The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-06-03
Disssrees With Congressman Ford
ney's Position But Admlres His
0anuhlic nj IN

Herald has the following to say:
A protective tariff is an abso lutte ne
cessily to the continued, materia wei
fare of the United States Let no con.
gressional debates in which Republi.
can leaders may appear to divide among
themselves, cloud this fundamental
truth 1t is an axiom-amply proven
by our own experiences when we have
in moments of national alteration per-
mitted Democracy to close our factor.
les and starve our citizenship with the
plague of free trade.
On the fundamental proposition that
a protective tariff is absolutely neces-
sary to the continued material welfare
of the United States, there is no Repub-
lican division at Washington. Senator
LaFollette agrees in this regard with
Senator Aldrich; Dolliver agrees with
Lodge; Cummins agrees with Smoot;
Beveridge agrees with Burrows. Even
Murdoch and neutrality-suspicious. con-
gressiJnal insurgents who have brought
the fire of the western prairies to their
Washington battleground-thoroughly
agree with Payne and Dalzell and our
own Joseph Fordney, who has been af-
fectionately dubbed the high priest of
protection"
They may differ on the degree of pro.
lection necessary to equalize the cost of
production at home and abroad. Dem.
ocracy may eagerly snatch at this diff.
ference and seek to magnify it into
evidence that the Republican party is
losing faith and affection for protection
as national bulwark But Democracy
toys with dreams.
The Republican party stands now as
ever for a protected home market. And
millions of American workingmen who
have enjoyed high wages-where they
received none at all under free trade;
millions of American investors who
have found commerce profitable-where
1t was even impossible under free trade
still agree with the Republican party in
its doctrine. Could it be otherwise when
our last experiment IN free trade was
less than thirty years agoS Is memory
so SHORTY Is prosperity so Intoxicating
that we are careless of our birthright?
But on the degree of protection nec-
essary to equitably equalize the differ
ence in cost of production at home and
abroad, there is some difference not only
among Republican leaders, but in the
rank and file. 1t is to meet this demand
for accurate and unquestionably correct
information upon which to scientifically
base protective tariff schedules that
President Taft has asked congress for
an advisory tariff board clothed with
and ways and means to gath
or the data thus required.
What earthly reason is there for re-
fusing the president his wish9 AL.
though the Republican party has been
by its adversaries with possess
ing the faint of plutocracy, the fact re-
mains that the true Republican princi-
pal of tariff protection is vastly more
In the interest of the average working
man, and is so intended, than it is for
the purpose of permitting bloated mo-
nopolies to squeeze an unearned and
lnequitable excess tribute from the
American consumer. Such being the
case there is no danger to be feared
rom facts dealing with production
costs aud wages.
Congress used all the information
when it passed the present
ayne-Aldrich tariff act. Republican
Insurgents, supported by the minority
party in full, claim that certain SEIZED
lies are higher than necessary as sci
'ntific protective proposition. They
produce their own facts and figures to
ubstantiate their claim. The Republi
IAN leaders meet their argument with
'ther facts and figures to disprove the
'harge that these schedules are unnec-
'ssari y high.
Which are right9 There is no authen.
lie source to which both can turn for |
arbitration on the facts. Surely both |
ire honest in their desire, for only such
| protective tariff as commercial neces-
ity requires in defense of the home
market and the home wage Garner.
With such purpose, then, how can
'ither party to such a controversy OPP
,ose the presidents desire to create
cientific tariff board whose sole prero.
,atives shall be the collection of COM
nercial information at home and abroad
o that congress and the country can
definitely measure future tariff SEIZED
lies by the rule of undisputed fact9
Washington dispatches suggest that
he Michigan delegation in the house is
o divide on this proposition. Congress-
nan Diekema from the fifth district,
proposes to support the president in his
recommendation. Almost any casual
bserver could guess who will lead the
dichigan opposition, 1t is the gentle.
nan from Saginaw.
Congressman Fordney is ono OF the
brightest, brainiest, most conscien-
ious, most energetic and most valua-
Ia members Of the lower hou.e NJ