The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-18
fRUM ALL SIUES
Chairmen HiIleS and Dixon Put
Forth Statements.
Each Gives Reasons for Sup
port of His Party.
THE RECORDS ON THE TARIFF
Of the Rival Candidates Are
Passed in Review.
Roosevelt Held Up as Enemy
of the Trusts.
THE RECORDS ON THE TARIFF

New York, Sept. 1S.-Charles D.
Hilles, chairman of the Republican ma
tionaI committee, has issued the fol-
lowing statement:
Shall we uphold the constitution
and the protective policy? These are
the two important issues of this cam
paign, the two which are gradually
forcing themselves on the attention of
the American people. Theodore
Roosevelt stands for what amounts to
an overthrow of the constitution and
Woodrow Wilson would destroy the
protective tariff policy under which
the United States has so greatly pros
pered and attained to wealth and
Importance undreamed of few dec
ades ago.
ist and a revisionist. He was the first
leading Republican 20 declare for
thorough revision of the tariff sched-
ules This he did at Bath, Maine, two
years before he was nominated for
the presidency. President Roosevelt,
who read Mr.. Taft's speech before it
was delivered, warned him that ne
was treading on delicate ground ana
that he would make a host of enemies,
but with that fearlessness which has
always characterized him where mat
ters of principle were concerned, Mr..
Taft delivered an address in which ne
expressed his exact sentiments and
pat" element of his party.
During the seven years of his ad-
ministration Mr.. Roosevelt remained
silent on the subject of the tariff. On
the one occasion when he became con-
vinced that it was his duty to urge
congress to revise the Dingley law he
inserted in annual message prom
ise of a special message on the SUBJ
ject. Mr. Roosevelt's friends in con-
gress went to the White House and
pointed out the danger to his popu-
larity of attempting to change the
duties, and Mr.. Roosevelt promptly
caused to be stricken from his mes
sage, which had been printed but not
yet published, the passage referring to
the tariff.
No sooner had Mr.. Taft been in
augurated president than he called
congress in special session to rcyise
the tariff and during the consideration
of the measure framed at that session,
all his influence was eXerted to secure
an equitable adjustment of the rates.
The Tariff Board.
But during that session Mr.. Taft
found that it was impossible to secure
just or a satisfactory revision of the
tariff without definite and impartial
information on which to base such
revision.
He found the widest differences of
opinion as to what constituted the diff
ference between the cost of production
at home and abroad, to which differ
ence the Republican party was
pledged to make the duties conform,
and whatever might be his personal
views he had no proof. no unquestiOn-
ed evidence by which to prove his con-
tentiOns.
The great essential therefore, the
president determined was to provide
board or commission, bipartisan in
character, if possible, as free from
politics as possible, which would take
up the industries which enjoy pro-
lection, investigate the cost of produc-
ton here and abroad, and report both
to the president and to congress that
difference, in terms which would
make evident the rates of duty which
should be. imposed. And for the
foundation of such a board the Payne
tariff bill provided and for that rea-
son above all others, the president
signed it.
The correctness of his views in this
respect has been amply demonstrated
by the Democratic attempts to revise
the tariff during the last two sessions.
The tariff should be revised grad
ually 10 meet changing conditions.
To whom would you entrust he
task? To Mr.. Wilson, who stands on
tariff imposed for protective purposes
is unconstitutional and whose party
made hodge-podge of the tariff bills |
it passed through the house during the
present congress? To Theodore |
Roosevelt, who during his more than |
seven years in the White House never |
had the courage to urge congress 10
revise the tariff? Or to William II. |
Taft, who has stood courag geoHsIy and |
undeviatingly Cor the protective tariff, |
a tariff board which would ascertain |
the exact difference between the cot
of production at home and abroad, |
and who with the reports OF such a
board and a congress Republican in |
both it's branches, would compeI a re- |
adjustment of the duties to those DIFF |
ferences?
DixOn's Statement
Senator Joseph NJ. Dixon, chair |
man of the Progressive national COM
mittee has issued the following state |
ment:
New York, Sept. 1S.-RepdbIicars |
and Democrats often ask me why |
have allied myself with third party |
which cannot possibly elect a pres1- |
dent.
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