The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-09-07

eyes.
Campaign
Platform Speech
sage; q bill framed in ignorance OF the
exact effect OF its operation. and a bill
that presents only those methods in
its adoption which had been general
ly condemned in the milking Of pre-
ious tariff bills. Mr.. Underwood and
MIR. Clark III the house and MIR. La
Toilette and his associates in the SEN
ate had earlier been conspicuous in
the support Of a measure which was
avowedly adopted for the purpose of
securing scientific information to as
sist in revisions Of the tariff. Indeed.
they earnestly deprecated any future
revision without an accurate Enowl-
edge Of the facts. But now in the
opportunity presented by the special
session and in the desire to play poll
tics" and crafty what was supposed
to be a popular desire for the reduc-
tions Of duties, they did not hesitate
10 adopt all the alleged defective
methods Of previous tariff revision
which they had denounced and to re-
ject as entirely unworthy of consider
alton the suggestion Of delay until
investigation by an impartial board
should be had. No tariff bill within
my nDnsc roOnllnaSfry, Ioo away, ~o~a-
ed with so little care.
Wouldn't Wait for the Tariff Board.
They declined to wait ninety days
to hear a report Of a full investigation
on schedule X. which the previous
congress by a united vote of the Demo-
Gratis and Republicans, including the
Insurgents, had directed to be made
on the first Of December. 1t Is true
that this statutory direction was speci-
hcally made to a tariff board, created
under a bill which ultimately failed
OF passage although supported by all
the gentlemen who were prominent
in the passage of this wooden bill.
Still that same congress gave me mon
ey enough to create q board to do the
same work.
1t is a board of exactly the same
personnel es that which the tariff
commission would have had, for on 1t
l have put three Republicans and two
Democrats and made It non-partisan
IN the n that the tariff commission
bill required. 1t ia a board that in
every respect is the same as the statu-
tory tariff commission except that
1t Is not permanent and has not the
power to summon witnesses and this
1t finds unnecessary because it can
secure all the Information 1t needs
without doing so. 1t is the same board
which Messrs. Clark and Underwood
and Senator La Toilette and his asso-
ciates were demanding, but so hateful
has that board become, because I have
insisted that We should wait until it
report that Mr.. Underwood sees fit
to denounce 1t as composed of clerks
and hirelings of mine. The statutory
board would have reported to me had
the commission bill passed and it could
not have made a report any earlier
than the'present tariff board will now
make O report.
Board Not Subject to Taft Influence
As to the conclusions Of it's report
the present board is no more subject
to my direction than would have been
the statutory board. Indeed, the char
acter Of the mel on it is the highest
possible and they would scorn to yield
to executive influence or to render any
but the most impartial judgment. 1t
10 really the same board as that pro-
vided in the bill and Just as indie
pendent, but under the present condi-
lions it initiates these gentlemen of
the house and senate who have been
engaged in passing tariff legislation
for politics chiefly to have the report
of this board of respectable and i'm
partial persons referred to as e rea-
son for waiting ninety days in order
to secure care in legislation which Is
of vital interest to the country and Its
industries.
l submit that the congressional his
tory of this legislation, taken with
the previous inconsistent position II
MIR. Underwood and MIR. Clark, Mr.. Ia
Toilette and his associates, is enough
to show why the wool bill ought not
to have been signed and is enough to
convince the people of this common
wealth that the party in power in the
lower house and the combination
which was temporarily in power in
the upper house ought to receive a
rebuke at the polls.
Loosely Drawn Tariff Legislation.
The two other revenue measures
were really impromptu and were sc
loosely drawn that to have put them
on the statute books would have been
a serious reflection upon the congress
responsible for them. They would
have produced the utmost confusion
in the collection of the revenues
would have made very different
changes in the rates from those
which the authors of the bills in.
tended and were certainly not meas.
ures that any congress would have
been willing to be responsible for Il
they had been framed with q bons
1de purpose or expectation of makinf
them into law They were plainl,
measures made to appeal to q sup
posed popular desire and with tn,
hope that by the veto which they hat
every reason to expect they Nigh,
invite popular hostility toward the OK
l1A,k&1,a n-1 L.