The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1910-05-27

on this side. In l9O4, 1T was
% cents less; in 1905 and 1906
it was 6 cents less. His sturdy
and unyielding insistence that
the, agricultural interests must
be saved from the cheap land
and cheap labor of Canada con
vinced the senate. The sena-
tors attitude regarding the
duty on farm products is we'll
known to every farmer in the
state. He has championed
their cause at all times and
their products are amply pro-
tected. ..
Senator McCumber favored
the appointment of commits.
sion of experts who should in
vestigate and report the facts
as to the cost of production at
home and abroad. He was op-
posed to delegating such a
commission the right to frame
legislation, or to advise con-
gress as to the character of
legislation it should enact. In
other words, he maintained
that the commission, if created,
should be placed within con-
stitutional bounds, and that is
sound contention.
His guiding star throughout
the bitter struggle which took
place in the United States
senate over tariff revision was
the best interests of the Amer
ican people. The record on
that proposition is an open
book and completely answers
the accusations of his critics.
He exercised a clear and indie
pendent judgment. When he
believed the downward revis-
ionists right, he voted with
them. When he thought the
high protectionists right, he
voted with them, . 49,.
What did Senator McCu,nber
accomplish during the special
session for the people of North
Dakota? This: A reduction
of all duty on everything the
farmer buys; adequate protec-
tion on everything he produces.
Or AS a senator aptly said,
The farmer buys everything
from a tack hammer to a
threshing machine cheaper, and
sells his products higher be-
cause of the protection given
to him by this bill.
He stood for free lumber to
build the farmers home, free
coal with which to heat that
home, free oil to light it, free
fence posts, free wire nails with
which to fasten the wire.
He has been severely CRITICS.
ed for voting for the Payne
tariff bill as it finally emerged
from conference. He so voted
deliberately and after a careful
study of all questions involved.
He knew full we'll that the bill
was not perfect, but he also
knew that it was the best that
could be passed at that time.
In voting for that bill he kept
in mind, and in judging that
action on his part the people
must remember, that the re-
publicrn party did not promise
a free trade tariff, not down
ward revision, but revision
in which should be recognized
the principle of protection with
the minimum and maximum
rates to preserve without ex-
cessive duties that security
against foreign competition to
which American manufacturers
are entitled, and also to main
tain the high standard of living
of the wage earners of the
country who are the most
direct benefciaries of the pro-
tective system. Senator Nc
Cumber maintained that the
question of wages is one be-
tween prosperity and stagna-
ton. A tariff that does not af-
ford sufficient protection gives
us stagnation, while an ade-
quate protection gives us a
reasonable degree of prosperity.
In carrying out that pledge
of the platform the sixty-first
session of congress enacted a
tariff in which there were 654
decreases from the Dingley
law. 22O increases, and 115C
items of the dutiable list un.
changed. The articles on which
duties were decreased rep.
resented $5, 600, OOO, 600 worth o1
consumption, while those in
creased had consumption
value of less than 81, GOO, coo, COO