Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-20
CONGRESS is FRAMING MEASURE
THAT WILL PROTECT EVERY
CITIZEN HE SAYS.
DESCRIBES LONG FIGHT
The Victory Of the Regulars in Rules
Contest, He Declares, Is the Only
Thing Which Made Early
Passage Possible.
(By John Callan O'Laughlin in the
Chicago Tribune).

washington, ID. o., May lS.-Iak-
ing into account the multitudinous In
terests of the people scattered over
our great area, believe the legisla-
tive body, representing constituencies
reaching from ocean to ocean, will en-
act a tariff bill which will be, as near
as practicable what the Republican
platform pledges. That the measure
will be perfect, man would be an ass
to say. Perfection is with God only"
This characteristic bit of comment
was made Sunday by Joseph G. Can
non, speaker of the house of repre-
sentatives, In discussing, in a general
way, the tariff situation.
"All tariff legislation is a compro-
MISE" he continued. at is not bar
gain between members; 1t is not a
deal; it Is not log rolling. 1t is the
result of an effort to reach standard
that will be satisfactory to all people
and which will best promote their
prosperity 1t is not designed solely
in the interests of the producer, for
there Is no man or set of men who are
merely producers. Every person in the
United States is consumer and at
the same time every person in the
United States is producer.
American People Are Wealthy.
There was time when the laborer
consumed only what was necessary to
keep body and soul together. Today
he and his wife and children are the
consumers to whom the merchants
cater, The shopkeepers do not seek
to trade with the wealthy alone. They
rnilH MT q ffnrI RI 1n CO ho1 ~
choose between the wealthy and So
called poor between consumers mean,
1t would not take them long to decide.
There are few idle men in our coun-
try and there are few men who do not
receive wage sufficient to purchase
what, in other countries, are consider
ed luxuries, but which here are right
fully regarded as necessities. What is
the greatest market in the world has
been developed in our land and its i'm
portance it not entirely appreciated by
our own people. The merchant spends
his money as does the laborer or sal
aired employee. Both in paying his liv.
ing expenses and in securing his sup,
plies the merchant places himself in
the same class.
THE revision of the tariff has been
pressed and pressed and pressed. 1t
was talked about in 1902 and urged in
1904. In the latter year the Repub-
lican party wisely declined to agree to
declaration for revision. During the
next year the question Of revision
came up in Washington. 1t was fully
considered by the Republicans In the
house and senate, in conjunction with
tho rrncidort Il hot
revision should not be entered upon.
Republicans Decide on Revision.
In the meantime the manufacturer
who wanted to get the other fellows
product at the smallest possible price
loudly objected. I am not abusing him
at all and am not going to say any
thing in criticism of him. OF course,
our friends the enemy, the Democratic
minority, and some of its members
who should be rightly regarded as
populists, seized upon the complaints
Of these manufacturers and used
them as political capital.
ITO make long story short, the de-
mand seemed important enough to
make the Republican party declare for
revision and to insert the declara-
ton In it's platform last summer. A
Republican house has observed this
declaration. The most important pro
vision in the new tariff bill and the
one that was really needed for our pro.
lection against the governments dis.
eliminating against us In favor OF
other peoples, notably France and Ger
many, is that which provides for a
minimum rate that will protect and q
maximum rate which penalties.
'The president subscribed to the
platform and | have no reason to be.
lieve but he is loyaly supporting it
Both the house and senate, in my
judgment, also are Loyalty supporting
that platform and seeking to enact leg
islation in harmony with it. The re
suit of our labors will not be perfect
God only could make perfect tariff
revision bill, because he has all the
Notwithstanding which we have
not-and cannot get. We could not
make bill that would avoid crit
icism.
How Boilers Were Defeated.
when this congress met we had
a peculiar situation in both the house
and the senate. In the house we had
nominal Republican majority Of for
ty-six. If our Democratic friends had
all voted together and twenty-four Re
publicans had voted with them they
would have organized the house. There
were from eighteen to twenty-five Re
publicans who formed an alliance with
the Democratic leader, Champ Clark,
with this end in view. The first thing
to be done was the election of a speak
err. The Republicans held caucus,
which was attended in round numbers
by 200 members, who agreed to abide
by it's decision. From eighteen to
twenty Republicans refused to par.
ticipate in the caucus and stated, in
eject, that unless the majority would
do as they desired they would not vote
with the other 200.
Such action was demoralizing, but
not necessarily fatal. If majority OF
the Republicans had not elected me
as speaker, but after long contest
had elected some other Republican to
that office-and there are score or
more perfectly equipped to discharge
its duties-a serious condition of af-
fairs which would have done great