Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-07-17
STANDS FOR DOWNWARD REVISION
Members Of Congress Who Demand
Hiah Schedules on Raw Materials
Are informed That Party's Promises
Must be Made Good-Repeats the
Platform.
INV Associated Press.1

WASHINGTON, d. c., July 16.-Ah
doubt as To where President iait
stands with regard 10 the downwaru
revision of the tariff was sweep away
today when 4 statement was given out
al the White House setting forth III
detail what the President had to say
TO % Republican members OF congress
who called to protest against putting
raw materials on the free list.
The President declares that the
Republican party is committed to a
downward revision; that he has never
had any other idea of the Chicago
platform. and that he practically mas
prc missed a downward revision to the
people.
This state ment is interpreted in
some quarters here tonight as a direct
notification to the conferees on the
trrif bill that if the measure they
finally agree upon does not constitute
a material reduction in specific duties,
the President will veto it.
White House Statement.
The story of the conference rs out
tined in the White House statement,
in the third person. which follows:
Mr. Young, of Michigan. opposed
free ore; Afr. Mondell. opposed free
coal and reciprocity with Canada ana
free hides. each on the ground that the
policy would injure the interests in his
state. and a discuss on was partlcl2a'-
ed in BY other representatives VINO
urged that the doctrine OF free raw
materials was not Republican doc
trine.
THE President replied that he was
not committed to the principle OF free
raw material, but that he was COM
mitted TO the principle CT a down.
ward revision cf TIE tariff. which he
had promised, and that he was obliged
to look at the matter, not from the
standpoint OF any particular district,
but from the standpoint of the whole
country, and also from the standpoint
OF responsibility for the entire RepuD-
lican party He said the question In
each case was a question of fact to De
determined by evidence as to whether
the present duty was needed for pro-
lection or wheIher tie rate was eAces-
siye, so that a downward revision, or
putting the article on the free list
would not injure the industry.
Repeats Republican Platform
HE repeated the platform of the
Republican party and said he had al
WAYS understood that 1t meant
downward revision in many instances.
though perhaps IN ZONE few Instances
an increase might be needed; that he
reached this conclusion in the con-
struction of the platform. en- what he
understood to be the principle of pro-
lection. and its justification: namely,
that after an industry was protected
by a duly equal to the difference be-
tween the cost OF production abroad
and the cost of production in this
country including a fair profit to the
manufacturer. the energy and enter
prise Of American business men and
capitalists. the effectiveness Of Ameri-
can labor and the ingenuity OF Ameri-
can inventors under the impulse OF
trmpcfstiOn behind the tarif wall.
would reduce the cost Of production
aud that. win The reduction IT &c
cost Of production. the tarir rate would
become unnecessarily high and ought
70 be reduced
This was n iosmaI OPERATION ~
the tariff as cisimed by the defenders
Of the protective system-not in every
case. but as a general rule-that q
course 4 revision Of the tariff could
not be perfect. must have defects and
incc nsiStencics. but in 50 far as his
influence went. when called uDoa 20
art IN connection with legislation. y,
would BE- thrown IN the direction OF
performing the rromises Of the party
as he understood them: and that u
iron orr and OIL and coal and hides
Old not need protection. and that the
conditions were fnth as 10 enable the
ore producers and the oil prodsccrs
and the coal and hides producers %
successfully compefc with a reduction
Of wages with the producers from
atrcad. then they did not ned a duty
and their articles should 20 on the
free list. -
1t vas a qa,ri'on Of fsci wh'Ct Nc