The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-01

culent policy, bat with the familiarity
| that We have had in the carrying on OF
such war in the Philippines and in
CUBA, no one with a sense of response
billty to the American people would in
vo1ve them in the almost unending
burden and thankless task of enforc-
Ing peace upon these Is, 000,0 900 of people
nghting among themselves, when they
would necessarily all turn against us at
the nrSt manifestation of our purpose
10 intervene. / am very sure that the
course of self-restraint that the admin
1Strat1on has pursued in respect to
Mexico will vindicate itself in the pages
of history.
The Navy.
The dignity and effectiveness of the
government of the United States, to-
gether with its responsibility for the
protection of Hawaii, Porto Rico,
Alaska, Panama, and the Philippines,
as Well as for the maintenance of the
Monroe doctrine, require the mainten-
ance or an army and navy. We can
not properly reduce either below it's
maintenance of the navy in proportion
TO the growth of other navieS of the
world calls for the construction of two
new battleships each year. The Repub-
hcan party has felt the responsibility
and voted the ships. The Democratic
party, In house caucus, repudiateS any
obligation to meet this national need.
The Philippines have enjoyed popular
ana prosperity DUR
ms this administration in view of the
1ree trade under the Payne bill which
they nave enjoyed. The continuance of
the same policy with respect to the
Pnlnpp1nes will make the prosperity
or those islands greater and greater
and Will gradually fit their people for
seH-government, and nothing will pre-
vent such results except the ill-adVised
policy proposed by the Democratic
party of holding before the Philippine
49,,
the near future
Protective Tariff.
Inc platform of 1908 promised, on be-
han OF the Republican party, to do cer-
tain things. One was that the tariff
would be revised at an extra session.
An extra session was called and the
tar1H was revised. The platform did
not say in specific words that the revi-
sion would be generally downward, but
L construed it to mean that. During
the tendency of the bill and after &c
was passed, it was subjected to the
most vicious Misrepresentation. It was
said to be a bill to increase the tarln
rather than to reduce it. The law has
been in force now since August, 1909,
a period of about 35 months. We are
able to judge from it's operation how
far the statement is true that it did
reduce duties.
1t has indicated itself. Under its
operation, prosperity has been gradual
~ restored since the panic of 1907.
There have been no disastrous failures
and no disastrous strikes. The per-
centage of reduction below the DingIey
bill is shown in the larger free list and
in the lower percentage of the tariff
on the total value of the
goods imported. The figures show that
under the Dingley bill, which was in
force IA months, the average per cent
of the imports that came in free was
ne nf hn tot. i'm
and that under the Payne
bill, which has been in force 80 months,
the average per cent in value of the
imports which have come in free
to 51.2 per cent of the total;
that the average sd valorem of the du-
ties on all importations under the IL
years of the Dingley bill was 45.8 per
cent, while under the 80 months of the
Payne bill this was ALP per cent, and
that the average ad valorem of the |
1utiable imports under the Dingley bill |
was 25.5 per cent, while under the |
Payne bill it was POI per cent. In 9TH I
er words, considering only reductions |
IN dutiable goods, the reduction in du-
les from the Dingley bill to the Payne
dill was 10 per cent, and considering
10Th free and dutiable reductions, they
amounted to 81 per cent.
Under the provisions of the Payne
ill 1 was able to appoint a tariff
,oard to make Investigations into each
chedule with view to determining
he cost of production here and the
ost of production abroad of the ar
icles named in the schedule, in order
o enable congress in adjusting this
chedule to know what rate of duty
vas necessary to prevent destructive
ompetition from European countries
nd the closing up of our mills and
Their sources of production. We are
wing on an economic basis established
n principles of protection. A large
art of our products are dependent for
xistence upon a rate of duty sufficient
, save the producer from foreign COM
etition which would make the continu ,
nee of his business impossible. In the :
laking tf the Payne bill congress did !
OF have the advantage of the report I
f the tariff board showing the exact ,
acts. If it had, the bill would have /
cen constructed on a better basis, but $
,e now have had the tariff board !
'orking and it has, made a report on
ne production of wool and the manu- 6
acture of woolens in this country and s
all the countries abroad, and has l
iven the same data as to the manu- I
acture of cotton. s
The High Cost of Living. f
The statement has been widely cir 6
ulated and has received considerable i
Import from political opponents, that t
ne tariff act of 1909 is a prominent s
actor in creating the high cost of liv-
lg. This is not true. A careful in
will show that the phenom-
non of increased prices and cost of liv- , ,
lg is worldwide in it's extent and }
ute as much in evidence in other {
ountries of advanced civilization and +
tendencies as in our own. '
litter complaints of the burden Of in I
reased prices and cost of living have
cen made not only in this country,
ut even in countries of Asia and At I
ca. Disorder and even riots have oc- :
lrred in several European cities be- !
ause of the unprecedented cost of food t
roducts. In our own country, changes
ave been manifested without regard tC 6
the riff of | 1