The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-17
LEVER DISCUSSES TARIFF.
He. Exposes the. Hollowness of the
Claim That it is a Revision
Downward Measure.

LeAluSlOI. -AuS. Io. Liz S''''N
correspondent called on Congressman
A. F. Lever today and asked him to
give his views upon the work Of the
extra session of congress, which came
to a close last Thursday. Among 9th
er things Mr.. Lever said:
I'VE have spent the session revls-
ing the tariff, but it was not such re-
vision as was promised by the coun-
try. The idea that there has been a re-
vision downward in the interest Of the
consumer is out Of keeping with the
facts. The truth is, the revision has
been upward III per cent. ad val
orem over the Dingley act which this
law supercedes. Whatever revision
downward it has been on articles Of
little general consumption, and does
not give to the consuming public the
relief claimed by the Republican press
and leaders. It must not be forgot,
and this is the only test, that the av-
erage ad valorem rate Of the Dingley
law was 444.16 per cent. ad valorem,
while the average in the Payne-Al-
drich-Taft act is 1857 per cent. ad
valorem,o or a difference upward Of III
per. cent. ad valorem, until the 3lst
Of March, 1910 when the maximum
provision Of the bill, added by the Al
drich crowd in the senate, becomes
effective and then the rates OF the
Payne-Aldrich act become difference
upward Of III per cent. ad valorem,
or an increase Of about 27 per cent.
ad valorem over the old Dingley act.
This is what the Republican press call
revision downward It does not take
much Of mathematician to see that
il is revision upward with a venge-
ance.
1.-THE progress Of this act through
the two houses has been marked with
effort after effort to write into its pro-
visions words which on their face
mean one thing, while as matter OF
fact they carry very different mean
ing. These are the so-called 'jokers,
Of which so much has been said in the
press.
"President Taft's friends and ad-
mirers claim a great victory for him
in forcing a downward revision. That
idea is ridiculous. IF the president had
succeeded in getting reduction in ev-
erything in which he seemed interest
ed, the saving to the consumer would
have been practically nothing. Prsl-
dent Taft made his fight upon the non
essentials of the bill and in favor OF
free raw materials products prl-
marily Of the farm and mine-ln the
interest Of the Eastern manufacturer.
The PRESIDENT s whole attitude IN this
tariff fight has been in the interest OF
the manufacturer.
1.-THE woolen schedule remains the
same it was under the Dingley law
and the rates on cotton goods have
been increased from 10 to ll.3 per
cent.-the greater increase being up
on that class Of goods which goes
into the most general consumption and
is used mostly largely by the poorer
classes of our people. No, this IS
New England tariffla putthrough,
backed by the president Of the United
States. who has either been buncoed
himself or has himself deliberately at
tempted to ,bunco the American peo-
pie.
1.-The question is not settled-it can
not be settled in the interest OF the
people by the Republican party, and
if there is to be a genuine revision
Of the tariff, it must come through
the Democratic party"