Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-12
Harvey Warns Business
Men of Reform in Laws

pie could not only understand but could
take hold Of They knew what they
had to pay for what they had to wear.
They also thought they knew how much
less they ought 70 be compelled TO
pay, and they charged up the difference
70 protection and the republican party.
Now, gentlemen, this extortion, be
cause it is extortion, nothing else, from
the poor was neither wanted nor sane
toned by the grea- body of real owners
OF wooden and cotton mills. II was
deprecated, as I happen TO know, by
the wiser and more farseeing directors
of those great corporations.
But it was tolerated The Woods
and the Whitmans prevailed, and it
was their blind, stupid insistence upon
100 per cent duties when so or 40 per
cent was fully adequate to the safe
guarding Of both wages and profits,
tina, brought down upon the party Of
protection the wrath of the people.
THE real owners, the shareholders,
of whom there are thousands in New
England, were wronged by false leader
ship, and so were you and all other
manufacturers engaged in honorable
and legitimate occupation.
There is no malice in the American
people, but when you come to them de-
manding fair play you must come with.
clean hands. There is no disposition
or justification for the incoming polit-
ical party to cripple a single industry
in this land. The only apprehension of
danger from readjustment of tariff
duties is that which lies, not in intent,
but in possible ignorance. Here, then,
is the opportunity and the obligation
/ of the really capable and far sighted
manufacturer TO recognize that his is
dual capacity and that first of all
and above all he is an American citizen.
! Revision downward is decreed. 1t
must become an accomplished fact or
the democratic party will be swept as
it should be swept off the face of the
map. Obviously nobody knows so we'll
wherein duties may be lowered without
injuring industry as he who makes the
goods.
This is a time for cordial, business
like cooperation in the performance
OF public duty, not of mulish fighting
in pursuance of an ugly policy which
ought never to have been tolerated and
which must be repudiated if you are
to expect the fair treatment which
should be accorded TO you as honorable
men.
There will be no difficulty in revis-
ing the tariff downward in such a way
as to make for stability and TO the i'm
mediate satisfaction and ultimate ad-
vantage of all if those best acquainted
with the details will put their informal
ton voluntarily, openly, and without
reservation at the disposal of an ad-
ministration which will he at least
rightfully ambitious and sufficiently in
telligent to prefer success to failure.
why not. indeed, forestall the need
injurious effects to legitimate indus
duties by proposing reductions which
shall be equally real, but destitute Of
in furious effects to legitimate indus
try? II public confidence IS TO be re,
gained f. can be won only by volun,
tary and broadly considered action
Therein, gentlemen. lies the opportun'
ity, the splendid opportunity, OF an as
sociatiOn of self-respecting American
men engaged in honorable pursuits
such as believe this association to be
There is one other considera ion
bearing upon the relations of the map
ufacturer to the state to which | wish
to make brief allusion. Last year
/, $1,000, OOO. 900 were received by Ameri
can manufacturers for goods exported
Some portion of the advan' ages
, thus derived is attributable to the en-
HANGED efficiency Of our consular and
. diplomatic service, and yet we find TO
day. in utterances from various sources
4 manifestations of disapproval of What
p has come % be known as our dollar
diplomacy Now, ], for one, am free t
, admit that | am not proud of that tern
; as applied TO an American policy II
) point of fact find it hateful, in so fan
3 as il implies sordid motives in the shap
p ing Of our rela .ionship with other PEG
p piles.
r But ! cannot and do not believe
that any part Of the dissatisfaction t
p which ! refer is due to efforts on the