Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-05-11

been reduced still more. To what
extent q reduction could and ought
to have been made consistently with
the protective tariff theory in
particular instance, do not pretend
to know. That could not be known
without a full and accurate knoWl-
edge of all the facts.
The wooden schedule of the Ding
ley act seems to me extremely oD-
jectionable and the retention OF that
schedule practically unchanged IN
the Payne-Aldrich act Is ore OF the
most serious objections to it. The
failure to effect downward revi-
sion of the cotton schedule seems to
me subject to grave criticism.
Although the duties on lumber
we're very substantially reduced. l
think that lumber, or at least the
grades in everyday use, ought to
have been put on the free list.
Question 2: Do you believe that
Senator McCumber worked for the
best interests of the people during
the revision of the tariff?
Answer: The answer is irrelev-
ant and immaterial so far as my
candidacy is concerned, but / waive
the objection.
believe that Senator McCumber
worked in good faith for what ne
believed to be the best interests OF
the people. His general course with
respect to the tariff was apparently
the same as that of the other three
representatives of this state, includ-
ing that of Congressman Gronna.
The position taken by them was
fairly stated by Congressman Gron-
ma in his speech in support OF the
bill in the house on April 3, 1909.
Congressional Record, p. $751; He
said among other things:
IF in these remarks it shall ap-
Dear that nv opinion as to the de-
STABILITY of certain duties diners
from the opinion of majority OF
the committee on ways and means,
want 1t understood that l am at
tempting no criticism of that commit
tee 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 a bill, and that no
committee could make a bill that
would be satisfactory to all the men,
bers of this house, or to all the
men. bers of the majority of this
house, or even to all the members
of the committee engaged 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 an
other member is convinced are alb
solutely necessary for the continued
prosperity of the country.
"* Manifestly it is diff
cult task to determine exactly what
the figure should be in any one par
ticular case, and when we consider
the enormous number of articles
that the tariff must be fixed on in
this way, it 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
Mr.. Gronna accordingly voted for
the bill, just as Mr.. Hanna, Senator
johnson and Senator McCumber did,
although some of it's provisions were
doubtless Objectionable to them.
(Mr. Gronna's vote for the bill is
recorded on page 1901 of the Con-
gressional Record.)
AS to whether each act and vote
of Senator McCumber and the other
members of the delegation on every
question or on the bill as a whole
were the wisest and most advantage
eous, no one is competent to decide
fairly or intelligently without full
knowledge of all the facts and cir
cumstances upon which Senator Nc
Cumber and his associates had to
base their Judgment. Even. with
that knowledge, able and honest
men might differ, or even change
their opinions. Perhaps that is the
reason Mr.. Gronna finally changed
his attitude toward the bill and vot-
ed against the conference report,
even though the bill had become
much improved over what it was
three months before, when Mr..
Gronna voted for it's passage.
Question 81 Do you believe that
the republican party is entitled to
claim that the revised tariff full
filled the promises of the republican
national platform of 1908?
Answer: This is a repetition OF
Question l and has been answered
above.
Question 4: Do you believe that
there should be provided tariff
commission with powers broad and