The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13
SAYS THE TARIFF IS
| BEST EVER

turos business. All l have ia
- upon that subject Is this:
That certainly no one respon-
ulple Tor q government like ours
Weuld foolishly run amuck in bust
ness and destroy values and con-
n4ence just for the pleasure of so
dong. No one has a motive as
strong rs the administration in
power to cultivate and strengthen
business confidence and business
prosperity. But It does rest within
the national administration to en-
force the law, and If the enforce
ment Of the law is not consistent
with the present methods of doing
business, then 1t does not speak
well for the present methods of
conducting business, and they
should be changed to conform to
the law
There was no promise on the
part OF the republican party to
change the antitrust law except
to strengthen it, or to authorize
monopoly and suppression of
competition and the control of
prices, and those who look forward
to such change cannot visit the
responsibility for their mistake on
an innocent person. OF course, the
government at Washington can be
depended on to enforce the law in
the best way calculated to prevent
a destruction of public confidence
In business. but that it must en-
force the law goes without saying"
Further on the president praised
Governor Hughes, who was pres
ent, characterizing him as the
greatest asset of the republican
party in New York state"
POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS.
The postal savings bank and the
the president into discussion of
the bill now before congress. He
said that those who are endeavor-
ing to amend the bill to allow the
money deposited to be kept as saw
ings in banks under trustees who
shall have no power to use the
funds and to allow the funds to
be deposited in state and national
banks Unfortunately are preju-
dicing their party integrity.
These" he said, will put the
party in the position where it can
not hope to escape the charge that
it is not in good faith seeking the
passage of postal savings bank
bill and is not seeking therefore to
comply with the promise of the
republican platform in that re-
gard"
1--WE DID REVISE TARIFF"
Speaking of tariff revision, the
president said:
1--WE did revise the tariff. Moth
ing was expressly said in the plat
form that this revision was to be
a downward revision. The implica-
ton that it was to be generally
downward, however, was fairly
given by the fact that those who
uphold the protective tariff sys-
tenn defend 1t by the claim that
after an industry has been estab-
lished by shutting off foreign COM
petition, the domestic competition
W, lead to the reduction in price
80 as to make the original high
tariff unnecessary.
654 DECREASES.
"In the new tariff there are 654
decreases, 220 increases and 1850
items of the dutiable list I'M
changed, but this did not represent
the fair proportion in most of the
reductions and in cases because
the duties we're decreased on those
articles which had consumption
value of nearly $5,00O,OOO,00O,
while they were increased on those
articles which had consumption
value of less than 81 ,000,0 600.
OF the increase the consumption
value of those affected, which are
Injuries, to-wit, silks, wines,
liquors, perfumery and like arti-
cles, amounted to nearly $6OO,00O,-
900. while the increase on articles
not of luxury affected was but
about $500, 100000, as against
$4,000. 900, 900 of consumption. re-
peat, therefore, that this was
downward revision. 1t was not
downward with reference to silks
or liquors or high priced cottons in
the nature of luxuries. It was
downward in respect to nearly all
other articles except woolens,
which were not affected at ALL
Certainly it was not promised
that the rates on Injuries should
be reduced. The revenues were
falling off, there was a deficit
promised and it was essential that
the revenue should be increased 1t
was no violation of the promise to
Increase the revenues by increas-
ing the tax on Injuries provided
there was downward revision on
all other articles. The only sub
stantial defect in compliance with
the promise of the platform was
the failure to reduce woolens.
"PARTIEs ARE LIKE MEN,"
Does that defect so color the
action of the republican party as
70 make 1t a breach of faith lead
ing to its condemnation? l do not
think 30. Parties are like men.
Revisions are like the work of men
they are not perfect. The change
which this tariff effected was a
marked change downward in the
rate OF the duties and it was the
recognition by the party that the
time had come when instead of in
creasing duties they must be de-
creased, when the party recog-
mixed In its platform that the proper
measure of protection was the diff
ference In cost in the production of
articles here and abroad including
. fair profit to the manufacturers"
"Mr. Roosevelt aroused the coun-
try and the people to the danger
We are in OF having all Of our pol
icies and all our places Of govern