Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1910-05-26
.McCUMBER'S Vote
ON TARIFF BILL
DO NORTH DAKOTA's CONDI-
TIONS REFLECT THEIR
WISDOM? WISEST AC-
TTON POSSIBLE

&
A good deal has been said about
Senator McCumber's vote on the tar
1T schedule, and efforts are being
made, and will be extensively made
between now and the June primaries,
in an attempt by opposing candidates,
to show that McCumber's vote on the
tariff was hostile to the best inter-
ests Of North Dakota farmers.
North Dakota farmers are not at
present nor have they been at any
time since the tariff bill became a
law, feeling any disadvantage from
the effects of that law. On the con-
trary there are so many plain reasons
why the North Dakota farmer, and
after him every other citizen, should
feel gratified and satisfied over the
conditions that prevail here, that the
efforts to discredit McCumber on ac-
count of his vote should, and no
doubt will, react in his favor.
For if the tariff law has been of
advantage to North Dakota, Mr.. Nc
Cumber's vote should be given credit
for bringing about the present condi-
tions; and if the law has not bene-
fitted North Dakota, then Mr.. Nc
Cumber's understanding they were
cast with the intent of aiding his con-
stitutents-have not affected any ma
terial interest of the state injuriously.
For conditions here are prosperous
and favorable.
The logical conclusion seems to be
that Senator McCumber's assistance,
in the passage of the tariff bill, should
be recognized in it's just and right
light, and that he be given credit
for the wisest action possible at that
time, not only for the state he rep
resentsa but for the entire country.
A Sensible View
One of the common sense state
ments regarding Senator McCum-
ber's position has been given in an
answer by Judge Edward Engerud
to a question asked by The Search
light, an organ, of Marshall and Gron-
ma, candidates for the senate who are
specially opposing Messrs. McCum-
ber and Engerud. Judge Engerud
was asked:
do you believe that Senator Nc
Cumber worked for the best inter-
ests of the people during the revis-
ion of the tariff?"
Answer: The answer is irrele-
want and immaterial SO far as my
candidacy is concerned, but waive
the objection.
I believe that Senator McCumber
worked in good faith for what he be-
lieved to be the best interests of the
people. His general course with re-
spect to the tariff was apparently the
same as that of the other three repre-
sentatives of this state, including that
of Congressman Gronna. The position
taken by them was fairly stated by
Congressman Gronna in his speech in
support of the bill in the house on
April 8, 1909. Congressional Rec
ord, p. 952.) He said among other
things:
eff in these remarks 1t shall ap-
pear that my opinion as to the desira-
bility of certain duties differs from
the opinion of majority of the COM
mittee on ways and means, want it
understood that am attempting no
criticism Of that committee or of the
way in which they have done the
work entrusted to them. realize
that an enormous amount Of hard
work is involved in drafting such
bill and that no committee could
make a bill that would be satisfac-
tory to all the members of this house
or to all the members Of the ma
jority of this house, or even to all
the members of the committee en-
gagged in the work. It is case in
which there will be great conflict of
opinion, and one member may have
to agree to the imposition of duties
that he thinks are unwarranted, but
that another member is convinced
are absolutely necessary for the con-
tinued prosperity Of the country.
"' Manifestly 1t is a difficult
task to determine exactly what the
figure should be in any one particu-
lar case, and when we consider the
enormous number Of articles that
the tariff must be fixed on in this
way, 1t becomes evident that 1t is
beyond the power Of any man or
any set Of men. however Industrious
and competent, to do this work In .
few short months"