Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-18

climbing higher and higher. The great
est enthusiasm Of the presidents address
aroused when he declared that II the
people wanted free trade-if they wanted
to close down manufactures and TO have
prices at the sacrifices Of many
interests, they ought to put the
democratic party in power. The presi-
dent said he doubted even II that would
for the democrats in the senate
voted strongly for the protection Of arti-
cles manufactured or grown in their states
and districts.
Although Senator Crawford and Gamble
OF South Dakota ~journeyed down into
Wisconsin today to pay their respects to
the president, It was remarked that neither
Senator Nelson nor Senator Clapp, both
insurgents, were here to greet the presi-
dent on his first appearance In Minnesota.
The president retired on board his train
to night and leaves for Minneapolis at
8 o'clock a. m.
President Taft in his address at the
Winona opera house tonight said:
MY fellow citizens: As long ago as
August 1905, in the congressional campaign
in Maine, l ventured 10 announce that l
was a tariff revisionist, and thought thai
the time had come for a readjustment OF
the schedule. In the summer Of 1907, my
position on the tariff, was challenged and
I then entered into a somewhat fuller dis
cussion Of the matter. 1t was commended
by the so-called 'Stand-patters' that rates
beyond the necessary measure of protec-
ton were not Objectionable because be-
hind the tariff wall competition always
reduced the prices, and thus saved the
consumer. But l pointed in that speech
what seems to me as true today as it then
was, that the danger Of excessive rates
was In the temptation they created to
form monopolies in the protected articles,
and thus 10 take advantage of the ex-
cessive rates by increasing the prices, and
therefore in order to avoid such a danger,
1t was wise at regular intervals to examine
the question what the effect Of the rates
had been upon the industries In this coua-
try and whether the conditions with re-
spect to the cost of production here had
so changed as to warrant a reduction in
the tariff and to make a lower rate truly
protective Of the industry. That was the
object Of the revision as advocated by me,
and It was certainly the object Of the
revision as promised in the republican
platform
Meaning of Platform.
IT want to make as clear as I can this
proposition, because in order to determine
whether a bill is a compliance with the
terms Of that platform 1t must be under
stood what the platform means. A free
trader is opposed to any protective rate
because he thinks that our manufacturers
our farmers and our miners ought to with
stand the competition Of foreign manufac-
turers and miners and farmers or else go
100 - -
more profitable to- do. Now, certainly, the
promises of the platform did not contem-
plate the downward revision Of the tariff
rates to such a point that any industry
heretofore protected should DE injured
Hence these who contend that the promise
Of the platform was to reduce prices by
letting in foreign competition are contend
ing for a free trade and not for anything
that they had the right to infer from the
republican platform.
THE ways and means committee of the
house, with Mr.. Payne at it's head, spent
a full year in the investigation in assem-
bling evidence in reference to the rates
under the tariff and devoted an immense
amount of work in the study OF the ques-
ton where the tariff rates could be re-
duced 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.
House and senate Bills.
NJ Payne reported a bill-the Payne
tariff bill-which went to the senate and
was amended in the senate by increasing
the duty on some things and decreasing II
on others.
The difference between the house bill
- "
than the newspapers representa-.
1T turns out Upon Examination that thu
reduction in the senate were about equa
to those in the house, though they diff
Tered in character. Now, there is nothing
quite so difficult as the discussion of
tariff bill for the reason that 1t covers
so many different items, the meaning o
the terms and the percentages are mos
difficult to understand. The passage o
a new bill. especially where a change Ii
the method OF assessing duties is followed
presents an opportunity for various meth
DDS and calculations OF the percentage
Of increases and decreases that is reall,
most misleading, or really throws no ligh
at all upon the changes made.
One way of stating hat was done is t
say what the facts s~how-that under tn
J Dingley law there were 2,029 items. Thi
lnCAuueu dhNAabl0 "a OAhgs AhN Il 9gh
law leaves l.l5O OF these items unchanged
!, There are decreases In 654 Of the iteni
and increases in go OF the items. Now
of course, that does not give a full pic
ture, but It does show the proportion o
decreases to have been three times thos
OF the increases.
Now, attempts have been made to sho'
what the real effect of these changes hav
been by comparing the imports under III
, various schedules, and assuming that III
changes and their importance were in pre-
portion to the importations. Nothin
! could be more unjust in a protective tai
If which also contains revenue provii
ions. Some OF the tariff Is made for III
: purpose Of Increasing the revenue by il
Hcreasing importations which shall pa
. duty. other items in the tariff are mad
I for the purpose of reducing competition
that is, by reducing importations, an
therefore, the question OF the Importance
a change in rate cannot in the slighte.
degree be determined by the amount
! imports that take place.