Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-15

(From the Philad
ARTICLE /.
In no civilized country except the
United States are tariff schedules in
any way based on the political needs
of this or that legislative district The
theory Of tariffs, the question whether
protection or free trade shall be the
principle on which they are construct
ed, is everywhere and must be every
where matter of party difference to
be settled by political elections.
Scientific application of the principle
chosen by the people as it's fiscal
policy is in every civilized country but
the United States based not on power
full influence by interested parties, not
even on hurried hearings by imperfect.
ly informed legislators, but on thor
ough investigation and dispassionate
reports of body of experts connected
In no way with partisan politics and
bound merely to tell the truth.
Why should the United States in
tariff legislation as in diplomatic and
consular service lag so far behind
other great powers?
The remedy of a tariff commission Is
not, of course, new. A valuable move.
ment toward it was made under Will
liam H. Taft, but the tentative COM
mission appointed by him was utterly
destroyed by the party at present in
power.
The republican party of Massa-
chusetts in it's platform of 1914 de-
clared for a tariff commission. On
this platform, in commonwealth
where the progressive party had at
tanned a greater real measure of sue
cess than in any other, except Cali
fornia, in the union, the republican
party transformed congressional
delegation evenly divided between re-
publicans and democrats into dele
CATION of four democrats and twelve
republicans. 1t drove from the state
off ices every democrat except the gov
ernor and transformed legislature al
most evenly divided into one with an
overwhelming republican majority in
both branches.
This pledge, together with that for
a reorganization of the state depart
ment on lines of permanency and et-
ficiency and other promises of posi-
tive advance in legislation made IN
Massachusetts and elsewhere, must
be kept and forwarded If the republi-
can party expects to keep and improve
upon it's present gain. 1t cannot hold
the confidence of the American people
if it presents for their consideration
nothing but catalogue of democratic
plumbers. Disguised as most men are
with these blunders, the public wishes
something more than an appeal to
vote for a party whose blunders are
not so bad.
The only permanently successful ap.
peal that can be made by any party
is an appeal to vote for party be-
cause of its virtues, not in spite of it's
vices.
The republican party stands for pro-
lection to American industry, believ-
ing that no republic is possible if the
mental and physical condition Of labor
in the United States, where labor
votes and is powerful in citizenship, is
exposed to the immediate and direct
competition Of Hindoo ryots and Jap
anese and Chinese coolies, whose po-
ltical influence in the government Of
their own countries is nil.
The democratic party, judged not by
their words, but by their acts from the
days of Thomas Jefferson to those Of
the destruction of a tentative tariff
commission by President Wilson, be-
lieves in the promotion of the largest
possible amount of imports of manu-
featured products, including foreign
w lHoACy loAoCA w
national taxation, regardless of the eff
feet on American industries, believing
that general conditions Of life in the
United States are thereby promoted.
The most widespread depressions,
not on the stock exchanges merely,
but in American industry generally,
IL leo hi -r<,1
under Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jack
son, James Buchanan, Grover Cleve-
land and Woodrow Wilson. This suf-
fering, directly traceable to the con-
victions and action Of the democratic
party as to fiscal, and it must be added
financial, policies, would seem salts
would from pynOrta tiOn