Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-08

foreign competition might keep prices
at the point of American cost, with a |
fair and 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 importations should restrict the
natural avarice to take undue profits
where excessive duties made 1t posi-
BILE to do So 1t 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 / have recited was recognized,
and for the first time In the history Of
our party protection was given an ac-
curate definition. Without abating a
jot or title of our devotion to protec-
ton as a policy, we gave the world and
laid upon congress criterion for the
imposition of import duties. AS we
are trying to ascertain what Repub-
lican is and what he is not, beg the
privilege of reading in your hearing
that paragraph of our platform
which relates to protection:
"The Republican party declares un-
equivocally for the revision of the tariff
by special session of congress inn
mediately following the Inauguration
of the next president and commends
| 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
islation 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"
Cummlns Wants Every Vote Tested.
l believed then, as believe now, in
this platform. l want every amend
ment offered and every vote cast by
| the insurgents tested and weighed by
this declaration of the fundamental
principle of the party organization. l
assert here, as l 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 all their votes, and that the leaders
OF the majority, who are now ques-
tioning 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
jngs 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 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 a former congress and I'm.
der circumstances which you will all
remember. special committee was
, appointed in the house to investigate
the precise question made important
by our platform. Your efficient rep
resentative, James R. Mann, was the
chairman OF the committee. With
painstaking labor it explored every
avenue of information. 1t made one
of the most exhaustive and most in.
telligent reports l ever read, and the
conclusion was that we could manu-.
facture print paper in this country as
cheaply as it could be manufactured in
Canada, our competitor; but to cover
all contingencies, the recommends
ton was that the duty be reduced from
Sc per ton to 81 per ton. Notwith.
, standing the report, the majority put q
duty on print paper Of 1915 per ton;
i, and If it shall happen, as now seems
= probable, that the competing prov
. inces in Canada are compelled to bear
. our maximum tariff, print paper will
be required to pay duty of SIP pei
, ton or,more.
iron and Steel Another Instance.
. AS further illustration, take the
. iron and steel schedule. 1t was re
;. duced more generally and more rad
. bill. The average decrease of duties
on tonnage steel was about 30 ne,
cent. but so far as the effect upor
!, prices is concerned, the duties might
:, Just as we'll have been raised 80 pei
= cent. 1t will not be forgotten thai
:. the only legitimate purpose of any re
duction in steel products was to pre
!, vent our own manufacturers from hold
!, ing prices at the point Of inordinate
. profit free from the danger of foreign
= rivalry. Formerly the average duty on
- tonnage steel was SIS per ton. 1t is
now a little more htan $40 per ton
- and it is still SO high that (barring a
:. few places on our western coast which
.. can only he reached by domestic pro
i ducers by long rail transportation
= the United States Steel corporation
:, which dominates the market, can raise
- prices far above the level of 1908 with
1 out the slightest fear of importations
, Not only so, but one steel. product
? which has grown in recent years to 9
a high place in the business, which bore
: . duty under the Dingley law Of So
per ton, which ought to have been re
4 duced to S. per ton, was in fact in
Z creased to anywhere from $14 per tor
to S1S per ton. Those who buy struc
i tural steel will quickly discover the
I truth Of my statement.
a Other Manufactures.