Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-26
MOORE |NJEC7S
N0VE[TYDUR||VG
. TARIFF DEBATE


swering Questions Asked
by Clerk Of the House.
washington, D. c., April 2S.-W1g4
only three days left for general debate
on the Underwood tariff bill In the
house. the prospect today was that tht
measure would pass the house and q
to the senate during the drst week o.
May. II
Majority Leader Underwood, has givs
en- notice that general debate 0nath9i
bill will close when the house Ad3ournG
Monday night. Tuesday tho bill WIN
called up under the five minute rule 3ora
reading and adopted. At that tims a.
Is the purpose of the majority to A1
guard against flibuster.
The original estimate Of nifty hour1
debate made by the house LEADERS, WIZ
be cut down considerably, two days
having passed without night sesgiona2
Long sessions were scheduled today1
and tomorrow, however. Represented
tive J. Hamilton Moore, for the repub4
licans, and Representative A. MitchG1H
Palmer for the democrats, were lea0@
ers In the debate today. Represanta
tive Moore introduced q. novelty an
for the first time in the history Of O0H4
gress, so far as known, q speech or
the tariff was delivered by the read1
Ing of questions from the speakers
rostrum and the delivery Of replies
from the floor.
Moore Answers Questions.
Mr.. Moore's speech was "tariHs
primer" following the lines OF Plato'st
republic in form. He sent to the desk
a set of queries which the clerk pro-
pounded to him and Mr.. Moore In his
answers, ran the gamut OF tariR legis-
lation and tariff dogma.
''When was the first tariff. act
passed" asked the clerk.
"The first act passed -was tarlG
act replied Mr., Moore, It WAS %.
proved by President Washington July
4, 1889, and was regarded as an Ameri-
can declaration OF commercial indie.
pendence."
What do you mean by the Under
wood bill?" Quizzed the clerk.
"The bill introduced by Chairman
Underwood. the exponent In the
house of the theories Of President VIII.
son" was the reply.
And SO the questions and answers
ran on. s
Mr.. Moore charged the democrats
with continually misrepresenting- tho
tariff question, declared the present
Payne tariff law, revised the tarifI /
downward and when the clerk asked! |!
why people complained II they enjoy-l
ed such wonderful progress, Mr.. Moore
replied: @
They listened to ambitious POLL
ticians, agitators without conscience.
journalistic organs with axes to grind,
magazines seeking pap, essayists who
found It more convenient to write fc-s
ton than to work, theoretical college
professors, non-producers generally
and a few sincere reformers usually
misinformed and frequently misled."
Predicts Future For elli.
Representative Palmer declared the
Underwood bill il enacted into law
would remain on the statute books for
years to come as happy solution OF
q long vexed question.
ut must" he said, "have the united
support Of the political party which II!
responsible for it, and 1t must permitI
American industry to proceed towards
the capture OF larger share Of tho
worlds markets without causing an
embarrassment sufficient to bring dis
tress to any large body OF our people. &,
He expressed confidence that both
OF these results would follow, but con-
tinued:
III it should turn out that the Un-
derwood law should be SO weakly
nourished In the confidence of the peo-
pie that 1t fails to survive the great {
test Of the next popular election, our
wasted effort will be q small burden
for us to carry contemplated with the
increased iniquities that will be heaped
on unsuspected people by the sudden
return to the oppressive system OF
taxation from which we hope to re-
lieye them by this bill
He viewed with eQuanimity "the 30.
called invasion Of the rights Of the leg
islative branch OF the government" by
the executive in the framing of the bill
and declared that this Cooperation
gives promise of prompt completion OF
q we'll settled program and foreshad-
ows hearty support Of the bill by the
leaders OF our party in public station
and private life."
Mr.. Palmer declared that the Under
wood bill would not cause any de-
crease In the aggregate production OF
industry in the country nor impair the
earnings Of labor.
Up to Manufacturer.
Il have no fear" he said. that the
American wage Garner will suffer, un-
less the American manufacturer shall !
feel that widespread distress on the
part OF labor is not too high a price
to pay to compel return to the old
protective system and deliberately
close his mills In order to frighten the
people OF the country into a repudia-
tion Of this new policy"