East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-09-05
ROOSEVELT EXPRESSES HIS
VIEWS ON TARIFF QUESTION

GsleHel Rsssevelt delivered the fell
lowing speech Saturday in Sioux City,
Isws:
whenever nea just like ourselves
net much better, and GER
taialy ne wsrse-continually fail to
give us the results We have right
to expect Fsn their efforts, We may
tu.t as wen make up our minds that
the fault lies, not in their personality.
but N the conditions under which
they wsrk. ani profit comes, not from
sspsuacing them, but in seeing that
the esn snsiasns are changed. This Is
especially true Of tariff-making. II
Ass been c6Aciusiveiy shown, by ex-
perrin ents repeated again and again,
that the methods Of tariff-makins by
esagrsss. which have now obtained
fer So many years, cannot, from the
very nature Of the case, bring really
satisfactory results, think that the
present tariff is better than the last
ana considerably better than the one
before the last; but il has certainly
failes to give general satisfaction.
AeReye this country is fully commit
ted TO the priaciple OF protection; but
it is TO protection as principle; to
protection primarily in the interest OF
the standard of living Of the Aneri-
can wsrkineman. believe that
when protection becomes. not a prin-
cipie, but 4 privilege and a prefer
elce-sr, rather. a tumble OF priv
ileses and preferences-then the
American people disapprove Of 1t.
New. to correct the trouble, 1t Is
necessary, in the first place, to get In
mind clearly what We want, and, IN
the next place. to get in mind clearly
the nethed by which We hope to OBJ
tain what We want. What we want
ia q ssuare deaf In the tariff as In
everything else; 4 square deal for the
wage-earner: a square deal for the
employer; a square deal fer the gen.
eral public. To obtain it we must
have a thoroughly efficient and we'll
euuipped tariff commission.
Tariff for Laborers.
The tariff ought to be materia
issue and net a moral issue; but L
instead Of a square deal We get
crsskei deal, then It becomes yer!
enphatically neral issue. Wha
we desire in q tariff is such measure
Of protection as will equalize tn
cost Of production here and abroad
and as the cost Of production i
mainly labor cost, this means primar
ily a tariff sufficient to make up TO
the asfference in labor cost here an
abroad. The American public want
the American laboriRs man put on a.
equality with other citizens. so tina
he shall have the ability to achiev
the American standard Of living an
the capacity to enjoy it: and to q
this we must see that his wages ar
not lowered by improper competiuo
with inferior wage-workers abroad
with wage-workers who are pal
poorly and who live as no American
are willing to live. But the America
public does not wish to see the tarii
SO arranged as to benefit primarily
few wealthy men.
A Tariff Commission.
AS a means toward the attainmer
OF its end in view We have as ye
devised nothing in any way as efec
tive as a tariff commission. Ther
should be commission of well-pai
experts: men who should not repre-
sent any industry; who should
masters Of their subjects; of the ver
highest character; and who shoul
approach the matter with absolu'
disregard of every outside considers