The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-05-13
DEMANDS NEW TARIFF.

senate is not meeting with much en-
couragement from many sources,
particularly the west and the middle
west. The schedules that are be-
ing presented on articles which are
used by the middle classes Of this
point where they will get any par
ticular benefit. The Western senator's
are taking up the fight in behalf of
the middle classes with strong sim
certify and a notable speech was made
by Senator Cummins, of Iowa, along
this line. The senator was not only
solicttous for the welfare of the peo-
pie, but he felt that the republican
party would have little ground for
defense in the coming campaign to
explain why SO little was done for
the middle classes. We quote as fol-
lows a portion Of the senator's
speech:
The bill now before us will not
be accepted by those who have favor
ed a revision of the tariff as either a
fulaillment of the party pledge or
as a settlement of the controversy.
II this bill. o anything substantially
like 1t. becomes a law. l predict that
a campaign for lower duties will be-
gin the moment the extraordinary
session of congress adjourns, and
would end the dispute for years to
until the judgment entered in the
court of the public conscience is also
entered in the journals of congress.
1T gives me no pleasure to utter
this prophecy, for I have earnestly
hoped the revision now in progress
would end the dispute for years to
come, and that the business of the
country would enjoy the peace and
tranquility which is impossible dur
ing the existence Of a movement to
materially change duties upon i'm
ports.
"Who insisted upon tariff revis-
ion? 1t was not the manufacturer, it
was not the lumberman; it was not
the coal man; 1t was not the iron
and steel man; it was not the glass
man; it was not the cotton or the
wooden man; it was not the oil man.
During the whole agitation. l never
heard-you never heard-a demand
from those people that the tariff
must be revised. The demand came
from those who believed that the
duties upon many articles and COM
modities were too high; from those
who believed they were paying too
much for the things they had to buy,
and that excessive import duties,
coupled with other conditions, we're
enabling a favored few to reap in
ordinate profits, and, therefore, they
wanted, as one Of the steps leading
to the remedy which they sought, a
substantial reduction of those duties
1t is not necessary at this moment to
inquire how many people so believed
or in what part of the country they
lived.
Il have heard it said over and
over since we began this discussion
not OF course in public debate, bu.
in private conversation, that there
are but few people comparatively
who were interested, in a reduction
of duties. l know that the voices OF
those who are clamoring for an in
crease of custom house taxations are
more distinctly heard in the corri-
doris and committee rooms, but there
will come a time presently when the
clamor of the millions who want re.
lief will sound like the roar of q
thousand Niagaras from one ocear
to the other. l have heard it said
many times that those people who
were insisting on tariff revision were
not familiar with the subject. ant
had no opportunity to know whether
duties too high or too low.
This distrust or skepticism of tn.
judgment of the common man is
fundamental mistake often made ant
always atoned for in sack cloth ant
ashes. The people, it is true. hav'
not the advantage OF the admins
tration. Of interested be%neficiarie
and witnesses. who have filled an,
overflled the capital during thes,
months In which the subject has beel
under consideration"
| The people. he said. have seen tn