at a recent speech at Indianapolis,
The tariff bill is the best that Congress
has ever passed. In closing l would
say that we do not pay tariff as a priv
ilege but as precious duty. The last
tariff act was passed along lines of least
resistance; along lines that will least
effect to hurt the people and along lines
that people can best pay"