Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1910-06-02

cu SOOuS, WuiCu COSJ Huty-lO CcutS
per yard abroad, should not cost as
much as one dollar and fourteen cents
per yard in this country; that is to
say, that when American citizens pay
one dollar and fourteen cents for
yard of worsted goods to protected
manufacturer they do not receive
dollar and fourteen cents worth Of
worsted goods in return; OIL the con-
trary material portion of the dollar
and fourteen cents paid is simply and
purely tax unjustly extorted by the
protected manufacturer in return for
which no worsted goods are given.
What a humiliating confession for
a President of the United States to
have to make! He proclaims that
woolen prices are too high, that WOOL
en- taxes should have been reduced,
but that the political power Of the
wool growers and the woolen manu-
facturers was so great that Congress
did not dare to relieve the American
people from any part of this unjust
taxation!
Was the President Deceived
or Mislead?
OF course the high protectionists
will at once say that woolen duties
were not increased by the Payne-Al-
drich tariff. This is true, but my
my point is that it was an outrage on
the American people to have kept
these duties unchanged. The late
tariff cannot fairly be judged by Sim
ply considering what duties it reduced
and what dnties it increased. Some
Of its worst offenses, notably in the
case Of woolens, are to be found in
what it refused to reduce.
Let us next consider the cotton
schedule. 1t was stated again and
again, that the changes in duty on
cotton goods in the new tariff, did not
increase duties on the cheaper grades,
but only on the most expensive grades
of cotton cloth which our high tariff
friends are pleased to call luxuries.
To quote President Taft again from
the Winona address:
"The House and Senate took evil
dence and found from cotton manu-
facturers and from other sources that
the rates upon the lower class Of cot
tons were such as to enable them to
make a decent profit, but only de-
cent profit, and they were coutented
with it 4 X X ~
The President then adds that be-
cause of court decisions the rate on the
higher grades were reduced below
those on the cheaper grades, and that
new system was adopted, substitut-
ing specific for ad valorem duties in
order to prevent by judicial direction,
or otherwise disproportionate or un-
equal operation of the schedule.
Continuing the President said that
to meet the claim that this change in
duties increased duties on the cheaper
grades a reduction was made in con-
ference of about ten per cent, in duties
on the lower grades, which, to quote
his own Words
Reduced the lower grades of cot
ton substantially to the same rates as
before and increased the higher grades
to what they ought to be under the
Dingley law and what they were in
tended to be-"
Again in the same speech the Pres
ident affirmed:
There has been no increase in the
lower priced cottons."
Here, then, is clear statement Of
fact made by the President that taxes
were not increased on the lower grades
of cotton by the recent Tariff Act. 1t
is hardly necessary for me to state that
/ believe that President Taft honestly
believed the statement above quoted
He is man Of unimpeachable integ.
rity, of high character and purpose,
justly respected and admired alike by
political friends and opponents.
believe, however, that the President
was deceived and misled into making
this statement.
Blaze of Righteous Indignation
! Let us consider an example of pres
ent importations of lower grade cottor
cloth imported since the new tarif
took effect. Take, for instance, al
importation Of eight pieces Of fifty
four inch cotton covert costing abroad
thirteen and half pence, or twenty
seven cents per yard. These good
are used for ladies' skirts, overalls ant
II Continued on page A.