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The Commoner.
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Th?.??riimoner- PracticalTariff Talks
ISSUED WEEKLY
Entered at tho Postofllco at Lincoln, Nebraska,
as second-class matter.
WllJIAM J. H II YAK
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
Mr. Perkins Is not proving a success as Exhibit
'A" in tho suit which Mr. Roosevelt is prosecut
ing for a third terra.
Mr. Roosevelt's plan of killing the trusts with
fcindnoss is about as poor a campaign argument
as it was an administrative policy.
Considering Mr. Roosevelt's very recent as
sociation with tho bosses and Wall street it
would bo all right for him to turn state's evi
dence and tell on his former "pals," but isn't it
a little soon for him to run for prosecuting attorney.
It ip a compliment to tho strength of the pro
gressive sentiment that everybody now claims
to be a progressive but caro should be taken to
see that the image of the donkey is plainly
stamped on tho candidate the bull moose brand
ia a cheap Imitation.
Very clearly Woodrow Wilson is not a genuine
reformer. Here ho ,1s calmly discussing issues
as he travels about the country, instead of swing
ing his hat in the air and shouting "liar," "in
grate," "bully," "slug 'em over the ropes," and
other such expressions denoting tho only true
and genuine reformer.
Mr. Roosevelt says that the arguments against
a third term do not weigh against non-consecutive
terms. What about Grant's effort to secure
a third term? His case was identical with Mr.
Roosevelt's present effort, except that Mr. Roose
velt had to organize a third party in order to
run for a third term.
GOVERNOR WIIiSON TO THE WEST AGAIN
Governor Wilson left New York for a western
trip October 2. He will speak at Omaha on the
aftornoon of October 5 and at Lincoln, Neb., In
the evening. Ho will spend Saturday night' and
Sunday with Mr. Bryan at Fairview. The As
sociated Press in describing his western trip
said: Other cities where Governor Wilson will
speak are. Indianapolis, Topeka, Kansas City,
Mo., Canton, O., and Cleveland. He will re
turn to Now York on October 12. The gover
nor will first stop at Pittsburgh on October 3,
where ho will speak at night. On the morning of
October 4 tho nomineo will leave Indianapolis
on a special train, duo to reach Chicago, on tho
night of tho 4th, leaving two hours later for
Omaha. He plans to leave Omaha on. October
5th for Lincoln. On Sunday night Governor
Wilson is to leave Lincoln for Denver. After
his speech there he will leave for Kansas City,
making speeches on the way at Norton and
Topeka on October 8. He will speak in Kansas
City the night of the 8th and in Springfield, Mo.,
on tho 9th.
Arrangements were made for a six hour stay
at St'. Louis on tho afternoon and evening of
October 9. The nominee is scheduled to reach
St. Louis at 5:30 and leave at 11:45 for Chicago.
Several hundred thousand women in tho
equal suffrage states will have an opportunity
at tho November election to register their
opinion Upon the character of republican tariff
making under tho Taft administration. Tho
women of the land are vitally affected by the
high tariffs which are the rule under republican
dominance. Not only does every heavy burden
upon household articles bear as heavily upon
the women as upon the men, but they are picked
out as especial victims for all that they wear.
The silk dresses that are theirs are taxed at
from 40 to 75 per cent of their value, the
cheaper silks bearing the heavier duties. Their
wool dress goods bear the extraordinary heavy
tariff of 105 per cent, due to the fact that the
wool trust wrote schedule K and" went the limit.
When it comes to other articles of adornment
they will find that they are compelled to pay
heavy taxes. About the only exception is upon
diamonds and pearls, which only a small per
centage of them can afford to wear. On
diamonds and pearls the tax is but 10 per cent
of their value, but if they are artificial tho tariff
tax is double, or 20 per cent of their value.
Fans carry a 50 per cent tariff; furs, 20 per
cent; ostrich feathers, 50 per cent; parasols,
50 per cent; gloves from 40 to 60 per cent;
jewelry, 60 per cent; trimmed hats, 50 per cent;
hosiery, from 35 to 60 per cent.
The greater portion of the clothing worn by
women comes under the heading of the cotton
goods schedule. A brief history of this schedule,
together with a few figures, will be interesting
to those women who desire some accurate and
interesting information upon a question of vital
import to them. The cotton schedule under the
Dingley law, which was in force from 1897 until
it was superseded by the Payne-Aldrich law in
1909, carried an average duty of 47 per cent.
This means that every article of cotton cloth
and every piece of cotton yarn that came
through the custom house had 47 per cent added
to its foreign price. Tjie fact that the importer
must add this tariff duty to his price makes it
possible for the home manufacturer to add ap
proximately tho same amount to what other
wise he could have secured, that being tho in
tent of the tariff.
Some trouble developed over the administra
tion of the schedule under the Dingley law, and
court decisions were necessary to clear up cer
tain sections and determine certain rates of
duty. Using this fact as a pretext the senate
finance committee, under the domination of
Senatpr Aldrich, who came from a large cotton
manufacturing state and- specially represented
that interest in the senate, presented what ho
Sa?1wf.sJ merelv an equalizing schedule, but
which did not materially change rates. Investi
gation developed that this was untrue, and that
the cotton schedule in the Payne-Aldrich law
contained a large number of raises. As a mat
ter of fact the average rate is close to 53 per
cent, or about 14 percent of an increase. On'
many articles of wear the increase is as great
as 70 per cent. The investigation disclosed also
that the revised schedule was written by H. F.
Lippitt, head of the qotton manufacturers as
sociation. Mr. Lippitt, it may be said in pass
ing, was later elected as senator from Rhode
Island to succeed Mr. Aldrich.
A few extracts from' tho schedule as it now
exists will show how the trickery was worked.
On dotted swiss goods the Dingley law pro
vided for a duty of 35 per cent. Under the
manipulation as to its 'interpretation the actual
duty collected was 47:31 per cent on the dotted
swiss and 49.18 on the plain. The new duties
as now collected, are respectively, 61.54 and
51 42 per cent. On fancy white goods the
duty was 35 per cent. The manipulated duty
was 45.16 per cent, rind the present duty is
55.89 per cent. On striped marquisettes the
Dingley duty was 35 per cent, the manipulated
duty 53.18 per cent and the present duty 60 94
S?, ,Cent ' n fancy waBh fabrIc the Dingley
duty was 35 per cent, the manipulated duty
43 10 per cent, and the present duty 52.65 per
cent. These fancy goods are made cheaper in
America than in England, and are manufac
tured by only a few'toills. An expert custom
officer says that on this class of weaves the
crease in duty was close to 65 per cent.
C. Q, D.
" VOLUME 12, NUMBER 33
THE THREE TARIFF PLANKS
Commoner readers ought to familiarize thnm
selves with the tariff planks in the throo nT
tional platforms. The Commoner believes t hZ
the democratic plank commends itself withm!
argument above the other two. Read each nf
these planks carefully. Ul
Here is the republican tariff plank:
Wo affirm our belief In a protectivo tnnrr ,
republican tariff policy has been of Vic ScaE?,?
benefit to the country, developing our ru?sf,m- o
diversifying our industries, and protcotli ff ;
workmen against competition with choline h Zl
abroad, thus establishing for our waeSn .i-i .i0r
American standard of living. Tho protect!? taffff
is so woven into tho fabric of our Industrial S
agricultural life that to substitute for it a tariff
for revenue only would destroy many Industries
and thr w milli ns of our peoplo out of oinnlov
ment. Tho products of tho farm and mine ihiSS
receive tho samo measuro of protection as other
products of American labor. lcl
Wo hold that the import duties should bo hich
enough to make sufficient revenuo and protect ado
quately American industries and wage's . sSiS of
tho existing import duties are too high and s Sufd
?im;eiu??d- Readjustment should be made from
tlmo to timo to conform to changed conditions at 1
to reduce excessive rates, but without S v
any American industry. To accomplish this, rot"
rect information is indispensable. This infor ni
ton can best bo obtained by an expert conn is
slon, as the largo volume of useful facts contained
stmted rcports of the tariff board has denion-
aT&2 1?ironoVnce.d. eat"TC of modern industrial lifo
is Its diversification. To apply tariff rates justly
to these changing conditions requires closer study
and more scientilic methods than ever before Tho
o?Uffbl&.iParty "as shown by its creation of a
tariff board its recognition of this situation and its
determination to be equal to it. We condemn the
&QCr.Ic.,party,for lt8 faIluro elter to v
funds for tho continuance of this board or to tnako
some other provision for securing the information
requisite for intelligent tariff legislation? We pro"
test against the democratic method of legislation
ii5ei Xltal,y mPrtant,subjccts without careful
investigation. Wo condemr tho democratic tariff
gills passed by the house of representatives of tho
Sixty-second congress as sectional, as injurious to
the public credit, and as destructive of business
enterprise.
Here is Mr. Roosevelt's party plank:
mtWAJ!ollcve,ii.n a Protective tariff which shall
TTqra!iZeGtC?ndItIons of, competition between tho
united States and foreign countries, both for the
oi.CI and hS manufacturer, and which shall
S?ilS-n,f?u laJ,or aP adequate standard of living.
Primarily tho benefit of any, tariff should be dis
Hi22dln the Pay enyelopo of the laborer. We de
?a ,i no industry deserves protection which
? J lal?or or jyhich is operating in viola
J n ?5 ?dcr,al .law.' Wo Relievo that the presump-
t?iJs-ialway? in &vor of the consuming public.
JY demand tariff rovision because tho present
WniJiiYnjuBt to J1!? PePle of tho United States.
Fair dealing toward the people requires an iinmedl-
pwnward revision of those schedules wherein
duties are shown to be unjust or excessive.
pltdffe ourse!vcs to the establishment of a
ni7partJ,san scientific tariff commission, reporting
HS-i-1? Hle, President and to either branch of con
55n5?,Mh,eh a.n rePrt. first, as to tho costs of
8o?ili on' omcIency of labor,, capitalization, in
dJTia?rganIz.a.!Jon and efficiency and the general
?,?,"?? tivo Position in this country and abroad of
industries seeking protection from congress:
vf?ni as,t.9 the revenue producing power of
SF and A1? relatlon to the resources of gov
JEnt: ana third, as to tho effect of the tariff on
JcCiS' operations of middle men, and on the pur
chasing power of tho consumer, We believe that
iij?i. commission should have . plenary power to
2J.lcAr Infrmation and for this purposo to pre
r'b.fltia uniform system of accounting for tho
?ZJtlJiroecW industries. .The work of the com
J?i i?n snould not prevent the immediate adoption
.La.?ts reducing those schedules generally recog
nized as excessive.
4,3eH0nemn thG Payne-Aldrich tariff bill as un
" s,t tG the People. The republican organization
Jri i ne "ands of those who have broken and can
o. e again trusted to keep the promiso of ncces-nnmmd0fWnwilrdifovIslon-
Tlie democratic party is
SSS1 to,t,,e destruction of tho protective
wifiilntnr??n a tariff for revenuo only a policy
which would inevitably produce widespread Indus
JLi?? commercial disaster. Wo demand the
immediate repeal of the Canadian reciprocity act.
Here is the democratic plank:
T1?rLdclarP. lt to be a fundamental principle of
fimw ?i0cratic Fty tlmt the federal government
SSSaL11 constitution has no right or power to
ffiP op colIect tariff duties, except for the pur
t & f roXenu6, and wo demand that tho colli c
tlon A8ucl taxes shall be limited to tho necessi
adminlsterodGrnmnt honQstly and economically
nfTSJl,eh republican tariff is the principal cause
Slntm J?nequal distribution of wealth: it is a
nn8T i m, of taxation which makes tho rich richer
AmnEn0 Ii00r Poorer; under its operations tho
Ifiv, farmer and laboring man are tho chief
fifS f ?r: U raises tho cost of tho necessities of
wni2 m,m iut does not protect their product or
,f KTl10, farmer sells largely in free markets
Wo bu?s almost entirely in tho protected mar
nnnh noIn Jho mst highly protected Industries
nV J,a iotton and wool, steel and iron, tho wages
n,iDf J01,0 aro tho lowest paid In any of our
n . H.i08, -Wo. denounce tho republican pretense
b?a 0toM?,!,e2tt.and assert that American wages
? ? l?JeaJy competitive conditions and not
rJt,itarJniV wo favor tho immediato downward
n$Siiluot the existing: high 'and in many cases
?od IjiVISS? i0,1,1 duties, Insisting that material
reductions bo speedily made upon tho necessaries
triJj 2'A rticles entering Into competition with
S?n5irltrollod. products and articles of American
in 1iCiJ,Pe wn'ch aro sold abroad more cheaply
w jLil?1"?' 8huld bo put upon the froo list.
Ifl ,tcog,n,2Q that our system of tariff taxation
ia intimately connected with the business ot the
iit:-jiM&