Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-08-11

s ssm;t the duties to point that would
the level of fairness and decency.
-, Such was the platform and such was
the purpose that it became the duty of
congress- to carry them into effect believe
that ninety nine republicans in every hun
bred desired a revision that would keep
the faith and accomplish the purpose.
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 had been an
nounced and forced through congress a
tariff bill without even the pretense of at
tempting to ASCERTAIN, OF, of applying
when ascertaned the standard which the
party had established.
The bill made many reductions and
many increases-but the reductions were
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
nearly every instance, 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
1Wn:Nl tueV DelleNeu TO De Inelf QulN. some
of us voted against the bill and we make
no apo'cgy for our votes.
| Open Reputation of Pledges.
| If there had been an honest attempt to
| fix duties according to the cost of produce
ton l might have yielded my view on the
attempt. and l., for one, refused to fol
low, and would refuse again TO follow
Aldrich, Hale, Lodge, Cannon. Payne and
Dalze,l into sneering, contemporaries.
| nr,an n of
| 1t is not Il republican measure. although
passed by republican votes, for. the men
who are chiefly responsible for 1t thought
more of swelling the overgrown fortunes
| Of their intimate friends than they thought
of the party principles, the party pledge,
or the welfare of long, suffering people.
| full from a revenue standpoint. This Is
quite true; but it must be remembered that
t is very easy to enlarge the receipts a., at
have done that with their condemned and
obsolete theorv of tariff for revenue only.
| 1t is said that it has stimulated bust
/ of enormous profits is exceedingly tempting.
1t is claimed that the average tax upon
duitiable imports is something like one per
centum less than under, the Dingley act.
This may or may not be So for nave
learned to doubt the accuracy of tariff
statements, but Granting the truth . Of t. the
| We have revised the tariff in response
to an corresponding republican sentiment,
and have succeeded in taking of about mt
l one-forty second of the average imposition
upon dutable goods.
In all that has been said by those, who
have, during the last year, defended the
measure there has been no claim that we
either fixed or tried to fix, the duties ac-
cording to the cost of production, and yet,
that is the test, and the. only, test, by
any regard for our plighted word.
| do, not intend to review it's schedules e.
upon this occasion. I have done that IN
LAM thnp riat
4 expect to do it again when the time comes
| 1t is no pleasure for me to diffel, from
some Of my party associates upon this his; sub .
4 ject: but there is no eXigency in public AL
| fairs party action that can induce me
to say, thing is good when believe, it to
be bad, or to say that it is true when
| believe it to be false.
| There are many gratifying reductions IN
| the Payne-Aldrich act. but upon the whole
| 1t is not fair eXemplilication of the pro-
tective policy. nor is it an honest, perform
ance of our platform promise. and no mat
ter what happens will tell the truth as
see the truth, about it,
/ Let me, however. again warn republicans
who are OF my way OF thinking concern
ing the. shortcomings of this measure that
the failure of the republican leaders in
congress to abide by our platform furnishes
no reason for delivering this country into
the hands Of the democrats.
The one thing that can be be said !, in favor
better than any tariff which the democrats
could enact founded upon the exploded
theory OF ieVNlnS QuIleS 10f revenue only
1t would be fatal to commit this country
to any such doctrine, and | know that re
|publicans have. too much patriotism and
TOO much intelligence to punish mistake
| power. and turning over the government
| TO political organization which holds Il
| view of the constitution that would para
1--WE our efforts in dealing with the modern
problems Of commerce, industry and trans
portaton, and which hold view of the
tariff that if put into execution would
| jCGS
Wipe Out the Blot.
The logical. sensible thing Co do is. to
correct our mistake,--none but republi-
pulse of the sentiment, growing now by,
ieajs and bounds everywhere they will
correca IT and leave, the republican name
ana republican pledge without stain
in all its wonderful history.
Our course, it seems TO ne, is set plain
ly before us; do not favor an mme-
be compelled to enter upon another gen
eral reimbursement Of the system. ,...o.
In our last attempt it was made clearer
than ever before, first, that some better
way must be found than we now have of
securing information as to cost here and
the schedules separately, AS to the first,
the way will be found in the creation OF
an independent, nonpartisan tariff com
mission, not to change the law, for that is.
and must remain the work of congress
but to collect and lay before congress and
before the 2eople the facts.
When this is done there will be neither
high tariff man nor low tariff man who
will venture to disregard his duty. For
tunately, the demand for such a commission
has become almost unanimous Among re
pub!icans, and the few who still oppose 1t
will soon disappear from public life.
We have already make a good beginning
for under the strong and persistent recon-
mendation of the presidelN. congress gave
him an appropriation which he will use
insofar as he has the power to do ii, TO
get the information so necessary to a prop
er understanding of the subject. The pro
vision is inadequate; but it gives us hope
that before long we will be able to estab-
| fish q commission with full powers and
complete equipment
AS to the second. we must insist upon
a law or rule af congress that will allow
one schedule to be amended or revised
without going over the whole range of the
tariff; We must exclude the opportunity
disEonor tariff legislation We must make