The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-10-25
Senator Townsend Makes Convincing
Speech.

CndrleS A. IOWnbtuu, III uio auuic oo
before a Republican rally at i. o. o.
f. temple Friday evening. There was
comparatively small attendance,
due in measure, perhaps to the
rainy weather. Judge Miner intro
duced Mr.. Townsend.
The speaker declared that the
Democratic and Progressive orators
througout the country, are misrepre-
senting the situation. He said that
they are telling the people. that the
Republican party has failed to fulfill
its promise to revise the tariff down
ward. To prove his contention that
the Republican platform in 1908,
endorsed by Theodore Roosevelt" did
not contain a promise to revise the
tariff downward. He said that the
Republican party, In adopting the
platform. and the people Of the coun-
try, in adopting it by electing the
candidates running on that platform,
believed in reducing some schedules
and raising others.
THE platform said that immedi-
ately after the Inauguration of the
president, special session of con-
gress would be called to revise the
tariff" said Mr.. Townsend. This,
Mr.. Taft did"
He said that the United States pays
more for labor than her competing
countries.
Another thing | want you to re-
member" he continued, when Mr..
Taft came into Office, there was de-
felt of $58,00O.000 in this country.
He at once recommended tax on the
surplus profits and earnings of cor
porations, to make up this deficit"
Discussing the Payne-Aidrich tar
if bill, Mr.. Townsend said:
II am not here to say that the bill
suited me in every particular. That
Is impossible. There is no man that
it suited in every particular. Being
from Michigan. ! wanted to do the
square thing, and protect our sugar
beet industry and our manufacture
ing and other industries. But the
fellow from California, or some 9TH
err distant state was trying to do the
someone or everyone had to give in
little. 1t was a case of you vote
for mine and I'll help you out on
yours
"At the same time, Mr.. Taft was
trying to reduce the tariff on many
things. But this tariff question is a
difficult thing to solve. We, as Re-
publcans, had promised to revise the
tariff so that it would represent the
difference between the cost of pro-
duction in this country and abroad,
plus reasonable profit for our
American manufacturers. ! didn't
know how much it cost to make a
pound Of nails, or crockery. or shoes
or chair, or yard Of cloth, in this
country, to say nothing of what 1t
costs in foreign country.
''Mr. Taft suggests that congress |
appoint tariff board, a group of ex-
pert, scientific, non-partisan men to |
60 into the factories and mills of the |
entire continent, and to go abroad, |
to throw the light of publicity upon
the books of corporations, and find
out just how much it costs to manu-
facture each article. Then we might |
proceed intelligently.
in our committee hearings, we
were confronted by two classes; first,
the manufacturer, who is not a dis
interested person, because he wants |
a high tariff, always; second. the i'm
porter, who wants to bring in for
eign-made goods, and who wants no
tariff at ALL In this manner, congress
could get no reliable information.
But the Republicans went ahead
and cut the duty on lumber so per
cent. The tariff on steel and iron
products, was reduced 60 and so
per cent. The duty was taken off
hard coal The tariff was taken off
boots and shoes"
'rhe speaker declared that the
president is not at fault for con-
gress' failure to enact proper legis-
lation. BLAINE your representatives
and senator's" he said, but be sure
YOU are right in your position be-
fore you do this" he added, las by
way of self-protection.
THE Payne-Aldrich bill" he con-
tinucd, "has not closed a factory or
reduced the wages of a single work.
ing man in the country. The Payne
Aldrich bill has not brought destruc-
ton to our great industries. The
is enjoying her greatest
Mr.. Taft has fulfilled the
platform upon which he was elect
cd"
Mr. Townsend warned his hearers
against voting for members of the
state legislature who would vote for
anyone but Republican candidate
ior United States senator.
THE cost of living is high" he
"but in some instances, 1t
may be due to fictitious influences.
We have laws on our statute books
% meet these conditions. / maintain
hat the high cost Of living has no
lirect connection with the tariff.
How can illustrate that? Well. we
reduced the tariff on shoes, and the