The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-18
TEXT TAFT SPEECH
Presidents Position on Payne
Bill Is Unequivocal.
Explains at Great Length Why
Bill Is Good One.
WOODEN SCHEDULE.
Says That This Is Not as He
Wished.
Glad Insurgents Are Working
Inside Party.

President TaftS speech in full was
as follows:
My Fellow Citizens:-As long age
as August, 1906. in the congressional.
campaign in Maine / ventured to an
Houpce that L was tariff revisionist
and thought the time had come for a
reimbursement OF the schedules. I point
co out that it had been ten years prior
TO that time that the Dingley bill had
been passed; that great changes had
taken place in the condition surround
4ng the productions of the farm, the
factory and the zine. and that under
Hhe theory of protection in that time the
oates imposed in the Dingley bill in
many instances might have become ex-
cessive 1 pointed out the difficulty in
a revision of the tariff, due to the
threatened disturbance of industries to
he affected and the suspension of bust
mess in way which made it unwise
TO have too many revisions.
In the summer of 1907, my position
on the tariff was challenged and 1 then
entered into a somewhat fuller discus
sion OF the matter. 1t was contended
rates beyond the necessary measure of
protection were not Objectionable be-
cause behind the tariff wall, competition
always regulated the prices and thus
saved the consumer.
But I pointed out in that speech
what seems to me as true today as n
then was, that the danger of excessive
rates was In the temptation they crea-
AC4 10 10TH IDOnOpOuGS IN the protected
articles, and thus to take advantage
OF the excessive rates by increasing the
prices and therefore in order to avoid
such danger 1t was wise at regular
Intervals to examine the question what
the effect of the rates had been upon the
Industries in this country and whether
the conditions with respect to the cost
OF production here had so changed as
10 warrant reduction in the tariff and
TO make lower rate truly protective
Of the industry.
ut will be observed that the OBJ
5ect of the revision under such a
statement was not to DESTROY pro-
tected Industries in this country but
to continue to protect them where
lower rates offered a sufficient protec-
ton to prevent injury by foreign
the revision as advocated by me. and
1T was certainly the object of the re-
vision as advocated by me, and it was
certainly the object of the revision as
promised in the Republican platform.
Il want to make as clear as 1 can
this proposition because in order to
determine whether a bill is a com
pliance with the terms of that plat
form, it must be understood what
the platform means
What Is Free Trade?
"a free trader is opposed to any
protective rate.
Now certainly the promises of the
platform did not contemplate the
uOWuWdTu revision OF the tariff rates
to such point that any industry
heretofore protected should be in
5ured. Hence, those, who contend
that the promise of the platform
was to reduce prices by letting in
foreign competition are contending
for a free trade, and not for any
thing that they had the right to infer
from the Republican platform
1.-The ways and means committee
of the house with Mr.. Payne at its
head, spent a full year in assembling
evidence in reference to the rates un-
der the tariff, and devoted an i'm
mense amount of work to the study
OF the question where the tariff rates
could be reduced and where they
ought to be raised with a view to
maintaining a reasonable protective
rate. under the principles of the plat
form, for every industry that deserves
protection.
'They found that the determination
OF the question what was the actual
cost of production and whether an
industry in this country could live un-
der a certain. rate and withstand
competition from abroad was a ques-
ton of the utmost difficulty in set
Ting.
1.-THE manufacturers were prone to
exaggerate the injury which a reduc-
ton in the duty would give, and to
magnify the amount of duty that
WIS needed, while the importers, on