Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-08

the United States Steel corporation.
which dominates the market, can raise
prices far above the level of 1908 with
cut the slightest fear of importations.
Not only SO, but one steel product
which has grown in recent years to
high place in the business, which bore
a duty under the Dingley law of $40
per ton, which ought to have been re-
duced to SIS per ton. was in fact IN
creased to anywhere from S14 per ton
to SIS per ton. Those who buy struc-
tural steel will quickly discover the
truth OF my statement.
Other Manufactures.
Lumber. which in my judgment is
produced in this country at less cost
than in any other country in the
world, is held under slightly reduced
duty for no other reason than that GER
tain lake ports, among them Chicago,
have the advantage OF low freight
rates from Canada and II it had been
put upon the free list the railways
would have been compelled to have
lowered a little their rates from the
southern mills. But, as though 1t were
necessary to atone for even the insig-
niflcant reduction made upon boards,
the majority FASTENED to increase the
duties on shingles and sawed timber
more than so per cent.
It was altogether right that lead
bearing ores shall bear a duty sufh-
cient to keep our own mines in opera
ton, but who VIII defend the act Of
adding to the duty ON lead ore, duty
on pig lead OF more than the entire
cost of reducing the ore to the I'm
ished product7
In cotton manufactures, with rare
exceptions, we increased duties which
were already high above the test of
the platform; and there was left I'M
touched practically the WOODEN SEIZED
ule, which everybody admits is indie
fensible before any Intelligent tri-
bunal.
Congress Lacked Information.
have no heart to go further into
detail. Suffice 1t to say that the insur-
gents during all tho weary months Of
the session, day and night, were en-
deavoring to ind what the difference
in the cost OF production was; and
when they could not find It through
their own Investigations, they asked
those who ought to have had the
knowledge OF it, and were usually an
swered with the sheer Of conscious
power or were rebuked because they
were not willing to follow blindly an
unauthorized leadership. do not
want 1t to be understood that the ma
5ority Of the Republicans in congress-
were consciously unfaithful to the
pledges of their party, do not think
so, and therefore 1 do not say so.
do think, however, that congress had
not the information that was neces
sary to enable those who believed In
protection to apply the doctrine as It
was defined in the platform. We were
not prepared for an honest revision of
the tariff, and those whose duty It was
to gather the Information 50 that not
only all members OF congress but the
whole country might have had it,
failed inexcusably In the performance
Of their duty. There never can be a
genuine Republican revision Of the
tariff until a body Of intelligent men
shall inquire into and collect the facts
which relate to the cost of production
at home and abroad. The subject has
been lifted up from the realm of
vague declarations into the region of
scientific accuracy It is impossible
for individual members of congress TO
inform themselves with sufficient GER
tainty upon the thousands Of items
which compose a tariff bill. The two
committees OF congress viii not co
the work, and therefore we must or
gantzo some other tribunal that will
Do not misunderstood me. Congress
could not If It would, and ought not II
1t could, abdieate or delegate its au-
thority to fix duties; but before It can
tx them fairly, It must have the truth.
It has been said that the Insurgents
have declared it to be the purpose to
keep up an agitation for a further re-
vision, and they are censured as dis
turbers of the peace and quiet which
business demands. IN this respect I
speak only for myself. I never have
advocated q general revision Of the
tariff and / never will. It would be
the extreme OF folly for the next con
gross or any congress IN the near tut
ure, to attempt TO pass another tariff
bill comprising every article of growth
or manufacture. IN such q revision
the temptation put before member
OF congress to vote for what he knows
to be wrong in order to obtain WHIT he
believes to be right, is too strong for
human nature.
A Tariff Commission.
The crusade which 1 intend to
strengthen with all my power is a
crusade for tariff commission-a per-
manent, digaifed and independent tar
if commission; a tariff commission
that will gather together the facts as
to cost OF production and lay them be-
fore congress and the country. When
1t has done so upon any one schedule,
IL the duties are found either too high
or too low in that schedule, then con-
gress should take it up and dispose
Of IT without the possibility of trades
or combinations. All other civilized
commercial countries have adopted
this or substantially similar plan.
and 1t is high time that those who love