Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-08-12
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) WASHINGTON LETTER
by John j. Hannah

lieu W hIlOW just WIIdC CilC dCtItuuO VI
the President is to be in regard to fut-
ure tariff legislation. The President
made it plain to many members with
whom he used personal influence to Sc
cure their votes for the conference re-
port upon the tariff bill that he intends
to present to the next session of Con-
gress message advocating as strong
ly as he knows how a reconstruction of
the cotton and wooden schedules. In
deed it was these assurances of the
President that made possible the pass
age of the bill through the House.
This assurance Of the President, add
ed to the fact that the new law does
reduce the tariff rates upon some COM
modities influenced enough members to
yield their personal judgement to that
of the President and put the bill through
the House. These reductions were de-
sired by manufacturers and in so far as
these are concerned were a substantial
compliance with the platform pledge,
although the bill as a whole is not.
In the statement which the President
made at the time he signed the bill dis
closes his dissatisfaction with some I'M
named schedules but contains no prom
Use of future action. This statement
also shows that the President has &C
copied the statement as to the effect
the silk and cotton schedules, which
were made by Mr.. Aldrich, as against
the figures upon these same schedules
made by the Bureau of Statistics. The
President also introduces a new ele-
ment into tariff discussion, that of
greater normal profit. The Repub-
lican party platform promised tariff
to measure the difference in the cost
of production here and abroad and a
reasonable profit. In the campaign
and the debate in the Senate the rea-
sonable profit was abandoned. 1t does
not reappear now in that form but
comes under another name. The state
ment in part is as follows:
"'rhe bill is not perfect tariff bill,
or complete compliance with the
promises made strictly interpreted, but
fulfillment free from criticism in re-
spect to a subject-matter involving
many schedules and thousands of arti-
cles could not be expected. 1t suffices to
say that except with regard to whisky,
liquors, and wines, and in regard to
silks and as to some high classes of
cottons, all may be treated as luxuries
and proper subjects of revenue tariff,
there have been very few increases in
rates. There have been a great num-.
Der of real decreases in rates, and they
constitute sufficient amount to justify
the statement that this bill is sub
stantial downward revision and a re-
duction of excessive rates.
This is not a free trade bill. 1t was
not intended to be. The Republican
party did not promise to make free
trade bill. 1t promised to make the
rates protective, but to reduce them
when they exceeded the difference be-
tween the cost of production abroad
and here, making allowances for the
greater normal profit on active invest
ments here. | believe that while this
excess has not been reduced in num-
Der of cases, in a great majority the
rates are such as are necessary to pro-
tect American industries, but are low
enough in case of abnormal increase of
demand and raising of prices, to per-
nit the possibility of the importation
of the foreign article and thus prevent
excessive prices
Discussion now as to whether the
tariff bill is a compliance with the
pledge made to the people is a waste
of time. The statements of any man
or set of men upon this question must
be gagged by the practical operation
of the law. That will be the acid test
from the conclusions of which none can
escape. In any retrospective view of
what was accomplished one thing stands
out prominently. 1t is chat for the first
time in the history of legislation in this
country piece of legislation of such
great Importance was passed through
Congress by resort to fal sification
and misrepresentation
Speaker Cannon was reelected in the
House upon the promise that he would
use his influence to secure downward
revision of the tariff and would name
his committees favorable to the attain
ment of that end.
The Committees named by Cannon
were loaded against downward revision.
The bill submitted by the Ways and
Means Committee of the House was not
a compliance with the party pledge.
It was so outrageous in many of its
schedules that they were withdrawn
upon the floor and even after it passed
the country arose against it and de-
nounced it.
Senator Aldrich, head of the Finance
Committee in the Senate, assured the
President that the bill would be made
to give the country downward revision.
The Finance Committee of the Senate
was framed so as to give Aldrich COM
plete control of it.
That committee reported a bill more
in it's advances than that