Evening star., 1911-08-27

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sire for the reduction OF duties, they did
not hesitate to adopt all the alleged de-
fective methods OF previous tarin re-
vision which they had denounced. and 70
reject as entirely unworthy of considers
tion the suggestion of delay until tnvesti-
CATION by an impartial board should be
had.
Action without Precedent.
mo tariff bill within any one's recollec-
ton has ever been passed with 80 little
care. They declined to wait ninety days
TO hear a report OF tull investigation on
schedule X, which the previous Congress-
bv a united vote OF the democrats ana
republicans. including the insurgents
bad directed to be made on the first Of
nscan1ber II is true that this statutory
direction was specifically made to
trrif board created under bill which
ultimately failed of passage. although
st'nported bv all the gentlemen who
were prominent i'll the passage or TINS
IvOoler bill.
.Stin that same Congress gave me
money enough to create a board TO do
tbe same work II Is a board Of exactly
the same personnel as that which the
tariff commission would have had. TOT on
II ! have put three republicans and Two
democrats and made 1t partisan
A. the sense that the tariff commission
bin required. 1t is a board that In every
respect Is the same as the statutory
tariff commission, except that II Is not
permanent and has not the power TO sum
mon witnesses, and this II finds unneces-
sary because II can secure all the In
formation Ii needs without doing so. IL
Is the same board which Messrs. clark
and Underwood and Senator La Toilette
and his associates were demanding.
Reasons for Vetoes.
sT submit that the congressional history
of this Hesitation, taken with the prevt-
Gus inconsistent position OF Mr.. Under
wood and MIR Clark. Mr.. La Toilette and
his associates. Is enough 10 show why
the wool bill ought not 10 have been
signed, and is enough to convince the
people of this commonwealth that the
party in power in the lower house, ana
the combination which was temporarily
in power in the upper house, ought not
to receive from them a vote OF conh-
denCe.
Impromptu and Loosely Drawn.
''The other two revenue measures
were really impromptu and were so
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 intended. and were GER
ia My not measures that any Congress
would have been willing TO be respon-
81 BILE for, If they had been framed
with a bonafde purpose or expecta-
tion Of making them into law.
They were plainly measures made to
appeal to a supposed popular desire. and
with the hope that by the veto which
they had every reason to expect they
might invite popular hostility toward the
executive and the party of which he was
the head. These are the simple facts in
respect to the tariff legislation attempted
N tie House and in the Senate.
Il am here TO speak the truth as nearly
as can. recognize the general demand
throughout the country for reduction
of duties, so. far as that reduction can be
made consistent with the maintenance Of
q measure Of protection that shall enable
the industries Of the country to live.
Demand for Revision.
'"The time of the Chinese wall and du-
ties exceeding the difference between the
cost of production here and the cost of
production abroad has passed, and we of
the republican party are under an obliga-
ton as soon as opportunity comes to adj
vocate and carry through a revision of
the tariff which shall meet the present
popular demand and to which We are
really pledged.
Therefore. when the tariff board shall
make its report in December on wool and
cotton L expect to submit to Congress
recommendations based on the report for
a revision OF both schedules / have al
ready expressed my opinion that the
woolen schedule IS too high, that it has
prevailed for SO many years that it ought
TO be revised, and that IL Is the subject
OF complaint, not only by consumers. but
also BY those who are engaged in the In
dustries affected. So far as / can help it,
however. no such revision will take place
unless Il is made with full knowledge
of the facts found by an impartial
investigation.
DO not the vetoes which were neces-
sary TO prevent such opportunist legis-
lation from becoming law call for the
approval or a state most of whose in
duStrieS might be affected injuriously
by legislation hastily and i'll consid-
cred? DO not this session and It's re-
suits demonstrate that our present ma
tional system of business, which Is
based on the principle of protection,
needs for its reasonable continuance
the guarding support of the republican
party? Is il not clear that reckless
legislation OF the kind proposed in the
House OF Representative would i'm
peril our Industries that nothing
short of most serious business de-
preston could be expected as a result?
Response to Criticism.
My calling the extra session has been
made the subject OF criticism by repub-
Means on the ground that 1t was a step
which would have political consequence
adverse to the republicans AS i was
pledged 10 use the best efforts could to
secure the early adoption and confrma-
tion Of the Canadian reciprocity treaty I
called ii for this purpose only, and with
out regard to any effect political or
otherwise, II might have. / venture to
think as / now look back on the session
t1at, although that was not It's purpose,
II has Injured greatly to the benefit Of the
repGbli an party because 1t has made
plain 10 the country, or at least has given
70 The republican party opportunity
TO make plain TO the country. what the
real purpose Of the democratic majority
Is in the House Of Representatives and
what the real motive of the coalition be-
tween the democrats and their allies in
the Senate is. or was.
Il speak OF the coalition In the past
tense. for apparently the alliance was
broken in reference to the action on the
cotton bill. But whether that coalition
is resumed or not, the lesson and sig
nlfcance OF the extra session will now
have fifteen months time to sink into the
popular mind before the national election
Time for Reflection.
'1h ne public Will have ample time calmly
70 consider and decide whether they de-
sire 70 put into power gentlemen leading
v.~hr