Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-08-04

Such was the platform and such
was the purpose that it became the
duty of congress to carry into effect
I believe that ninety-nine republicans
! in every hundred desired revision
that would keep the faith and &C
compltsh the purpose. l believe that
the president wanted to fulfill the
promises of the party, and to make
good his own declarations; but the
leaders of both the house and the
senate refused to recognize the party
pledge; refused to be guided by the
rule which I'D been announced. and
forced through congress tariff bill
without even. the pretense OF at
tempting to ascertain, or of applying
when ascertained, the standard which
the party had established.
The bill made many reductions and
many increases-bu the reductions
were Of little or no avail for they left
the duties still far above the difference
in cost Of production, and therefore
permits the protected manufacturers
not only to charge existing prices, but
to lift them still higher, and the in
creases were in nearly every In
stance. not only without reason in
fact. but without defense in debate.
Some republicans. having done all
they could to make the bill what it
should have been, finally voted for it,
and I 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 apo
logy for our votes.
Open Reputation Of Pledges.
II there had been an honest attempt
to Ak duties according to the cost OF
production I might have yielded my
view on the question of fact: but there
was no such attempt. and !. for one,
refused to follow. and would refuse
again to follow Aldrich. Hale. Lodge.
Cannon, Payne and Dalzell into 2
sneering contemptuous, open repud1a-
ton of my party platform.
It is not republican measure. al
though passed by republican votes, for
the men who are chiefly responsible
for it thought more OF swelling he
overgrown fortunes of their intimate
friends than they thought Of the party
principles, the party pledge, or the
welfare OF long suffering people.
It is said that the law has been sue
cessful from a revenue standpoint.
This is quite true; but it must he re-
that 1t 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 revenue
only.
It is said that it has stimulated bus
ness. It may be that it has, for the
prize of enormous profits is exceed
ingly tempting.
It is claimed that the average tax
upon dutiable imports is something
like one per centum less than under
the Dingley act This may or may not
be so, for have learned to doubt the
accuracy of tariff statements but grant
ing the truth of the statement, what
a superb showing it Is.
We have revised the tariff IN re-
Spouse to an overpowering republican
sentiment, and have succeeded IN
taking off about one-forty-secon 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 no
claim that we either fixed or tried to
fix the duties according to the cost OF
production, and yet that is the test,
and the only testify which the act
should be tried II we have any regard
for our plighted word.
I do not intend to review it's sched-
,,les upon this occasion. have done
that in another and more appropriate
form. and expect to do 1t again Wneh
the time COMES. 1t is no pleasure tor
me to differ from some OF my party
associates upon this subject; but there
is no exigency in public affairs or
marty action that can induce me to
say that a thing is good when | be-
lieye it to be bad, or to say that 1t IS
true when believe 1t to be false.
There are many gratifying redue'
tons in the Payue-Aldrich act. but
upon the whole it is not fair exem-
obligation of the protective policy, nor
Is it an honest performance or cur
platform promise,and no matter What
happens will tell the thuth, as ] see
the truth, about it.
Let me, however, again "eiin 'epu"
Iicans who are of my way of thinking
the shortcomings OF TINS
measure that the failure OF the fepup-
|ican leaders in congress to ABIDE by
our platform furnishes no reason 1or
delivering this country into the hands
Of the democrats.
The one thing that can be said IN
favor of our recent revision is that II
is vastly better than any tariff which
The democrats could enact founded
upon the exploded theory Of ievying
duties for revenue only. 1t would be
fatal to commit this country to any
such doctrine. and I know that re-
publicans have too much patriostlsm
and too much intelligence to punish
a mistake in leadership by depriving
our party of power, and turning over
the government to pilitical organl-
zation which holds a view OF the con-
stitution that. would paralyze our ef-
forts in dealing with the modern prob
ems of commerce. industry and trans
oortation. and which hold view Of the
Tariff that if put into execution would
bring upon us universal disaster.