The Republican journal., 1910-03-10


Emery Board can proceed more leisure
ly. The President has mapped out deal
of work for its members during the next
year, but this will not be of the urgent
character of the tasks now in hand. The
tariff promises to be lively issue in the
coming campaign and the Board will
probably be asked to enter upon numer-
Gus inquiries in which the President is
interested in that connection. Mean
while the Board must keep the President
advised of changes in tariff laws and
regulations in the governments of the
world, which, in itself. will occupy con-
siderable of the time of its three men,
bers.
WASHINGTON, March 7th. tits becom-
ing more and more evident every day
that the Democratic campaign of the
present year is to be based largely upon
misrepresentation, not to use a term
more harsh. Consequently the Republi-
can effort must be largely devoted to cor
recting these Democratic misrepresen-
tations and promulgating the truth
about the policies of the Republican par
ty in general, and the new tariff law and
the present Administration in particular.
1t will not serve the Republicans to
say in regard to the effect of the new
tariff law upon prices that there is not
IN the Payne tariff law a single advance
In rate above the Dingley rates that JUS
titles all increase in the final retail price
to the ultimate consumer of single nee
essary article of food, clothing or of
household use-it will be necessary to go
further and refute one after another of
the Democratic falsehoods and make
definite explanations as to specific arti-
cles.
Attention has already been called in
these letters to the fact that there is no
justification for the increase in price on
boots and shoes, as the tariff on boots
and shoes was reduced go per cent and
the duty on hides repealed altogether. 1t
has already been stated, too, that there
was no change whatever in the wooden
schedule except slight reduction, and
therefore no dealer is warranted in in
creasing the price upon clothing. Other
examples have been given and will con-
tinue to be enumerated during the cam
paign.
But the latest Democratic pronounce
ment is of peculiar interest, even if it is
not true. For the last few days para
graph has been going the rounds of the
Democratic press and finally got into
Democratic speech in Congressional
Bibles are to cost more after March LIST
because Of the new tariff on leather and
paper. A large Bible publishing house
is quoted as saying:
''Bibles are now about 20 per cent
higher than they have ever been before.
The materials have gone up so high in
price on account of the tariff that we
cannot afford to sell our output at prices
now listed.'
Well, it is very simple matter to get
at the truth or falsity of this statement.
The new tariff provides lower rate of
duty on paper suitable for printing news
papers and books, except in the highest
grades of paper, on which the duty is the
same as in the tariff acts of 1897 and
1894, and lower than in the acts of 1890
and 1885, The new tariff makes the duty
on all kinds of leather suitable for book
binding rs per cent. lower, and on skin
for morocco tanned, but not finished, so
per cent. lower than the tariff acts of
1897, 1894, 1890 and 1888. And further,
it is not claimed that the labor cost in
the making of Bibles has been increased
since the passage of the new act.
Another sort of misrepresentation that
seems to be very popular is the alleged
polls that have been made by certain
magazines and newspapers in their effort
to discredit Mr. Taft and his administra-
ton and the new tariff law. The latest
of these is poll of editors of certain
States, large majority Of whom it is
claimed have replied that they are dis
with the new tariff and with the
Of Mr. Taft. Since this
poll was announced returns have been
coming in which give another side to the
situation. In one Congressional district,
Tor instance, the editors are represented
IS being about two to one against the
action of the Speaker and the President
n endorsing the tariff law. When the
ruth is ferreted out it is found that only
me, or at the most two, of the papers in
his district so replied, and individual let
ers from editors are pouring into Wash
ngton stating that the poll is grossly
n error and that it does not reflect by
my means the views of the Republican
ditors of the States so polled.
There have been previous instances
where attempts have been made to win
elections by means of Misrepresentation
nd falsehood. One or two of these at
empts have been successful. Polk and