Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-09-09
btiIl Defends the Tariff Law,
but Will Help Revision of
! Some Schedules.
HIS LETTER TO M'KiNLEY

va ITeSlGGnI IdIi 10 chairman
#$of the republican congressional COM
# mittec, on the issues of the fall cam
IN paign. was made public at the New
@ York headquarters of the committee
N yesterday. It is as follows:
# assume that when this letter Is given
81 publicity the lines VIII be drawn, the parry
candidates will rave been selected, and the
81 question for decision VIII be whether we
q shall have in the House or representa-
tives q republican or a democratic MAJOR
ity. The question. then, will be not what
n commission of republicanism one prefers,
4 but whether it is better for the country
n to have the republican party control the
II legislation for the next two years ana
n further redeem its promises. or to enable
a democratic majority in the House either
to iutCgpoSe a veto TO republican measures,
or to formulate and pass bills to carry
out democratic principles. prominence
has been given during the preliminary
canvasses just ended to the differences
between republicans; but in the election
such differences should be forgotten.
Differences within the party were mani
Tested in the two sessions of the present
congress, and yet never in its history has
the republican party passed and become
responsible for as much useful and pro-
gresSiye legislation. So While issues VIII
doubtless arise between members OF a re-
publican majority as to the details OF 1urI
Their legislation, the party as a whole, VIII
show itself in the future, as in the past,
ipractical and patriotic in subordinating
Individual opinions in ordel@o secure real
progress Hence II Is important mat dllCi
Republican congressional candidates have
been duly and fairly chosen, all republic
ans who believe i'm the party principles as
declared In its national platform of 1908
should give the candidates loyal and eff
fectivc support. If this is done, there VIII
be no doubt Of a return of a republican
majority.
Democratic Reputation.
The only other alternative is a demo-
cratic majority. 1t Is difficult, very diff
cult. TO state all the principles that would
govern such a majority in it's legislative
course. and this because it's party plat
forms have presented a variety of planks
not altogether consistent, and because IN
the present cOngresS, leading democrats In
the Senate and the House have not hest
tated TO repudtate certain of their party
pledges and TO deny their binding char
.acter. We may reasonably assume, how
ever, that = democratic majority in rhe
House would reject the republican doc
trine OF protection as announced in 1905.
What. therefore. has a republican who
believes in protection. but objects to some
rates gr schedules in the present tariff
jOrity which, If allowed its way, would
attack the protective system, and halt
usinc by a threatened revision of the
whole tariff on revenue basis, or If pre-
vented by the Senate or the executive
would merely DO nothing?
Such a legislative program as that set
forth in the republican national platform
OF 1905 could not be carried out in fun by
one congress. Certainly if all it's prom
!seS are executed ~ enc administration,
It will be within a proper time. The pres
ent congress has not only fulfilled many
party pledges, but it has by its course set
higher the standard Of party responsibility
for such pledges than ever before in the
history of American parties. Hereafter
those who would catch voters nv declara-
tons in favor OF alluring remedial legisla-
ton Will not make them except with much
more care as 10 the possibility of its enact
ment. In view Of the history of the pres
ent ongress, the return of a republican
majority In the next congress may we'll
4 inspire confidence that the pledges still
y uuredeened Will be met and satisfied.
The Tariff.
Lot us consider. summarily. the prom
Ises made and the legislation enacted by
the present congress-: First and Of pri-
mary Importance was the promise to re-
wise the tariff n accordance with the rule
laid down In the platform. to-wit: That
the tariff on articles imported should be
equal to the difference between their cost
OF production abroad and that cost in this
country, including a reasonable profit for
the domestic manufactures. A very full
inVestigat.on-full, at least. as such in
designations have been conducted in the
past-was made by the ways and means
committee of the House to determine what
Rates should be changed to conform TO this
rule. A reduction was made in G4 num-
bers, and an increase in some 200, while
1,loO remained unchanged. The bill was
amended in the Senate, but the proportion
OF increases to decreases was maintained.
The president here Incorporates the
memorandum on the bill, which accom-
panied his approval Of 1t. and con-
tinues:
This fairly states the effect Of the bin.
The bill has been criticised for certain Of
It's rates and schedules. Some Of the
CRITICISMS are just and some are wide Of
the mark and most unjust.
The truth Is that under the old protec-
tive idea the only purpose was 10 make
the tariff high enough to protect the home
1nnlIGIrU n 30
the difference In the cost of production
mere and abroad was not regarded as OBJ
Iectlonable because 1t was supposed that
competition between those who enioyed
the high protection would keep the price
Tor the consumer down to what was rea-
sonabie for the manufactures. The evil
% eScessive tariff rates, however, showed
1tself In the temptation of manufactures
TO combine and suppress competition. and
then to maintain the prices so as TO take
advantage of the excess Of the tariff rate
over the difference between the cost Of
production abroad and here.
The Payne tariff bill is the first hill
passed by the republican party in which
the necessity for reducing rates to avoid
this evil has been recognized. and n Is
therefore a decided step In the right direc-
ton and it ought to be accepted as such.
On the whole, 1t was a downward revision.
particularly on articles of necessity and
on raw materials. The actual figures ON
the first years operation of the law dem
oustrate this. 1t must also be remembered
that the tariff rates in the new law on
Imported liquors, wines and silks were in
creased substantially over the Dingley
rates, because these We're luxuries and II
was intended TO increase the revenue.
The charge tia the pTesen tariiT is re-
sponsible for the increase in the prices OF
necessities is demonstrably false. because
the high prices, with very few exceptions,
affect articles I'm the tariff upon which
there was no increase In rates or I'm re-
spect 10 which there was a substantial re-
duction.
Tariff Board.
Perhaps more important than any one
feature OF the operative part OF the tariff
law is that section which enables the ex-
-ecutive to appoint a tariff commission or
board TO secure the needed Information
for the proper amendment and perfec-
ton, OF the law. The difficulty in fixing
the proper tariff rates In accord with the
principle stated In the republican plat
form. is I'm securing reliable evidence as
to the difference between the cost of pro-
s1ucticn at home and the cost Of produc-
ton abroad. The bias OF the manufac-
t0rer seeking protection and OF the i'm
porter opposing ii weakens the weight OF
their testimony. Moreover, when we un-
derstand that the cost of production diff
fers In one country abroad from that In
another. and hat Ii changes from year