The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-10-12
P|TTMAN' s HONEST
VIEW OF BASQUES
Says Basques Are Men of the Low.
est Type and While Engaged
in Raising Sheep Utilize
Dogs for Intelligence

"The present tariff bill
places raw wool upon the free
list. | am heartily in favor of
such provision of the bill, and
am firmly convinced that it
is for the best interests of the
people of my state."-Extract
from Key Pittman's speech in
Senate, August FL, 1913.
Undoubtedly one of the most i'm
portant political issues in the pres
ent campaign is the tariff, particu-
larly the tariff as it applies to Ne
vada industries. Raw wool is one
of the greatest products of this
state and for this reason it is i'm
portant that Nevada be represented
in the United States senate and in
the lower house Of congress by men
who believe in and will work and
vote for a protective tariff. In this
campaign, as in practically every
campaign in which he has been per-
sonally interested Senator Pittman
has tried to make the voters of Ne
vada believe that he stands for a
protective tariff for Nevada indus
tries. Unfortunately for Senator
Pittman, however, his previous rec
ord in the Senate rises to refute his
claim. We have only to go back to
the Congressional Record of August
81, 1913, when the Underwood tar
if bill, which later became law
through the grace of Democratic
administration headed by Woodrow
Wilson and aided by Senator Pitt
man, was being debated.
Everybody in Nevada knows how
the sheepmen suffered under the
Democratic tariff bill as soon as the
inflated and abnormal conditions
occasioned by the great war had
passed and prior to the war. The
senior senator now says that he al
ways has favored protection for
Nevada industries. But here is
what he said about free wool, the
quotation being from Senator Pitt
mans speech on the floor of the
senate on August %, 1921, and
found in Volume so of the Congress
sional Record, page 1872:
"The present tariff bill places
raw wool upon the free list. l
am firmly convinced that it is
for the best interests of the
people of my state"
Senator Pittman made quite a
free trade" address on that occa-
sion. It must be remembered that
the administration had just changed,
the Democrats going into power.
The country had been assured that
the protective tariff act passed by
the Republicans would be wiped out
and a "free trade" policy estab-
lished. Pittman's eagerness to curry
favor with the administration I'M
doubtedly led him to make some re-
marks that he would not have made
under ordinary conditions. But he
never has denied them. In his
speech on that occasion he dis
coursed at some length on the sub
Ject of wool, sheep, sheep ranches
and sheep tenders, applying his re-
marks particularly to conditions ex-
lsthg in Nevada. His remarks on
that occasion are interesting as de-
noting the opinion the man who
now is seeking votes from protec-
tive tariff adherents, from the sheep
men and their employees, holds of
those men. Quoting from the same
volume of the Congressional Record.
pages 1916, 1851 and 1852, we find
Senator Pittman using the following
language:
What Pittman Said
If you do not know the eouin-
ment of sheep ranch, look in the
report and you will see it at a
giance-a houseless unfenced range
on the free public domain. a sheen
herder to every 1900 sheep, a camp
tender to every flock, which may
contain from 5000 to 10000 head
OF sheep, a covered wagon to each
camp tender, and Collie dogs to do
the intelligent work.
But admitting for the sake of
argument that these five or six hun
bred Basque sheepherders would re-
eelve some indirect benefit from the
increased profits of the sheepowners
by reason of the duty, l still main
tam there is neither reason nor ex-
euse for granting a bonus to these
laborers who are imported from the
pyrenees mountains, between Spain
and France, admitting allegiance to