American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-10-10
FRENCH TALKS
ABOUT TARIFF
Believes Third Party is Not
Solution Of Problems
Republican Party, He Says, Has Right
Solution of Trust and Tariff Prob
lens -Criticizes Harsh Ref
erences to Public Men.


Representative Burton L. Frenc
was an American Falls visitor thi
week filling speaking engagement
on Wednesday night as one of tn,
republican candidates for Congress
Mr.. French Is a progressive and al
q republican he has believed in thu
party taking an aggressive course
ON all public questions. Prior t.
the republican convention inChica
go Mr.. French favored the nomina
ton OF Col. Roosevelt for presi.
dent but falling in this he immed.
lately announced that he believed
the principles for which he stood
could best be worked out through
the republican party.
II was opposed to the nomina-
ton Of Mr.. Taft" said Mr.. French,
mot because of the man personally,
for / have always believed in his
personal honesty Of purpose and
of conduct. l did feel, though, that
some other candidate could better
be our standard bearer and there
were several questions in which the
president was interested, to which
I could not give any support as
the people of the state well know.
On the other hand l have not felt
that / could do the most good for
the state represent and for the
country by trying to build up a
third party. which would probably
require years of time to accomplish
the things desired. I have felt
that our problems could be best
worked out through the republican
party"
In his speech Mr.. French dis
cussed at some length the work
that had been accomplish ed through
our federal laws looking to the reg
ulation of the transportation ques-
ton and declared that this same
course should be followed with re-
spect to the industries generally
of monopolistic character engag-
ed in interstate trade. Mr.. French
called attention to the fact that
what has been done on this ques-
ton has been done through repub-
lican action and declared that this
was an earnest of what the people
might expect if the party were
further entrusted with responsibilities
Mr.. French referred in his speech
to the Tariff question and out
lined his position in favor OF
tariff commission and insisted that
the economic condition that sur
rounded our country at this time
demand that the tariff question be
removed from politics and that
policy be entered upon that Will
mean permanency to all lnous-
tries ard guarantee justice and
equality to producer and consumer
alike.
"Our democratic friends" said
Nr. French, ,"are in a terrible diem
ma in trying to defend their theory
OF tariff for revenue only and at
the same time assure the proouc-
ers that they do not believe III
striking down the tariff duty all
at once but that they believe IN
tariff notifications this year to
be followed by more tariff mod-
fication next and we presume by
still more from year to year unul
the revenue basis shall have been
firally established.
III the tariff is too high, l say
- a repu brcan, that it should be
scaled down, not an inch at
time, but down to the very margin
that represents the difference De-
tween production in this country
and production in foreign countries.
There is no half way ground. There
is no place above that line that
tariff can be defended. Below that
would mean destruction to Aemrl-
can industries and you do not
stand for, neither do I
"Above that me means extortlon-
ate profits to the interest that mas
the protection that is too high
and 1t should be scaled down not
as our democratic friends would
have you understand-an inch at
time with tariff modification ana
.inkering going on every few years.
but rather it should be scaled down