Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-12-21
IOWA FARMS AND TARIFF
Maiden Speech of Senator Young i'm
United States Senate.
FARM PRODUCTS NOT TOO HIGH
Believes i'm Protection to Iowa
Farms and High Prices for Farm
Products. Opposes Cummins
i'm Argument.

Iowa's new United States Senator,
Lafayette Young, on Friday made
his first speech in the senate, reply
ing to his colleague, Senator Cum
Minis, on the question of the tariff
and the reduction of the price of
farm products. The address out
lines the position which will be TAX
~ in congress by Senator Young,
az we believe should be given a
care1Sh- reading, so we reprint por-
ton o. address:
MY I ague on Tuesday said
there were ross inequalities in the
tariff enacted in 1909. This state
ment is undoubtedly true, and wouN
be true if my colleague and those
in sympathy with him were to put
in the next five years in rewriting
the schedules. Schedules are pro-
life in opportunity for attack. 1t
has always been true and will con-
tinue to be true as long as there is
a duty on imports.
| am not so much concerned
about inequalities as | am concern
ed about business. | doubt if there
is petition on file in the senate
urging further revision of the tariff
schedules.
| charge any senator to state how
at the present time the lowering of
tariff duties would make an addi-
tional wheel go around. The Ameri-
can people are not living for the
sole purpose of revising the tariff;
they are living for other and bet
ter purposes.
| challenge any senator to state
the kind of product other than the
products of the farm which is notice
ably higher than two years ago.
l regard the continuance of the
debate upon the tariff question as
mistake. 1t is a special mistake
upon the part of those claiming to
be republicans. The arguments up
on which the country elected
democratic house were the argu-
ments laid down in this senate by
republicans. If the democratic par
ty elects president in 1912, that
result will be obtained by argu-
ments delivered in this senate by
republicans. Senators may say that
their first duty is to their country
before any party. Granting that
this is true, let us apply the test.
These senators, in every case, voted
to revise schedules which would not
reduce the duties on products pro-
duced by their own people. This
is the highest test, not of patriotism,
but / would say the very reverse of
that.
The tariff ought to be revised, as
the president has suggested in a
scientific way, one schedule at
time. | might not be willing to OBJ
ject to the rule proposed by my col
league, which would prohibit the Of
fering of amendments to a schedule
which might be pending, were | not
afraid that the first schedule to be
pending would be the schedule COW
ering farm products. If the agri-
cultural schedule should be taken
up first and should, after passing the
house, come to the senate with all
duties removed from food products,
what means of defense would be left
to my colleague and myself? We
represent farmers. We. represent the
only class of people whose products
are complained Of,
But l must return unto the rule
proposed by my distinguished col
league. The agricultural schedule
must stand alone. New England
will assault it. The south will as
sault it. The mountain states will
assault ii. Every senator and rep
resentative from the non-food pro-
ducing localities will assault the
schedule.
The lifelong free trader will smile
and feel that he is coming into his
own; the scientific revisionist will
say that it is illogical to tax the food
supply, and what show will the Iowa
FARMER have, passing between the
lines, guarded on both sides by these
enemies of the protection now given
the farmer? While we believe in
the one schedule revision, we ought
to be permitted to offer substitutes
and amendments. In legislative bat
ties substitutes and amendments are
the light and heavy artillery by
which attacks are made or repealed.
Yet, to my amazement, my col
league, unwisely / think, proposes
to leave the Iowa farmer out in the
center exposed to all the attacks
from every man who has ever paid
80 cents a pound for beefsteak or
ever bought hog at 50 per hun
dred. We represent men and wo-
men who annually sell products of
the soil to the amount of $S0O,OOO,-
600. Three years of the products
OF the Iowa farms would now pay
the national debt as ii was at the
close or the civil war. / am surpris-
ed, also, that my colleague, who has
been lighting bravely and CALAMITY
TO unshackle the members of the
house OF the tyranny of rules, should
undertake to bring the same shac-
kles into the senate. This has been
known as the freest legislative body.
We boast that we are only govern
ed by the constitution. Yet my dis
tinguished colleague seeks to make
II impossible for me to defend the
only products of our home people.