The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-08-04

the adherence between the cost of
production at home and abroad, to-
gether with a reasonable profit to
American industries. We favor the
establishment of maximum rates to be
administered by the president under
limitations fixed in the law, the max
| imum to be available to meet dis
eriminatioEs by foreign countries
against American goods entering
their markets, and the minimum TO
represent the normal measure of pro
lection at home. the aim and purpose
81 the, republican, boifcy being NOT
only to preserve, without excessive
duties that surety against foreign
competition which American manufac.
turers, farmers and producers are en-
titled. but also to maintain the high
standard of living of the wage earn
ers of this country, who are the most
direct beneficiaries of the protective
system. Between the United States
and the Philippines we believe in q
free interchange of products with such
limitations as to sugar and tobacco
as will afford adequate protection to
domestic interests"
Upon this pledge, definition, and
rule we appealed to the country for
tn election of a republican president
and a republican congress. The coun.
try, believing profoundly in maintain
ing our own industries, and reposing
implicit faith in the promise that ex
mort duties would, in the revision TO
take place he measured by the Differ
ence between the cost of production
at home and abroad, elected arepubli-
can president and a republican con-
gress.
In redemption of the pledge so made
the president convened the new con.
gress in special session, and it did re-
wise the tariff.
l have never been much interested
in the debate over the technical propo'
sition 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 We're too
high, and were greatly more than the
difference between the cost of produc-
ton here and elsewhere. " 'f"
What the Pledge Was.
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, pledge that it
should be revised so that the duties
upon protected commodities should be
the difference between the cost of pro-
dueing them here and in other coun-
tries, with fair profit added, and the
intent, as everybody will coneede,
was, that our manufacturers should be
able to enter onr markets and sell
their products at a fair price as
against their foreign competitors: and
it was the further intent that grossly
excessive profits growing out Of abb
normal prices should be prevented by
reducing the duties to a point that
would admit importations whenever
cur own manufacturers raised their
prices above the, level of fairness and
decency. va
Such was the platform and such
was the purpose that it became the
duty of congress to carry into effect.
believe that ninety-nine- republicans
in every hundred desired revision
that would keep the faith and accom-
plish the purpose | believe that the
president wanted to fulfill the prom
Uses 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 forced
through congress a tariff bill without
even the pretense of attempting to as,
certain, or of applying when ascertain
ed, 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
encee in cost of production, and there.
fore permits the protected manufactur
ers not only to charge existing prices
but to lift them still higher, and the
increases were, in nearly every in
stance, not only 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 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 Reputation of Pledges.
. II there had been an honest attempt
to fix 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 I, for one re-
fused to follow, and would refuse
again to follow Aldrich, Hale, Lodge
Cannon, Payne and Dalzell into a
sneering, contemptuous. open repudia
ton of my party platform.
II is not republican measure, al
though passed by republican votes,
for the men who are chiefly respons
ible for IL thought more OF swelling