The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1910-02-09
TARIFF BILL BEST THAT HE
COULD GET.

Senator Burkett Makes Plain His
Exact Position in Reference to
the Payne-Aldrich Law.
Washington. d. c., Jan. 1S, 1910
Mr.. H. T. Dobbins, Editor of The
News, Lincoln, Neb.:
Dear Sir:-I have read with inter.
est your comments recently printed
criticizing my work in congress. Of
cours,, no man in public life can hope
to escape criticism or to please every.
body. No man ever has and no man
ever will. However, it has been my
greatest ambition to merit the appro-
val of the good.thinking people of
Nebraska, who have honored me as
their public servant, and to that end I
have worked diligently and conscien.
tiously. l have now been in congress
almost eleven years, and from what l
observe the only criticism of all those
eleven years is that l voted for the
tariff bill. In fact, all republicans do
not agree upon the details, although
all do agree that it should be a protec.
tive tariff rather than a free trade mr.
revenue tariff law.
81 am frank to say, as l have said
several times in Nebraska during the
summer, that l did not agree with the
last bill in all its details. 1t seemed to
me that in many particulars the rates
might have been less and still have
been properly protective. Upon this
theory made the fight as best 1 could
and voted against the original bill as
it passed the senate. These differences
of opinion, with men in congress as
elsewhere, varied all the way from
those who were willing to have the
rates prohibitive, to those who wanted
absolute free trade. Of course, l
sympathized with neither of these two
extremes. l tried to get the fairer
rate somewhere between the extreme
high protectionist and the impossible
free trader. We worked almost five
months on that bill, reconciling differ.
ences and fighting out those things
that could not be more tremendously
adjusted. Then came the final vote
upon the bill as reported by the con.
ference committee, and, "a said, even
then it did not suit me, although l
was convinced then and am now that
it was a great improvement over the
Dingley law in the interests of our
producers and consumers of Nebraska,
and was the very best bill that we
could get from our standpoint. 1t did
reduce leather, shoes, etc. 1t did
reduce lumber, steel products, coal and
many other things.
The president, who for the time
being is the leader Of our great party |
and who himself had been
an early tariff revisionist, thought the |
bill should be passed. The republican |
state convention of Nebraska was
held Just at this time, and the dele
gates there assembled passed q resolu.
ton instructing their delegation in
to vote for the bill. After
this the entire Nebraska republican
delegation, from both the senate and
he house held conference, and de.
,ided that it was our duty to vote for
he bill whatever our individual opin.
on should be az to the bill as q whole
u as to its details.
81 notice also that my vote on the
ugar schedule is criticised. Of course,
cannot tell all about the sugar ques-
ion within the proper limits of . letter.
must say that to no other schedule of
he bill did l devote more earnest
lffenfion The snpar nnesfion IA The