Evening star., 1909-04-30
WRONG, SAYS RAYNER
Declares Democrats Do Not
Stand for Free Trade.
ADDRESSES THE SENATE
Marylander Denounces Payne Tariff
Bill as q Failure.
PROTECTS TRUSTS, NOT PEOPLE
And Will Fail, Besides, to Provide
Sufficient Revenue for Expenses
Of the Government.
PROTECTS TRUSTS, NOT PEOPLE

/ Declaring that free trade Is impract1-
cable in this country, and asserting that
not a single democrat would vote for it
II presented to him in bill, Senator Ray
ner Of Maryland in the Senate yesterday
denounced the Payne-Aldrich tariff meas
ure as falling to provide revenue and as
protecting the industries controlled by
trusts rather than giving any relief to the
consumers Of the country Mr.. Rayner fire.
quently entered upon oratorical flights and
concluded with series OF condemnations
Of the the so-called trusts Of the country.
He declared his belief in incidental pro-
lection in order to maintain the wages
of American workingmen.
II have never believed in free trade be-
tween this country and any other coun-
/ tries, Mr.. Rayner said. Il think from
every practical standpoint 1t is perfectly
preposterous to talk about it. 1 think
the country would vote such a PROPOSE
tion down almost with practical unanim-
| ity. / believe in custom house taxation
and do not believe any other system will
ever take its place to the satisfaction
of the American people. Free trade is
not the question before us and no amount
of reproach and adjectives will deter me
| from stating what the question really Is.
II there were a resolution now boldly be-
| fore the Senate in favor or the entire abo-
lition OF tariff duties / do not believe
that the doctrine of free trade would re-
| cefve a single vote upon our side of the
| chamber"
Scores the Payne Bill.
Reading from the democratic platforms
Of 1875 and 1892 Mr.. Rayner said they
embodied his party's axiom, ''and that is, =
he added, that we have no constitutional
power to collect tariff duties except for the
purpose Of revenue" The pending tariff
bill. he declared, should be entitled "A bill
| to encourage the industries Of the United
states and for no other purpose" He did
| not believe it would add very much to our
present revenue collections. He charac-
ter1Zed the whole framework of the meas
ure as protection and revenue afterward.
If he had the framing of a tariff bill. he
said. he would levy the lowest tax possible
upon the necessaries Of life and the high
est tax possible upon the luxuries and
would protect American labor so as TO
| maintain at all times the standard of
American wages. Throughout the whole
| bill l would look out for the consumer.
You may examine this bill, outside of the
| free list, and 1t Is almost impossible to
discover the consumer in any of it's COM
plicated schedules
Speaking humorously upon what he de-
clared to be the inconsistencies of the
measure In determining what were raw
materials, he recOunted his experiences as
| member of the House of Representatives
while the Wilson bill was under consid-
Grafton.
Will Not Affect Trusts.
THE bill will not. and 1t does not" pre-
dicted Mr.. Rayner. lin any substantial
degree lower prices to the consumer; and
l make another prediction. and that is
that this bill will not in any substantial
degree affect the inordinate profits that
| the Of ind ri ix,;p 80
| through custOm-hOuse taxation"
| Mr. Rayner combated the idea that the
great corporations of the country benefit
the consumers by utilizing economies or
| increased wages. On the other hand, he
declared of the trusts:
They raise prices, they limit produc-
| tfon, they lower wages, they contract the
demand for labor, they throttle COMPETE
ton. they monopolize the wealth of the
| land. they withdraw it from the channels
of circulation, and when they are driven
from one state they obtain their fran
chises in another and then return with in
science to pursue their calling in the
place from which they are banished.
can look around in my own state and OBJ
serve that whenever a new enterprise is
started that comes in conflict with them
they sweep down upon it as the cormorant
| does upon his prey, and that their rapac-
| ity is never appeased so long as a spark
of vitality is left in any competitor that
| crosses their path.
Show Their Hateful Front"
Il do not find within this bill line or
| sentence that weakens their grasp upon
| the commerce of the country. On the
contrary they show their hateful front in
almost every schedule of this bill.
las against them. If l had the oppor-
| tunity in the framing of a tariff bill
! would open the ports of entry Of this re-
public. l would bring them in competi-
| tion with the markets of the world. 1t is
! said that If We do this we will interfere
| with other industries that are competing
| with them. There is hardly a word of
| truth in that statement because they toll
crate no rivalry and permit no interfer-
ence."