The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-11-04
HUGHES TALKS TARIFF.
He Attacks the Democratic Theory of
Tariff for Revenue Only.

Hudson, n. Y, Nov. An his speech
here yesterday Charles Evans Hughes
made the tariff his chief theme and as
sailed the Democratic party for its fail
ure to reduce the high cost of living.
81 think they were just as eloquent in
promises four years ago as they are to-
day." Mr.. Hughes said. Gas ! look back
to the statements that were made at
that time cannot see how anyone could
have said anything more eloquently,
more persuasively than was said ut that
time with respect to what was going to
be done for American labor and Amer
lean business. You would have thought
at that time that the sun of promise
had just begun to shine upon benighted
world and that they were going to have
an entirely new condition, in which labor
would profit to the utmost and American
business would get an extraordinary in
centive.
"They told us, for example, that there
was the high cost of living. Well, we all
knew that; we had very intimate knowl-
edge of that fact; but what was still
more to the point they told us that they
were going to reduce it and that if we
would only put them in power they
would show us how the high cost of liy-
ing was going to come down. Well,
through division in our ranks which |
arp glad to say has been happily healed,
they had a chance to show what they
could do with the high cost of living.
"That robust companion, however, has
become more and more robust, and seems
to thrive on a Democratic administra-
ton. And it is mounting higher and
higher and taller and taller, and when
we consider this promise in relation to
present promises we wonder whether
they are going to do any better with re-
spect to the future than they did in these
recent years with respect to this highly
important matter.
"While they did not reduce the cost of
living, they were eminently successful in
reducing the chances of making living.
They did not promise that; they prom
ise,i quite the contrary; they had Won
derful programme; they were going to
reduce the cost of living they were GO
ing to provide for the expenses of the |
government through their tariff system;
they were going to increase the oppor-
tunities for business, and they were 60 |
ing to have American enterprise, as they |
said, take on a new size and speed. and |
have opportunities for American labor
"Weil, they put their principle in force.
They had not had a chance to do it for a
great many years. They proceeded to do
It, with very extraordinary results. In
The first place. they had tariff for rev
,nue only, but it was tariff that did
not produce revenue. We had a great
falling off in revenue through a tariff for
revenue, while we had great increase
If imports, and so in time of peace,
which now they emphasize, forgetting
he little wars we have had in Mexico,
hey had to pass what is called war
'evenue bill to take care of the deficit
which was the result of their fiscal pol
cy.
"Then they said they were going to
lave American enterprise take on new
ze and speed, and it did, a much re-
uced size and much slower speed. The
opportunities of labor vanished or were
,reatly reduced, and we had very ex-
raordinary condition in this country"