The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-15

enue-producing qualities. We may
assume then, that their only cause of
complaint lies in the fact that the
workingmen and wool growers Of the
country are protected Mr.. Fordney
states the matter conciseiy:
It Is the settled policy of the gov
eminent that the import taxes
should be SO levied that while
producing the required revenues
they shall also foster and de-
velop and encourage American
industries, to the end that there
may be diversified employment
for It's citizens, thus preventing
the intenser competition that
would exist IL labor and enter
prise had to be concentrated
only IT those employments that
could be carried on without the
existence of a protective tariff
and for the further purpose of
making the country Independent
Of foreign supply for all the
principal neceSsaries OF life.
Without the protective feature the
manufacturers and laborers would be
ruined by tariff law. The reform
ers" profess that they do not desire
to annihilate business or take the
bread out Of the mouths of the work
ingmen's families. What then? Why
take the tariff off the raw material?
The Indiana senator in his speech
to the Republicans Of his state said
that he could not stand for the duties
on woods and woolens, that the sched-
ule had not been changed in forty
three years Mr.. Fordney punctures
that part of his speech as follows:
might call the attention of the gen
tleman from Indiana to the fact
changed in the last forty-three
years. He can remember back
TO the days Of 1893 to 1897, dur
ing the time of the life OF the
Wilson bill, which law placed
wool on the free list, when the
value of sheep dropped to from
rs cents TO $3.50 per head and
when the price of wool dropped
as low as cents per pound in
local markets During that time
the flock of sheep in the United
states dropped from over 3d.
10000 to about 35,OOO,OOO head.
He can no doubt remember also
the improved conditions in the
sheep-raIsrng industry immedi-
ately after the adoption of the
Dingley law, in 1897, which law
placed a protective tariff on
wool; the duty in that law was
bill-sufficiently high to pro-
tect American farmers, growers
of wool and sheep, against ruin
Gus foreign competition What
IS the price of wool and sheep
today? In our markets. at the
at the present time, wool brings
the farmer from % to 80 cents
per pound. and sheep are sell
ing at from S. to $40 per head,
and, at the same time, an Amer
lean laboring man can buy an
or So; and all must and win
admit that the price OF cloth
ing, based on the income of the
average American laboring man,
is much lower today than during
the time of free trade on wool
from 1888 to 1897.
Utah had a disastrous experience
with the change in the wool schedule
revision which the Indiana senator
purposely overlooked. The figures
given by Mr.. Fordney do not tell the
whole story so far as this state is con-
cerned. The sheep industry was alb
solutely paralyzed, pulverized and
ruined, until the people of the coun-
try rose in their wrath and restored
the duties.
The Michigan representative calls
attention to some of the votes of the
Indiana senator while the tarifr law
was being considered, showing that
selhshness was the predominating in
fuence. Mr.. Fordney said:
The gentleman from Indiana voted
for duty of 81 per thousand
feet on lumber. and again he
voted that lumber be placed on
the free list. Indiana produces
no pine lumber, but is a pur-
chaser of the same
He voted for lower rates of duty on
sugar. Indiana purchases sugar,
but produces none.
He voted for lower rates Of duty on
iron ore. Indiana produces no
iron ore, but purchases iron and
He voted for the highest rates of
duty on glass offered in the
Senate AMI against a reduction
OF the duty by fraction OF
cent Perhaps Indiana produces
glass.
Indiana does produce glass, and
large quantities of it. So the Indiana
senators and representatives. Repub-
licans and Democrats alike. always
vote for the highest possible rates on
the home product. Yet they abuse the
tariff law and insist upon a further
IcNA-iOAA NttC
of other states.
1t was stated a few days ago that
big guns were to he fired in the House
which would mark the opening of the
political campaign. Chairman Payne
of the ways and means committee.
and Mr.. Fordney, one of the leading
members of the same committee, have
so far been heard. Both Of them hold
up the hands of the President and
stand by the principles of the Repub-
lican party.
If the Democrats and insurgents
really want to discuss the tariff. fine
is offered to reply TO some
of the arguments so far advanced by
the supporters Of the Aldrich- Payne |