Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-08

unan ever before in the history OF the
organization. Nevertheless, we do not
intend to accept IS final the revision
Of the tariff against which we voted
and we do intend to tell the people OF
the country from time to time why
we could not and did not give the bill
our approval. You will, therefore,
am sure, permit me to state the case
from my standpoint.
"Son1e import Duties Too High"
For seven years have been insist
ing In every part of the United States
that the import duties upon the chief
competitive products were too high
and being too high should be reduced.
The mere fact that the duties OF the
Dfngley law had become excessive
would not have been sufficient reason
for a revision of the tariff, unless there
had been coupled with it another vital
fact, namely, that IN many of the most
important fields of industry domestic
production had been wholly sup
pressed or substantially impaired, SO
that prices were fixed not By the crdi-
nary forces OF trade, but by the ar
bitrary will Of one producer or COM
bination OF producers. These two facts
working together lifted prices to the
highest level that an intelligent greed
could approve. Therefore, there arose
from every part of the country an i'm
perative demand for a revision OF the
tariff to the end that the menace of
foreign competition might keep prices
at the point Of American cost, with q
fair ana reasonable profit added. 1t
was not desired by those Republicans
who advocated a revision of the tariff
that importations should be increased;
but It was desired by them that the
fear Of importatioos should restrict the
natural avar1oe to take undue profits
where excessive duties made 1t posi-
BILE to do so. It was to meet this al
most universal demand that the Re
publican platform of 1908 was promul-
gated. The existence of the two facts
which I have reeited was recognized.
and for the first time in the history Of
our party protection was given an &C
cuFate definition. without abating a
jot or title Of our devotion to protec-
ton as policy, we gave the world and
laid upon congress criterion for the
imposition Of import duties. AS we
are trying to ascertain what a Repub-
lean is and what he is not, l beg the
privilege Of reading in your hearing
that paragraph Of our platform
which relates to protection:
The Republican party declares IN
equivocally for the revision Of the tariff
by a special session Of congress i'm
medIately following the inauguration
OF the neat president and commands
the steps already taken to this end in
the work assigned to the appropriate
committees OF congress which are now
investigating the operation and effect
OF existing schedules. In all tariff leg
is1ation the true principle of protection
Is best maintained by the imposition of
such duties as Will equal the difference
between the cost of production at home
and abroad, together with a reason
able profit to American industries"
cUmH,lns Wants Every Vote Tested.
I believed then. as believe now, in
this platform / want every amend
ment offered ana every vote cast by
the insurgents tested and weighed by
this declaration of the fundamental
principle OF the party organization.
assert here, as 1 shall assert every
where, that the Insurgents honestly
and faithfully attempted to apply the
criterion. SO clearly and emphatically
stated, in all their amendments and
in ali their votes, and that the leaders
of the majority, who are now ques-
tionins our Republicanism, did not
"pay it the cold respect OF a passing
glance" In all the hearings before
the ways and means committee OF the
house, the report of which constitutes
ten large volumes, and In all the hear
5ngs Of the finance committee OF the
senate, which were not reported at all,
there was no attempt made TO ascer-
tain the difference between the cost of
production at home and abroad of
more than a dozen OF the thousands of
articles covered by the tariff bill; and
in the few instances in which the diff
ference was shown, the pledge of the
platform was either openly repudiated
or silently ignored.
Print Paper an Example.
take for Illustration common print
paper. In q former congress and I'M
der circumstances which you will all
remember, a special committee was
appointed In the house to investigate
the precise question made important
by our platform. Your efficient rep
james r. Mann, was the
chairman Of the committee. With
p. installing labor 1t explored every
avenue of Information It made Ons
of the most exhaustive and most in
telligent repo1Ls 1 ever read, and the
conclusion was tat we could manu-
facture print paper In this country as
cheaply as It could be manufactured in
our competitor; but to cover
IN contingencies, the recommenda-
ton was that the duty be reduced from
Sc per ton to 80 per ton. Notwith-
the report, the majority put
duty on print paper of $3.75 per ton;
ana If It shafl happen, as now seems
probable, that the competing prov
inces in Canada are compelled to bear
our maximum tariff, print paper viii
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