Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-26
SAYS TARIFF IS ISSUE
NOW BEFORE PEOPLE
Mr.. Underwood Urges Demo-
Gratis to Adopt Plank
on Question.

ANNAPOLIS. Nd. March 26-Declaring
that the platform of the democratic party
should maintain that the tariff is the
dominant issue Of the impending national
campaign. Representative Underwood
outlined here yesterday for the first time
since he became a candidate for the pres
idential nomination what his individual
platform would be.
IF 1 should be nominated at Balti-
more" he said. Il should go into the
party had drawn, but it is my Judgment
that no matter who is nominated the plat
form should declare that there is no other
issue before the American people of so
vast Importance as the tariff.
THE republicans. / have no doubt. will
go into the camgaign with the administra-
ton of President Taft as their issue In
that administration two things stand out
beyond all others. The first was the Pres
ldents signature placed on the Payne
Aldrich bill, which raised the tariff issue,
and his veto on the extra sessions bills
which We put up to him and which would
have lowered the tariff.
II have said what l believe about the
initiative and referendum continued Mr..
Underwood. speaking slowly and definite
ly, land Of some of the other questions
which have been before our people in the
last few years. | believe that none of
these suits our republic or will ever be
accepted by the majority of the people.
Issues More or Less Local.
THE pendulum swings out and back.
Just now 1t is swinging out toward oues-
tons like the initiative and referendum
but it is bound to come back to the repre-
sentative form Of government Soon, !
believe. it will swing back.
And after all, issues like the initiative
and referendum are more or less loca,
1t is for states and cities to say what
they would like to do. The one thing
which our American people as whole
as republic, as nation, are entirely
interested in is the question of the tariff
That concerns them in their homes. II
anects the course of their lives. it re-
stricts their pleasures or increases their
comforts just as the tariff is high or low
ana there is no one who can escape II In
all the country.
, mere may be many persons who neve,
learo or the initiative and referendum o,
some OF the other lateral issues of this
present day. but 1 believe that there is
hardly citizen or a resident of ou
country in every state who does NOT
know something of the tariff question
and who has not made up his mind how
| he stands on it.
Democrats Should Lower Tariff.
With such situation the wav il
| clear. There is one thing which the dem.
ocratic party can accomplish for this
country If 1t is placed in power. That i.
TO lower the tariff. And I believe thai
there are in the United States so many
| more people who want the tariff lowered
| IMAM there are those who desire it Il
| stay where 1T is that the way to victor,
Tor the democratic party lies along thi:
| one road of low tariff.
| When the platform on which Mr.. Taf
STOOD In the last campaign was written 1,
gave the republicans a general slogan O,
'tar1n revision downward There can b<
| no generalities in this coming campaign
| and IN that the democrats should, in m,
| judgment, take good care.
The two platforms should show tn,
wide divergence of our stands We SHOULD
| go into the very details of what we pro
| pose to do and point out in section after
section and schedule after schedule exact
| ly what We propose to do and having ir
| mind what the extra session did immedi
| ately after the House of Representatives
became democratic, there will be no doubt
In the peoples minds as to what will b.
/ done"