The Washington herald., 1911-01-13
SPEECH OF PRESIDENT r-a !
. AT TARIFF BANQUET

investigations will show that the present
tariff II not unjust or unequal In its
operation. or. II SO, that it Is only 80 in
the case OF q few schedules.
In other words. the tariff commission
movement Is the seeking Of light where
In the absence of such an expert and in
partial investigation, there is almost cer-
tain to be darkness and mystery, engen-
dering suspicion-amongt the people.
am not one Of those who expect that
the tariff commission Is going to reform
the whole situation in such a way that
We are to receive from it with mathe-
matical certainty the exact difference In
the cost OF production here and abroad.
or other circumstances that are useful in
framing a tariff bill. Matters of that
kind are necessarily matters not Of exact
ascertainment, but Of judgment and gen.
ersl average. But I do hope that il the
bill passes the results of the labors Of the
commission will be such that the Con-
gress will have sufficient information to
reach general average Of fairness and
justice. and that the people will have .
reliable means of judging Of the correct
ness of the action of Congress. Then If
Congress shall depart from the economic
theory of a majority of the people in the
action taken upon this reliable informa-
tion offered. the people will have recourse
to the method adopted so often in the
past-that OF turning out the party in
power and putting in a new party to
carry out the then prevailing popular
theory. But it is of the utmost impor-
tance that the action both Of Congress
and Of the people shall be taken on relia-
BILE evidence. Anything that tends to
make that evidence and the conclusions
from 1t fairer and freer from political
bias ought to be encouraged.
-R~H A..--s-AA--
I quite agree with this association in
favoring q consideration by Congress of
separate schedules or separate subjects
matter affected by the tariff so as to pre-
vent the action upon one schedule from
being unduly influenced by promised ac-
ton upon another. 1t Is impossible to
evoid this in a general revision.
Therefore. II We can take up one gen
eral suhjects-matter or schedule under the
tariff and have 1t disposed Of In each
House on its merits. believe We are
likely to reach a fairer conclusion than
under the system Of general revision OF
the entire tariff at once. How this can
be brought about and what rules should
be adopted In each House to effect II, I
ability to discuss. / hope. however. that
some such solution may be reached.
Would Avoid Di1erenees.
What am most anxious to avoid in the
present movement is . defeat OF the bill
growing out OF a difference a. to de-
tails. There are many differences Of
opinion as to details Of proposed bills,
conscientiously entertained, and that they
are regarded as very important. A dis
cushion has arisen as to what the name
of the body should be. am indifferent
to this. A discussion arises n to whether
the body thus constituted should have
tho power Of summoning witnesses and
Of punishing them for .contempt. Ny
own impression IL that this matter Of
obtalnidg svidence u not the most re-I
Liable. ana y not likely to Be very mo-
ductive Of usefnl Information, beeause ihel
form = necessarily sug1eQttv6 Of h6a-
tility 70 tie witness, and tl5o SugNers al
. hoetjlo sWttness afo not fu1l Of. ,afnaarafA
and unbiased sinfofinat16o. Neveffhnleor.
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