Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-19
ust as they did in 1904 and again il

l
in raising revenue, ought to have
taken the tariff out of politics for sew
eral years to come; but the opponents
of protection renewed the campaign
Immediately after the enactment OF
the law. and they have continued their
campaign in the most violent and viru
lent form ever since. They have mis-
represented it; they have lied about
its schedules; they have resorted to
every conceivable trick to keep the
tariff in politics.
President Taft Commended the Payne
Law.
President Taft, when he signed the
bill, made public statement in which
| he said:
There have been great number Of
real decreases in rates and they con
stitute sufficient amount to justify
statement that this bill is substan'
tial downward revision and reduc'
ton of excessive rates"
In his Winona speech the president
declared:
1.-The Payne tariff bill is the best tar.
if bill the republican party has ever
passed"
Senator Cupmins declares that the
issue from now on until the national
convention in 1912 is, "Shall the men
now in control Of party destinies be
permitted further to disregard plain
party platforms?
This is government by the people,
but in order to govern it is necessary,
with a population OF 90,000,000, that
those who substantially agree touch
ing economic and other policies should
CO. operate, and they can only cooper
ate through organization.
During its whole history the repub-
|l;can party has stood for protection to
American industries, to American la
Dor, and to American capital for the
development Of our resources. The
democratic party has opposed the poll
CIV of protection. They would levy du-
iies upon imports for revenue only and
not for protection. All republicans and
all democrats do not agree touching
every detail covered by their respect
i've policies, but they do substantially
agree.
The differences existing between
members Of tie party In power mist
necessarily be compromised or there
wouli be no legisl ition.
Nc one senator, no enc representa-
tive constitute the republican major
ity. Many republican senators oppos-
ed the reduction of the duty on lumber.
many members would have preferred
to see lumber on the free list. SO
might go through all the schedules and
find differences among republican SEN
ators and representatives. as to the
items that should be placed on the free
list, those that should have an IN
creased duty and those upon which the
duty should be decreased. There could
10 {or ho MI
differences been compromised.
49,. Duties Were Reduced.
Under the Dingley law the duty on
lumber was 81 a thousand feet; in the
Payne law it was fixed at S1.25 per
thousand feet. In the Payne law hides
were placed on the free list; there was
a material reduction upon leather aad
upon boots and shoes: also upon agri-
cultural Implements, with provision
for frte trade in agricultural imp',-
lnents with all countries that admitted
our agricultural implements free INFO
their markets.
In the Dingley law the duty on print
paper was Sc per ton. At the house
passed the Payne bill the duty on this
commodity was fixed at 50 per ton III
accordance with the recommendation
Of the Mann committee which tnvestt-
gated the matter under authority Of
sixtieth congress. In my judgment,
the rate fixed by the house bill was
correct: but when the bill reached the
senate substantially all the New Eng
land senators, together with senators
from New York. Wisconsin and other
states where print paper is produced
took the opposite view and insisted
that the rate fixed by the house was
not protective. So a compromise was
Ia R1yi, tI4 11,f1y Of
Taken as a whole the Payne law re-
duced dutieS on imports which COM
pete with similar commodities pro-
duced in the United States amounting
in consumption value yearl-r to $1,000
100000, while the increase over the
rates of the Dingley law were in the
main upon Injuries, the largest in
crease being upon wines and similar
products, the consumption value Of
which is $SOO,000,O00 year.
The object of the recent tariff legis
lation was two-fold: First, to provide
revenue to pay the expenses Of the
government and, second, to fix the du-
ties in such manner as to protect
American labor and capital engaged in
production. From both 'hese stand
points the Payne tariff law we'll de-
serves the. commentator of President
Taft when he says that it Is the best
LdTlll DILL ever eIldCtcu ny lIlS ISpuU-
lican party. The demago"ue may pick
out an item here and there and say
that duties are too high; but the law is
to be tested by all it's provisions and
not by an isolated item here and there
The best test is that afforded by the
result of the operations Of the law.
TIL, Payne law went into effect on the
fifth day of August, 1909. For the is
car year ending on June 80, 1910. the
duties received under the operation Of
the new law cit being in operation less
than II months Of that time) amount
ed to s333oOO,0o0. the largest revenue
produced under any tariff law ever
enacted. So that 1t is a success as
producer of revenue.
One-third Of our population are en-
gagged in agriculture; two-thirds In
mining. manufacturing, railway work
and other vocations. Since the en-
actment of the Payne law 100000 idle
freight cars, with the locomotives that
hauled them, have gone out Of the
shops and off Of the sidetract and
again are engaged in answering the
great demands Of transportation and
commerce. Labor which had been
idle, and therefore a minimum con-
sumner of the products of the farm
and the factory has gone into con-
iC