The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-07-28

work OF a Republican Legislature and or
officials with the political
The principal issue upon which we, the
party in Ohio, will appeal to
the people in this campaign is and must
inevitably be the tariff.
We could not dodge it If we would; We
ought not to If We could. We are respon-
sible for it in the fullest sense. II
would be mere futility to attempt now TO
shirk our responsibility.
We did not make this law in secret, We
made IL in the open. 1t was not rail-
roaded through either house Of congress.
1t was fully and carefully considered, de-
bated and amended. A Republican dele
cation from Ohio in both houses OF con-
gress, with one exception, voted for II; an
Ohio Republican president signed 1t. IL
for the Republicans of Ohio TO
fight for it. We refuse to be stampedeu
We have fought the preliminary fight,
let US prepare for the final battle. Some
men of little courage, like others IN thG
past, may seek to rely upon the old
adage that "he who fights and runs
away may live to fight another day" but
the place for such men is not in respon-
sible positions in public life, nor In the
ranks of the militant Republicans of Ohio
in this campaign.
This is no "stand-pat' program that I
am advocating. 1t is a program OF prog
ress. not of reaction. The Payne Tarlt
Law as it stands to-day, fortified by the
tariff commission, with ample funds to
carry out it's functions, Is no stand-pat
law. 1t is an immense advance in the
direction of a thoroughly sctentl1c Amer
lean tariff. A tariff which, while yield
ing ample revenue, while maintaining the
American wage scale, while enabling the
American producer to compete in the
American market with the foreign pro-
ducer, Will place as little burden as pos
sible upon the consumer of articles Oh
daily necessity.
The tariff commission, or board, as
you may choose to call 1t, is new feat-
ure in recent tariff legislation and 1t IS
we'll worth while to examine it, some de-
tail it's history and functions.
In section two of the Payne law, which
relates to maximum and minimum rates
and imposes upon the president the duty
of ascertaining whether or not foreign
nations are discriminating against our
products, 1t is provided that he may APP
point persons to assist him in the inves-
tigation of these facts. Other sections
of the bill confer additional powers in
the way of investigating the cost OF pro-
duction, both here and abroad, of artt-
cles in which we compete with foreign
nations Acting upon the authority con-
ferred by these sections the president
appointed a tariff commission, primarily
for the purpose of adjusting the maxi
mum and minimum provision which. un-
der the law, had to be settled on or be-
fore the 31st of last March.
mission was in backing up the president
in the investigation of conditions and in
the securing of concessions from foreign
countries is best evidenced by the fact
that before the 31st of March the presi-
dent was in a position to make prOclama-
tion that no foreign nation was discrim-
mating unduly against the products OF
the United States; that all foreign ma
tions were according to us as good treat
ment as they We're according to each
+Laf al
therefore, to the benefits of our minimum
tariff. Thus were the predictions of the
Democratic leaders utterly confounded
They had attacked the maximum and
minimum provision virulently unmindful
or purpoSely fOrgetful of the fact that
this principle was originally recommend.
ed by the alleged founder of the Demo
cratic party, Thomas Jefferson; unmind-
ful of the fact that 1t is the principle fast
being adopted by the enlightened nations
of the world They declared that 1t was
q trick to force upon all nations the ac'
ceptance of our maximum rates. IheN
called it a 'joker," and no less person
than Champ Clark, their leader in tht
house, solemnly predicted that from ahC
after the 31st of March rates at least
equivalent to 25 per cent more than the
Dingley rates would be in force against
all of the principal nations of the world
AS usual and according to all historica
precedent, their predictions We're utterly
being subjected to our maximum tariff
every nation of the world is in the enjoy
ment of our minimum tariff. Instead OF
the duties being 25 per cent more thar
the Dingley law, they are many times
less.
But this was only part of the func'
tions of the, tariff commission. They
did not stop there. The president con
strued the law to give them power tc
conduct a thorough and scientific inves
;Y,+n I,o CT Of nf a
articles both here and abroad, in which
we compete with other nations. Thi!
power, however, was doubted by some
who did not favor the creation of such {
commission, and in order to make asSur
ance doubly sure an item was inserted II
the sundry civil bill clearly defining thu
power of the board to investigate foreign
and domestic costs and approprlatlns
$3.50 OO0 which will be expended annually
for that purpose.
This proposition received the solid sup
port of the Republican party in the house
and senate and was opposed by the united
Democratic party. Thus by Republican
action we now have a branch of the gov
ernment equipped with plenary power:
and armed with ample funds to secure
the information absolutely necessary II
reach thoroughly accurate and scientific
tariff.
1t may sound like heresy to some Of thu
old school of protectiOnists to say tina
have pursued in the past Is open to severe
criticism, and yet I believe | am Voicinl
the sentiment of the great majority Of th
thinking men of the Republican part!
when l say that the time has gone b!
when we can longer Insist that congress
shall acquire all necessary information
in few months every ten years or so Il
properly readjuSt the tariff schedules
And, further, that the time has gone b!
when we ought to continue to treat th'
y1hp nd nnf
of it without touching ALL Where is thu
logic that makes it necessary, if i
should seem desirable to make a con
cededly proper amendment to the wool o
cotton schedule, for example, that W.
should also have to take up the metal anC
chemical schedules and every other sched
ule of the tariff? This system seems t.
me to be a mOss-grOwn relic of the pas
and to demand a change in old-time pro
cedure.
This change could easily be made b!
the adoption of a resolution to the effec
that when the amendment of a particula
schedule is undertaken it should not b.
in order to tack on to 1t the amendmen
Of another schedule entirely unrelated
thereto. Such a resolution is now befor
congress. l believe that it ought to pas
and that it will pass before many month
of the next session are over. That done
congress will be able to take up the read
justment of any particular schedule in
on its merits and, aided by the informa
ton furnished by the tariff commission
TO base its final conclusions upon tn
facts.
The great trouble with the present sys
TEN is that it is altogether too hap
hazard. 1t offers too large oppOrtuni
ties for divergent interests to form com
binations and by the time-honoret
method of 'you tickle me and I'll tickl
you'' to succeed in securing or maintain
ing excessive rates of duty; duties whicl
serve no good public purpose.
This tariff commission is a distinctivel,
Republican proposition. Not only be
cause it was adopted by united Repub
lican majority over the opposition of
united Democratic minority, but becaus
its foundation was laid in the last Re
publican platform.
Until recent years protection has bee
a more or less haZy term, and no attemp
was made to accurately define 1t in an
Republican platform until that of 1904
which rather vaguely provided that tn
measure of protection should at leas
equal the difference in the cost of pro
duction at home and abroad. The plat