The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-11-04


accordance with the political allegi-
ance of a majority of the voting popu.
lation of their home districts, who
sought under the guise of protection
to American labor and American in.
dustry to- establish unfair and unrea-
sonable tariff schedules to the end that
the interests which they represented
might obtain unfair and unreasonable
profit. The latter class temporarily
succeeded, but the true representatives
of the Republican party in congress,
aided and urged by the great body
membership throughout the country,
kept hammering away. When the tar.
iff law was enacted a clause was in.
serted after much effort which author.
lied the President to appoint a sort OF
a tariff commission, but no appropri.
alton was made for d~efraying the ex.
penses of the commission, and but lit
tie could be accomplished under the
act. When the last session met Presi'
dent Taft asked congress for an ap.
preparation of $3.50, 900 for the com.
mission and for an increase of author.
ity for it in the performance of its
duty, and through the intelligence and
force and persistent efforts OF such
men as Senators Clapp and Nelson
and others of the Republican members
of the Minnesota delegation, aided by
others of similar views throughout the
country, the representatives of the
System were forced to recede from
their positions, the Presidents recon-
m%endations were adopted and the way
paved for correcting whatever errors
may have been made in the framing
of the Payne-Aldrich law, by providing
for the real tariff commission clothed
with authority to collect facts and
figures relative to tariff schedules, fix
upon maximum and minimum rates,
and submit the matter to the next con-
gress for it's intelligent adjustment,
schedule by schedule. This puts the
tariff where it belongs-in a way to be
considered schedule at a time upon
it's merits and in so considering it, no
congress is likely to make much head
way flying in the face of statistical
evidence furnished by a tariff commits
sion made up of high grade men.
Theodore Roosevelt in a recent speech
at Saratoga, after reviewing and COM
mending the long list of laws enacted
by the last congress and approved by
the President, such as the Interstate
Commerce law amendments, the ap-
pointment of a commission to frame
measures to do away with the evils of
sues of stocks and bonds, the law pro-
viding for the publicity of campaign
expenses, commended in high terms
the Inauguration of the policy of pro-
viding for a disinterested revision of
tariff schedules through the high-class
commission of experts which will treat
each schedule purely on its own mer-
Its, with a view both to protecting the
consumer from excessive prices and to
securing the American producer and
especially the American wage-worker,
what will represent the difference of
cost of production here and abroad.
Mr.. Roosevelt said: This and similar
laws, backed by executive action, re-
1ected high credit upon all who aided
in putting them in their present shape
upon the statute books. They rep
resent an earnest of the achievement
which is yet to come"
But the tariff law as it exists today,
whatever may be it's shortcomings,
has some good and salient features.
The principle of protection is there.
1t produces revenue for government
expenses, protects American industry
and does such as bring about the con-
dition whereby the American laboring
class is the best paid of laboring class
es in any country of the world. You
may have heard this talk before, but
it is as true today as it ever was. The
protective principle is right and pro-
per. as years of experience have
taught us. The Republicans instituted
it, they have advocated it i'll the past
and will continue to perpetuate it in
the future when in power, and l do
not believe the time will ever come
when a majority of the people of this
country will favor a free trade policy
as advocated by the opposition party.
But in order that the protective prin-
ciple may be properly established and
perpetuated, so as to bring about the
most benefit to the most people, l am
free to say that it behooEes individuals
of the Republican party--the great
mass of the voters Of the party-to be
ever watchful and see to it that they
candidates in their party for congress
who will not submit to the demands
of scheming trusts and corporations
for the abuse of the protective prin-
ciples, in order that they may obtain
unfair and unreasonable financial bene-
fit to the detriment of the great mass
of consumers of the country. A square
deal in tariff law, as well as in other
things is the only kind of a deal that
Republicans should stand for, and l
am convinced that it is the only kind
of a deal that they will stand for, and
In this connection l wish to heartily
commend to the voters of this state
our Republican U. S. senators and our
Republican nominees for congress who
are standing for the square deal in tar
if a well as in other legislation. l
consider it Of more Importance to the
future welfare of this state and nation
that the great body of toilers in the
various walks of life have a full din
ner table and a good living withal,
good schools for their children and the
opportunity to make comfortable
homes for themselves, than that rich
men and big corporations have more
profits. Corporations are all right as
.Elch. CONCENTRATION of canital for the