The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-18
Able and Highly Entertain ing Exposition of Repub- lican Ideals on Tariff by Ex-Cabinet Member
SCORES DEMOCRATS
 WITHOUT GIVING THE
 SLIGHTEST DEFENSE
Thinks Highly of Under wood But His Tariff Is Bad-Draws Pessimistic
 Picture of Preparedness

An able and highly entertaining, but typically republican, exposition of the tariff question was presented last night by Leslie M. Shaw, former governor of Iowa and for five years a member of the cabinet under Roosevelt and Taft. MT. Shaw is standpatter of the old school and his address would have been sweet music in the ears of Uncle Joe Cannon. The time honored theory of the republican party that It's administrations typified a full din- ner pail while those of the democrats were marked by hunger and privation, was presented by the distinguished wis., itor in highly entertaining and very pleasing style
 With his splendid humor and won oer1ul store of anecdote-regular cam paign stories-the speaker was able to score the democrats without giving the slightest offense to his audience. com posed of at least half who were mem- bers of the dominant party in Alabama. Something of a surprise was notice able when he declared that in his opin- ion the Underwood tariff bill was the worst ever written, but his expression of high regard for the ability, integ- rity and patriotism of the Alabama senator was so sincere that his rather severe criticism failed to give offense. even to the close friends of MT. Under- wood
 SPOKE AT TUTWILER
 MT. Shaw spoke in the ballroom of the Tutwiler and despite the fact that his address had not been announced until yesterday, he was heard by about 100 people, among the number being some of the leading men of the dis trlct. He was heard with the closest attention by everyone and was at times freely applauded. His humorous iibes at the democrats added much 10 the pleasure of the meeting and prevent ed his audience from becoming tired over the more or less detailed discus sion Of the tariff and its statistics.
 The desolation and poverty of the country during 1893 when a democrat was in the White House was most Vlvdly pictured by the speaker, and while he did not charge that those con- dltlons existed now after several years under Wilson, a most direful picture or the calamities which were in store Tor America when the war in Europe closed was presented. The democratic party, and especially the Underwood tariff bill, was held responsible for the conditions which were to come. But to Grover Cleveland, who was President during the panic of 1893. MT. Shaw paid high tribute, declaring that he was the bravest man who ever occupied the presidency of this coun- try.
 His reference to President Wilson as the man who was too proud to fight last year and anxious to fight this year brought hearty laugh from his audience. He added that he had no criticism to make of the President, but he said he liked his speeches this year better than he did those last year.
 In regard to preparedness, MT. Shaw painted hopeless picture of the con- ditions under which we are now liv- ing. He predicted that we would either take part in the present war and help to settle it or else wait until the war was over and be whipped by the vic tor. The speaker cited figures to show the total unpreparedness of the country for war and told of information which he received during the five years he was in the cabinet under Roosevelt and Taft When chided by democrat after the meeting and asked why he and the republicans did not do some- thing then. he admitted that it should have been done.
 ADVOCATES HIGH TARIFF
 Mir. Shaw devoted a considerable part of his address to a discussion of the tariff question, presenting the usual protection argument that a high tariff made for general prosperity He cited various statistics and information con- cerning different industries to prove his claims that the high tariff was nct far Ina nn1 1frsxr Ia cfa tnd ever, that this question was merely one of difference of opinion. He said that the men who held to the other view of the tariff were just as honest and just as patriotic as the protectionists.
 Referring to the charges which had been from time to time made that there was corruption in certain branches of the government, MT. Shaw said that no man ever starved to death or walked the steets unable to find work because there was a lack of integrity on the part of certain government officials.
 Mr. Shaw paid high tribute to Sem ator Underwood as a man, but he con- sidered the Alabamian's ideas of a tariff as very detrimental to the coun- try. That the tariff measures favored by Mir. Underwood when leader of the House during the latter part of Taft's administration would result in taking $10O, 1000, 900 in iron, steel and cotton trade from this country and depriving the labor of this country of at least S50,000, 900 was statement made by the former cabinet officer.
 The theory of a tariff for revenue only or the Underwood tariff, was to increase the imports of the country, the speaker declared, and thus close our American factories.
 Grover Cleveland was pictured as one of the greatest and most patriotic of all Americans and his stand for the gold standard was highly praised. .eThe United