The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-09
CURTIS ON TARIFF
Makes First Speech Of Campaign
at AtchisOn.
Takes Occasion to Mix in State
Politics.
REFERS TO REFORMS.
Says Stubs Has Taken Credit
Not Due Him.
.EFERS TO REFORMS.
Urges Anthony for Congress
and Wagstaff For Governor.

speech in Kansas since last summer,
before he went away to attend the
last session of congress. While he de-
voted the most of his attention to ma
tional issues, the senator took occa-
sion to mix in state politics. He urged
the Atchison people to vote for An
thony for congress and for Tom Wag-
staff for governor. He gave as rea-
sons that Anthony had made good
and faithful congressman and that
Stubs had increased taxes and had
taken unto himself credit for reforms
carried out by others.
The intense heat kept the attend
ance down, though those present made
up in enthusiasm what they lacked in
numbers
Speaking of the Payne-Aldrich law,
Senator Curtis said:
There are many features of this
measure which have not been brought
to the attention of the people because
many of the newspapers that opposed
1t have not felt inclined to give all the
facts. In my judgment. the most i'm
portant feature of the new tariff to
our section of the country is the maxi
mum and minimum provision. You
will excuse me for speaking so highly
of this provision when 1 tell you that
1t was largely through my efforts that
it was agreed to. Having helped frame
it, I feel that I may speak fully OF It,
Mr.. FoSs, who was elected to the house
of representatives from the state of
Massachusetts, said this section was
club to be used against other nations
TO force them to our terms, that no
benefits would be derived from it, and
that we would have a tariff war, but
IT has already been demonstrated that
it is an instrument of good, which, in
the hands of the great and noble
resulted in the making of tariff agree
ments, and placing us in more
friendly commercial relationship with
the nations of the world than ever be-
tore. Mr.. Foss of Massachusetts said
we needed Canadian beef eggs and
wheat. 1 am one who believes that the
farmers of Kansas and other farming
states should furnish these products to
our people and not Canada.
Those who oppose the new tariff law
speak about increases but forget to tell
the people that 100 of them were in the
wine and liquor schedule, and that by
those increases the revenues for the
first fiscal year will be increased over
three million dollars Some of us did
not secure all the reduction we wanted,
but we did the best we could under all
the circumstances. For Instance, I
wanted free lumber. and believe but
for the position taken by Mr.. Pinchot,
IT. faVoring a duty on lumber, and the
position taken by others who were sup
posed to favor free lumber, and who
said they would be satisfied with a dol
lar rata, that we would have secured a
better rate than we did. Figuring on
nine months period, running back for
20 years, the customs receipts for that
period under the operation of the new
tariff are given as 252 million dollars,
which is the greatest in the history of
the country. 1t will not be long, in
my judgment, until the people, when
they thoroughly understand the new
tariff, will admit that it is working to
q better advantage for the American
people than any tariff law we have
heretofore had. 1t contains a larger
free list than any former tariff law. If
the tariff law was so bad why did not
the insurgents in the house vote to re-
peal it when they had an opportunity
to do so on April l?
European Labor.
wv. A. White. writing of his trip
abroad, said in the Kansas City Star,
September IL, 1909:
But food and clothing run about
as they do with us. Some kinds of
clothing are much cheaper, others high
er. Mems tailor made suits are cheap.
lot because the cloth is cheap, but be-
cause labor is cheap. Also the cheap
labor of Europe have to pay American
prices for food, cloth and rent. So la
Tor is underfed UNDERGRAD and otter
badly housed IN Europe, when one con-
HlQeTS the american SCdnQdTQ, nGnCo,
immigration to America, for cheap la
Dor makes Europe the poor mans in
ferno and the middle class, mans para
disc. Food is about the same on the
two continents. Rent about the same,
American women are surprised to find
dry goods about the same, when one
considers a whole days shopping. Dia-
nlonds, gold, automob iles, carriages and
luXuries of all kinds ara about the same
in Europe as in America. The only real
In ni ho "
thing that is marked down dirt cheap
is European labor
"And yet Mr.. White and other low
tariff men and free traders would re-
due the American labor to the low
level of wages paid for labor in Europe.
We Republicans believe in the highest
possible wages for American laborine
men and a continuance of our splendid
home markets for American producers
1.-THE new law provides for tariff
board and ample provision has been
made to enable its members to careful
ly study conditions here and abroad, tc
ascertain the difference in the cost oil
production in this country and abroad
The members of this board are tariff
experts, men of high standing and wei
qualified to do the work.
1T should be remembered that thi.
is the first time in the history of oul
nation that congress has provided TIN
means of securing tariff data in bust
ness and nonpartisan way.
Had to Care for a Deficit.
when the extra session of congress,
twas called for the purpose of revisin;
the tariff, it had one problem to NEE
which I fear has not been thorough,
understood by the people, and that wa
to arrange the schedules so as to TAX
care of deficit of about 60 million dol
lars year. In other words, our year
" expenses were exceeding our incom
to that amount. Congress to meet tn
question reduced the duty on abou
seven hundred articles which wer
principally necessaries, and it in
creased the duty on about two hun
dred and fifty ARTICLES. one hundre
being in the wine and liquor schedule
and other increases were made Target
on luxuries. The result was surplu
of million dollars July 1. 1910, in nel
of a deficit of nearly so millions.
an addition to producing the add