The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-16

dent placed the Payne tarif law on the statute books August 5, or within less
 than five months from the beginning O. the session.
 within six months after it's enact
 ment, that law has demonstrated that Il is the best revenue producer, as well as tho most scientific adjustment of pro tective duties we have ever had. fully justifying tho Presidents declaration that | 1t is the best tariff law ever enacted
 The republican party cid not promise s free trade tariff. not O downward re- vision, but a revision in which should be recognized the principle of protection. With the minimum and maximum rates to preserve without exec ssive duties. that SC curity against foreign competition to W hich American manufacturers and pro ducers are entitled, and also to maintain the high standard of living of the wage earners of this country. who are the most direct benedciaries of the protective sys- tenn. In carrying out that pledge of the platform, we enacted a tariff in which there were 654 decreases from the Dingley law, 220 increases, and 1150 items Of the cuiiable lis- unchanged. The articles on which duties were decreased represented five billion dollars worth of consumption. while those increased has a consumption Va tue of less than SLIGO .C00,0 ,00O The iii- creases were on luxuries, an1 the de- crt teses on necessities, and in the first six months of the law more than 5l per cont of all importations were free of the duty, the largest percentage oi free i'm ports we have ever had under any tar If. not even excepting the Walker tariff of 1S46, which was called free trade tariff The increase of revenues has been nearly s50,oo0t00 in six months, making the Payne law the best revenue producer we have ever had, and that IS a prime necessity in our increased expenditures from the great development of the coun- try.
 ''The republican party has carired out it's tariff pledges in way to justify the Presidents pride in that enactment, and it will carry out It's pledges as It has time for discussion and agreeemnt in a form of wise legislation to meet these pledges.
 .sThe present Congress in regular session has been more energetic and more sue cessful in carrying forward the work before it than has any other Congress in recent years.
 '.The committees have been giving most careful studies to the number of bills to amend the interstate commerce law and other legislation promised in the re- publican platform. and 1 think l can cafe- ly predict that this legislation will be adopted, while all the pledges of the platform will be kept by the party If it has the continued support of the people. No party has ever been able to accom- plish all it promised in one session of Congress and such an accomplishment has never been expected.
 ..It is the function of the republican editors to keep the people informed as to the work accomplished, that they might not be misled by demagogues whose function Is to complain and create dis satisfaction; and the republican editors of Illinois can be of material assistance in presenting the truth to meet fiction, that the people may fairly judge as to the fidelity of the present admission to the principles that gave 1t power, to the end that the President may continue to have the support of the republican party.
 MT George c. Rankin, president of the