Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-06
REAL REVISION
CJhh|NS' DEMAND
( aowA's JUNIOR SENATOR MAKES
NOTABLE ADDRESS ON
TARIFF BILL
PROPOSED SCHEDULES NOT
ACCEPTABLE TO PEOPLE
cummins Warns Senate That If Payne.
AIdrich Bills Are Enacted Voters
Will at Once Begin Campaign for
Real Revision, and Get lt-Dis-
cusses Iron and Steel.

Washington, May e.7-Predicting that
failure to pass attariff bill providing
lower duties on imports would pro-
woke political contest for another
revision Of the tariff, Senator Cum
minis Of iowa, delivered notable
speech in the senate today.
1.-THE bill now before us, which 1t
may be assumed, presents the views
of the finance committee respecting
the revision Of the tariff" said Mr..
Cummins, twill not be accepted by
those who have favored a revision of
the tariff as either a fulfllment of the
party pledge or as settlement of the
controversy. If this bill, or anything
substantially like it, becomes a law,
predict that campaign for lower du-
ties will begin the moment the extra
ordinary session of congress adj
journs, and will continue with increas-
ing zeal until the judgment entered in
the court Of the public conscience is
also entered in the journals Of con-
gress. 1t gives me no pleasure to utter
this prophecy, for l have earnestly
hoped that the revision now in pro-
gress would end the dispute for years
to come, and that the business Of the
country would enjoy the peace and
tranquility which is impossible during
the existence of a movement to mater
tally change duties upon imports.
Platform Pledge Plain.
at is idle, worse than idle, to specu-
late upon the technical meaning Of the
words and phrases employed in the
last republican platform upon this
subject. The declaration there found
has history, and that history is fam
iliar to every member of the senate.
who insisted upon tariff revision?
1t was not the manufacturer; 1t was
not the lumberman; 1t was not the coal
man; 1t was not the iron and steel
man; 1t was not the glass man; 1t was
not the cotton or the woolen man; 1t
was not the oil man. During the whole
agitation I never heard-you never
heard-a demand from these people
that the tariff must be revised. The
demand came from those who believed
(whether they were right or wrong
will consider presently that the du-
ties upon many articles and commodi-
ties were too high; from those who
believed that they were paying too
much for the things they had to buy,
AMI that excessive import duties,
coupled with other conditions, were
enabling favored few to reap inor-
dinate profits: and therefore they
wanted, as one of the steps leading to
the remedy which they soughts sub
stantial reduction Of these duties. 1t is
not necessary at this moment to in
quire how many people SO believed, or
in what part Of the country they
lived"
Revision Pledged by Party. :.
There was no question, he said, that
the republican party had promised q
revision under demand for lower
duties.
Il do not say" he added. that a
senator has not perfect right to carry
dnto effect his own views: do not say
that he has not q perfect right to re-
pudiate the platform. In q contest be-
tween conscience and a party declara-
tion, conscience ought always to win.
But senator who honestly believes
that there should be no substantial re-
duction ought not to delude himself
with the idea that he can answer the
calls Of his conscience and his plat
form at the same time.
People Know What They Want.
~ have heard it said over and over
since we began this. discussion, not of
course in public debate, but in private
conversation, that there are but few
people comparatively who were inter-
ested in reduction Of duties. know
that the voices Of those who are clam
oring for an increase of custom house
taxation are more distinctly heard in
the corridors and committee rooms, but
there will come time presently when
the clamor Of the millions who want
relief will sound like the roar Of a
Thousand Niagaras from one ocean to
the other. have heard it said many
times that those people who We're in
sisting pn tariff revision were, not ia
miliar with the subject, and had no
opportunity to know whether duties
were too high or tod low. This distrust
or skepticiSm Of the judgment Of the
common man is. a fundamental mis-
take often made and always atoned
for In sackcloth and ashes. The peo-
pie It is true, have n9t the advan-
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