Evening star., 1932-10-29

lected on all dutiable imports ar
directly on imports of agriculture
origin and the reduction of which woul,
affect American farmers.
Are we to take it that all the diatribe
We have heard from the Democrati
candidate throughout this campaign ar
in respect to only one-third of tn
American tariffs. Just seven days ag
he said, THE Hawley-Smoot tariff Law
carried the decline in world trade, an,
what amounted to minor calamit,
became general international calam
| ity." He must now conclude that tn
farm tariffs do the world no HARM Yol
will further remember that under tina
act two-thirds of our imports are fre
OF duty, and now he excludes two-third
of the remaining one-third that ar
dutiable. Does he still pretend tina
this terrible calamity to the world wa
caused by tariffs on one-ninth of ou
imports? And further, does he know
that of this one-ninth of imports o
non-agricultural commodities less THAI
one-half of them were increased? Doe.
he now pretend that this calamity wa.
caused by increase of tariffs on one
eighteenth of our imports? Does HI
continue to ignore that our whole i'm
ports are less than IL per cent of tht
world imports and that thus. in his re-
vised view, increased duties on one.
eighteenth of one-twelfth or less thar
one-half of l per cent brought the
world calamity? He should now al
least search in the aftermath of the
World War for the origins OF this
calamity and stop this nonsense.
I wish to extend this discussion 8
f,trf hof ho
explain himself on some more tariff
questions. Does he include reduction
of the tariff on cotton textiles, so largely
manufactured in the South? I have in-
cluded but a part of these in agricul-
tural tariffs, inasmuch as only part
of raw cotton is not protected. Does
he propose to close up the Southern
cotton mills? In view of this new light
has he~considered the position OF the
oil industry-in the States of California
and Oklahoma, in Texas and in
Kansas? Has he considered the copper
industry-in the States of Arizona,
Montana, Michigan and Utah?
Metal and Other Products.
Has he considered the tariffs OH
metal and other products-which affec,
the welfare of the whole Of the New
England States and New York, Penn
sylvahia, New Jersey, California, Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois and West Virginia?
Has he considered the tariff on pottery
and chemicals-and its effect upon New
Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. New
York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and
California? Has he considered the
tariffs on lumber-in their effect on
Oregon. Washington, California and
wisconsin,
Perhaps if he would give the same
consideration to the effect of reducing
tariffs for these people he will come to
the same conclusion as that to which
he has been forced by this debate in
respect to agriculture. Now If political
exigencies have forced his temporary
conversion on agricultural products,
how far has he authority to change at
will the traditional policies and the
platform of the Democratic party? How
far can Gov. Roosevelt guarantee to
bring with him the Democratic men,
bers of the House and Senate who
voted against the bills carrying the
increases in agricultural tariffs, and
how about the men who wrote the
plank in the Democratic platform? Do
you as farmers believe in this eleventh.
hour conversion? And, finally ask
you whether or not you. as business
men, farmers and workmen, are pre-
pared to intrust your future occupations
and welfare to the gentleman whose
fixity of principle and whose knowledge
of the subject can be driven out OF
slider that your livelihood is safe in the
hands of the traditional and present
enemy of the protective tariffs?
whole
Democratic party will now withdraw
and apologize for the defamation to
which I have been subjected for the
past two years because I called spe-
cial session of the Congress and secured
an increase in agricultural tariffs.
I myself am taking heart over this
debate. If it could be continued long
enough I can drive him from every
solitary position he has taken in this
campaign. They are all equally un-
tenable. Perhaps I could get him to
declare himself upon other evasions anc
generalities. But even on the tariff he
perhaps remembers the dreadful posi-
ton of the chameleon on the Scotch
plaid.
AS to the balance of the protective
tariffs. unless his late conversion ex'
tenos further than agriculture. he pro-
poses to reduce them in the face OF the
fact that during the last IA months
there has been a violent change in the
economy of the entire world through
the depreciation of the currencies in 81
European nations. and thus lowering Of
their standards Of living and the crea'
tion of still greater differences between
costs of production in the United States
and abroad.
G. O. p. for Protection.
Now, the Republican party is squarely
for the protective tariff. I refuse tc
put the American workers and farmers
into further unemployment and misery
bv any such action as the unrepentec
principles of their members of Congress
and their platform.
The Governors new shuttle requires
that he give some further assurances tt
the farmers. The Democratic House ol
Representatives and their allies in the
Senate passed a bill directing me tC
call an international conference fol
purposes of reducing tariffs. The Gov
ernor has supported this in his cam.
paign. That means that we should
surrender to foreigners the 6etermina.
ton of policy which we have zeal
ously held in American control for Isl
years, ever since the first protective
tariff was enacted under George Wash
ington. This would in this manner
place the fate of American workers anc
American farmers in the hands of for.
eign nations. vetoed the bill.
The Governor should now explain te
the farmers that if he were to call such
a conference he would exempt agricul.
tural tariffs.
Beyond this the Democratic party ano
their candidate propose to enter upor
reciprocal tariffs. That idea is not en-.
tirely new in our history, although it is
a violation of now firmly established
principle Of uniform and equal treat
ment of all nations without preferences
concessions or determinations. It is
just such concessions and discrimina-
tions that are producing today large
part Of the frictions of Europe. I sup
pose our Democratic friends try tc
blame these European tariff wars on
the Smoot- ot-Hawley bill.
Though reciprocal tariffs are a vio-
1ation of Arnerinor nrinrip1oe fhjc No