The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-08-03


| protection at home, the aim and pur-
| pose OF the Republican policy being.
! not only to preserve, without exces-
, sive duties. that security against for
| eign competition which American
manufacturer, farmers and producers
| are entitled, but also to maintain the
high standard of living OF the wage
earners OF this country, who are the
most direct beneflciarics Of the pro
tective system Between the United
States and the Philippines we believe
in free interchange OF products,
with such limitations as to sugar and
| tobacco as Will afford adequate pro-
/ lection to domestic interests.
Upon this pledge. definition and
! rule we appealed TO the country for
| the election Of n Republican president
and Republican congress. The
! country. believing profoundly in main
| tanning cur own industries. and repos-
| ing implicit faith in the promise that
export duties would, In tho revision
to take place, be measured by the diff
| ference between the cost OF produc-
ton at homo and abroad elected a
Republican president and Repub-
llcan congress.
'In redemption OF the pledge so
made. the president convened the new
congress in special session. and it did
! revise the tariff
II have never been much interested
in the debate over the technical prop
osition that our promise was to revise
the tariff downward Beyond dispute,
the people generally expected that it
would be revised downward. because
they knew that the duties were too
high, and were greatly more than the
difference between the cost OF produc-
ton here and elsewhere.
but whatever may have been said
in the campaign. | agree that there
was no formal pledge in the platform
TO revise the tariff downward
There was, however. a pledge that
1t should be revised so that the duties
upon protected commodities should
be the difference between the cost OF
producing them here and in other
countries. with fair profit added,
and the intent as everybody will
concede. was. that our manufacturers
should be able TO enter our markets
and sell their products Mt foir price
as against their foreign competitors;
and II was the further intent that
grossly excessive profits growing out
Of abnormal prices should be prevent
ed would admit importauons when
ever our own manufacturers raised
their prices above the level OF fair
ness and decency
Such was the platform and such
was the purpose that 1t became the
duty of congress to carry into erect.
I believe that ninety.nfne Republicans
In every hundred desired a revision
that would keep the faith and accom-
plish the purpose. | believe that the
president wanted TO fulfill the prom
ises OF the party. and TO make good
his own declarations, but the leaders
OF both the house and the senate re-
fused TO recognize the party pledge;
refused TO be guided by the rule
which had been announced. and fore
ed through congress tariff bill
without even the pretense of attempt
ing to ascertain, or OF applying when
ascertalned, the standard which the
party had established,
The bill made many reductions and
many increaSeS-but the reductions
were of little or no avail for they left
the duties still far above the differ
ence in cost OF production, and there
fore permits the protected manufac-
turers not only 70 charge existing
prices. but to lit them still higher
and the increases were, In nearly ev"
cry instance, not only without reason
in fact, but without defense In de-
bate
Some Republicans. having done all
they could to make tho bill what 1t
should have been, finally voted for 1t,
and | have no word OF censure for
them, for they did what they believed
to be their duty. Some of us voted
against the bill and we make no apol,
ogy for our votes
Open Repudiat on of Pledges.
"If there had been an honest at.
tempt to fix duties according to the
cost OF production l might have yield
ed my vie cl the question of fact;
but there wL7 % such attempt, and l..
for one, refused TO follow, and would
refuse again to follow Aldrich. Hale,
Lodge. Cannon. Payne and Dalzell
into 4 sneerinG contemptuous. open
reputation OF my party platform.
1T is not a Republican measure, al
though passed by Republican votes.
for the men who are chiefly respon-
the overgrown fortunes OF their init.
mate friends than they thought Of the
party principles. the party pledge, or
the welfare OF a long suffering peo-
pie.
1T is said that the law has been
successful from A revenue standpoint
This is quite true: but ii must be re-
membered that it Is very easy to en-
large the receipts at the custom
/ houses The democrats could have
done that with their condemned and
| obsolete theory Of tariff for reve-
nue. only
'It is said that il has stimulated
| business. IL may be that 1t has for
| the prize of enormous profits is cX-
ceedngly tempting.
IT is claimed that the average tax
upon dutiable imports is something
like one per centum less than under
| the Dlngley act This may or may not
be so. for have learned to doubt tho
! accuracy OF tariff statements, but
granting the truth of the statement,
| what a superb showing II Is,
We have revised the tariff in TO-
sponse TO an overpowering Republi-
! can sentiment. and have succeeded in
| taking off about one-forty-second Of
| the average imposition upon dutiable
| goods
In all that has been said by those
who have. during the last year. de-
| Tended the measure there has been
to fix, the duties according TO the
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