Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-18
REPUBLICAN DAY AT oLARKs
Senator Burkett Comments Upon
Tariff Law.

CLARKS, Neb., Sept. 17.-(Special y
Senator Burkett addressed the people
Of Merrick county today upon po-
Itical issues at the county fair,
which is being held here. The man
agement had set aside one day for the
democrats and one day for the republicans,
today being republican day. The senator
arrived about noon from North Bend, where
he spoke last night. He took UP more
especially the discussion of the new tariff
bill. He said that 1t had been assaulted.
and very naturally so; that 1t involved
every section of the country and that very
naturally each schedule suited some people
and some people 1t did not. That while it
had been called the best tariff bill ever
enacted by President Taft and Theodore
Roosevelt, that 1t had been maliciously
maligned by some opponents.
The senator stated that no doubt II was
a good bill as whole and that he be-
lieved 1t was time to call halt upon the
indiscr1 inmate and false statements of the
democracy in reference to It, He stated
that the fact that 1t demonstrated itself
as the best revenue producer of any tariff
bill ever enacted was a justification OF
President Tafts statement The senator
expressed the belief and the hope that the
tariff commission would be able to assem-
BILE facts in way so that congress could
take up future revisions of the tariff a
section at a time and based upon scientific
investigation made by the commission,
rather than the necessary limited amount
of information that congress could obtain
during the hurry OF a session OF congress.
He called attention to the maximum and
minimum provision, which he said was the
big stick OF the bill and which gives the
president authority TO bring foreign nations
| to terms when they discriminate against
IAmerlcan products. He reminded his hear
ers OF the event couple of years ago
when Germany shut out our beef. 1t took
good deal of coaXing and intervening TO
adjust that controversy, but under this
maximum and minimum provision the presi-
dent has the big stick" authority of in
creasing our tariff against all OF Ger
msny's products until she gives us equal
conditions and terms with other ooun-
| tries.
| IF the democrats could have made a
better BILL why did they not do IT," asked
the senator, and offer us a substitute
The facts are they were afraid to put their
ideas into writing and into form where
| the American people might have some
| thing definite to judge them by, They
| offered nothing In place OF the Payne bill,
and nine-tenths OF II was passed without
an objection from any OF them. They are
now dissolving into bushwhacklng bands in
every state, fighting the particular provis-
ion that happens to be unpopular in that
locality. 1t is the natural thing for demo
Gratis TO do, for they have no record OF
their own that they dare TO defend and no
position TO advocate. We republicans be-
leve in the protective tariff policy while
the democracy advocates free trade and we
expect them TO find fault with any tariff
bill that we would make. Az an adversary
they have been 30 insignificant that the
people have almost lost sight OF the rea
conflict between the parties.
The World Herald says that party lines
! are dissolving. II the people of Nebrasks
} should become indifferent, or II In the strife
} as to details Of making a tariff bill should
lose sight OF the real issue between the
parties and should help 10 elect demo
!, cratic congress the result to the country
would be just as disastrous as Il always
has been when the democracy has been IL
power. j am not contending and have
never contended that ali the details of the
/ bill were right and that they entirely suited
me All republicans were not entirely salts