The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-11-18
McCUMBER'S DEFENSE

We have read very carefully Senator
-AcCumber's tariff address which he de-
ivered at Grand Forks. The address was
very ably prepared, and if one were to take
in the interests of the people, and for
downward revision OF the tariff. The Sen
ator explained that the tariff bill which
was passed was not satisfactory one, but
was the best that could have been secured
under the circumstances. This is substan-
tally the same statement that President
Taft made. The Senator would have the
people believe that the reason that per-
tect tariff bill was not passed was because
what would suit Senator from one part
OF. the country, would not be satisfactory
to, a senator from another locality. hence
It was necessary to compromise. This NAV
be tTue to some extent, but is it not also
TACT that the reason perfect bill is i1npos-
sib1e at this time, is because the necessary
figures which would enable the law makers
to compute the difference between the
cost of production at home and abroad,
were not available? How in the world can
a committee of law makers in few weeks
tihie ascertain this difference on thousands
and thousands of articles? No matter now
badly Senator McCun1ber or any ,:11cr
Senator might have desired to pass per
feet bill, the Independent believes that it
would have been utterly Impossible for
them to have done SO. The Senator TN
doubtedly knows that tariff colnmis~ or
consisting Of capable men outside OF Con-
gress, working for number of wears. only
will enable us to arrive al the figures that
are SO necessary. A portion Of the Sena-
tors speech telling what ne assisted in
doing, may prove interesting TO our read
ers:' 1t follows:
In this committee stood for the lowest
possible reduction all alone the line, con-
sistent with proper protection and for no
tariff whatever on these GREAT resources Of
the country which when once used become
forever exhausted | stood for free lumber
granaries; for free coal to warm those
homes during the long cold winter months,
and for free oil to LIGHT them during the
1Ono winter nights. | did not secure abso-
1utely free lumber, but did get the tariff
reduced about fifty per cent I did get coal
reduced to forty cents per ton, and oil plac-
ed on the free list. I got every nail which
is used in building those homes reduced
twenty to thirty per cent. | got every WIN
dow pane reduced about TWENTY per cent
white lead for paints reduced thirteen per
cent I got the tariff removed from every
post used in building fences and secured a
reduction on barbed wire for fencing OF
tfirty-seven per cent. | secured reduc-
ton of twenty-five per cent on all WAGONS,
mowers binders, harrows, drills, threshing
machinery, rakes, plows, cultivators, plant
ers, etc. .~...-s.,- ..s.s. ,4. ......~ s..
OF course no one can say that he alone
secured this and that reduction. It re-
ruired majority vote to secure it, but
these reductions which have mentioned
were secured more through NV efforts with
the committee than those OF any senator.
Now, in addition to the reduction men
!. toned, we secured a reduction on almost
every iron and steel article which we ~ur-
chase. We secured reduction of twenty