The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-07-21
TRADE
DENOUNCED
By Senator Burton of Ohio
in Attack on Underwood
Simmons Bill
APPLICABLE
ONLY UNIVERSALLY
Says It's Sole Justification Is
Effort to Reduce Cost
of Living

Washington, D. c., July 2l.-Denun.
citation of free trade as timely policy
for the United States, prediction OF
failure in its purposes for the Under
wood-Simmons tariff bill, and an attack
on an ad valorem tariff system, were
voiced by Senator Burton of Ohio to-
day, when tariff discussion was resumed
in the Senate.
Senator Burton declared he was no
worshiper of protection as a "fetich,
but that he approached the subject OF
the tariff rather with the conviction
that whenever there shall be an era of
comfy and mutual concession in trade
among nations and our country shall
have reached poiA when its productive
capacity has been fully developed, free
trade might be rational policy
Such, he said, was not the case, the
disposition Ito restrict trade among ma
tions and to grant access to markets
only on rendering concessions in return
being on the increase.
Ayerring that free trade policy only
is applicable on the theory that it uni-
yersally can be applied, the Ohio sena-
tor declared:
trade nation to apply the theory in prac-
tice without the concert of other nations
reveals the serious disadvantage OF such
position. Even If theoretically in the
most correct situation she is in far the
worse position to enforce her point of
view. She can have recourse to no other
means OF protecting her interests except
to persuade the statesmen of other coun-
tries that they, together with herself,
would be better off under regime of
freedom in commerce; while they. on
the other hand, can bargain between
themselves to her disadvantage and at
the same time profit by access to her
open markets"
Senator Burton further declared that
the Democrats had framed bill which
literally tears to pieces the fiscal policy
OF the nation, in order 10 satisfy the
craving for lowering the cost of living
and to Justify the declaration Of their
party platform that the chief cause OF
the high cost of living was "the existing
protective tariff enacted by the Repub-
lican party
This" said Senator Burton, was
your campaign argument; this was the
promise on which you regard yourselves
as delegated to tear to pieces the fiscal
policy which has been the sheet anchor
of nearly two decades OF unprecedented
prosperity and which is the only guaran-
ty OF its continuance. You have erected
a tariff policy blind to every considera-
tion except the consumer. The bill was
frankly not framed to encourage capital
to enter new fields of industry or to
extend those already established; it was
not devised for the purpose of inviting
our farmers to reclaim new acres for cul-
tiyation; it is certainly not calculated to
enlarge the opportunities for labor to
find profitable employment. Its sole JUS
is reduced cost of living. If
it fails in this. it fails utterly
The belief of many persons is a delu-
sion, the senator said, that protective
tariff is responsible for the high cost of
living.
Denouncing the ad valorem system
adopted in the bill as substitute for
specific duties, Senator Burton declared
that it was objectionable because it
means heavier burden upon the con-
sumner during periods when prices are
highest, and smaller burden when
prices are low; that it affords tempta-
tion for under valuation and fraud, and
that it works to the disadvantage of the
American manufacturer who must buy
raw material abroad.