The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1909-07-10
THE MIDDLE STATES AND THE
ALDRICH TARIFF

ALDRICH TARIFF
And so the Aldrich bill passed the
Senate.
1t can not truthfully be said that
this was much of surprise. But the
Middle Western States held out almost
as a unit against the Aldrich tariff
bill. For this reason there has been
an attempt made by the standpatters
in the Senate who are followers of
Aldrich. and by the redoubtable Mr..
Aldrich himself, more especially to try
to .read" the ten insurgents out OF
the republican party.
Be that as 1t may, 1t is worth while
calling attention to the fact that these
states, although they are republican and
these insurgents. although they are re-
publicans, did not vote against the
republican tariff BILL" but against
the Aldrich tariff bill. That is dis
tinction and also q difference.
The Aldrich tariff bill changed the
Payne bill, which originated and was
passed by the House OF Representa-
tives in SAT different amendments.
With one or two exceptions these
raised the tariff not only over the
Dingley schedules, but also over the
Payne BILL
It was Senator LaFollette who on
the last day Of the tariff debate in the
senate presented an official estimate
Of the difference between the Finance
Committees bill and the Dingley sche-
dulles.
Here it is and it does not look like
revision downward:
Increases. :. -. ..$1O2,OOO.OOO
Decreases -. 6bOOO.OUU
Difference between Senate bill and
Dingley law:
Increases, numbering 24S. .$145,1o5.OO0
Decreases numbering $50. 93.5o0,O zoo
Changes made by the Senate:
increases ..@4f,l-JSSO
decreases @d,O-j,VUS
So 1t is that in the Middle West we
who believed the promises Of the re
publican party were for tariff revision
downward, have steadfastly main
tanned that the thing for the republi.
do was to see to it that those promises
were lived up to.
The Middle West can not see how il
is that IL the Dingley tariff is too higf
that the Aldrich bill offers any relief
The Middle States have always bee.
believers in the theory Of protection
They have insisted that the way to pre-
serve the protective system was t.
modify 1t to reasonable basis mad'
necessary by changing conditions
They have heard the leading manufac
turers OF the country assembled at tn,
Tariff Convention at indianapolis de
clare that the only way to save tn
good points Of protection is to reduc
the tariff and frame 1t along scien
tific lines.
Therefore the Middle West does no
believe that the Aldrich bill is re
publican tariff bill," but an Aldricl
Special Interest tariff bill, which ha
no semblance OF any republican doc
trine about 1t.
The Middle West has been MAXIM
itself conspicuous instanding agains
the Aldrich tariff. Take the ten insure
ents. Where do they come from
They come from the Middle West
.Ane Middle West has by the last Ger
sus one quarter Of a million Of tn
population Of the country
To q candid observer Of the s!tua
ton the struggle OF the Middle Wes
against the New England states.
vii be interesting to see which in th
long run wins out in the matter c
the tariff. The Middle West can nc
help hoping that Taft is on Its sid,
The result OF his veto will be locke
forward to with especial interest. TIL
probable outcome in case he does nc
veto tho bill II It comes to him frol
the conference laden with the plunde
Of corporations Is apt to be disas-
trous a far as the next PRESIDENT,
election Is concerned. The result ma
easily be that the Middle West vi
remember that certain men have kel
their promises to the people. Amor