The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-09-18
Taft Makes Rather Unexpected and Exception
ally Strong Speech Concerning Measure
SAYS "lNSURGEN7S" ABANDONED REPUBLICAN PARTY
In Minnesota State Considered the Hotbed OF the Reac-
tionary Movement, the Chief Executive Makes the
Most Important Utterances He Has Made
Since Occupying White House.

I however. he asserted. that the wool
| and wooden manufacturing interests in
the republican party were objecting to
| any change in the Dingley rates, say
I ing they would defeat the BILL
I Tariff Revisioniss.
/ President Taft said, in part:
/ las long ago as August, 1906, | ven-
! tured to announce that | was tariff
/ revisionist. and thought that the time
] had come for a readjustment of the
schedules. | pointed out that II had
| been 10 years prior to that time that
, the Ding,ey bill had been passed; that
/ great changes had taken place in the
conditions surrounding the productions
/ of. the farm. the factory and the mine,
| and that. under the theory of protec
ton. in that time the rates imposed
in the Dingley bill. in many instances,
might have become excessive: that is
might have been greater than the diff
ferences between the cost of produc-
/ ton abroad and the cost of produc-
tion at home. with Il sufficient al
lowance for reasonable rate of profit
to the American producer. Il said the
party was divided on this issue, but,
in my Judgment, the opinion of the
party was crystaIlizing and probably
would result in the near future in an
effort to make such revision. | pointed
out the difficulty there always was in
n revision of the tariff, due to the
threatened disturbances of industries
to be affected and the suspension of
Z "a. fAl, Ja
wise to have too many revisions.
Fuller Discussion.
In the summer of 1907 my position
, on the tariff was challenged and / then
entered into somewhat fuller discus
sion. 1t was contended by the stand,
patters' that rates beyond the, neces-
sary measure of protection were not
Objectionable, because, behind the
tariff wall, competition always re-
duced the prices on things and thus
saved the consumer But | pointed
out in that speech what seems to me
as true today as ii was then-that the
danger of excessive rates was In the
temptation they created to form mo-
nopolies In the protected articles, and
thus to take advantage of the exces-
sire rates by increasing the prices.
and. therefore. in order to avoid such
danger, 1t was wise at regular inter-
walls to examine the question of what
the effect of the rates had been upon
the industries in this country. and
whether the conditions with respect
tn the cost Of production here had SO
changed as to warrant reduction in
the tariff and to make a lower rate
truly protective of the industry.
1T win be observed that the object
of the revision under such statement
was not tn destroy protected indus
tries but To continue TO protect them
where lower rates offered sufficient
protection to prevent injury by for
eign competition. That was the opJect
of the revision as advocated by me.
and it certainly was the object af the
revision as promised in the republican
platform.
What II Means.
I want To make as clear as can
this proposition, because, in order to
determine whether bill is a compli-
ance with the terms of that platform,
1t must be understood what the plat
form. means. A free trader is oppressed
TO any protective rate. because he
thinks that our manufacturers. our
farmers and our miners ought to with
stand the competition of foreign
manufacturers and miners and farm
ers. or else go out of business and
find something more profitabel to do.
Now, certainly. the promises of the
platform did not contemplate the
downward revision of the tariff rates
TO such a point that any industry
heretofore protected should be injured
Hence those who contend that the
promise of the platform was to reduce
prices by letting in foreign competition
are eontending for free trade. and not
for anything that they had the right
to infer from the republican platform.
Gathering Evidence.
The Ways and means committee of
the house. with Mr.. Payne at its head.
devoted full year to assembling eyi-
dence in reference to the rates under
the tariff and devoted an immense
amount of work in 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 platform for every
industry that deserves protection
They found that the determination of
the question was what the actual cost
Of production is and whether an in
dGstry in this country could live under
a certain rate and Withstand competi-
tion from abroad was a question of
the utmost difficulty in settling The
manufacturers were prone TO exagger-
ate the injury which reduction IN the
duty would give and to magnify the
amount OF duty needed, while the i'm
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