Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 1902)
Sept. iaf 190a The Commoner. .3 Coaxing Republicans Into Line ""iBl'"MMM''MM"wM"B"M''MaMM''M - "-- - 1 11 1 ,1 , Interesting: Methods of Stamp ing: out Tariff Revision Sen timent Among the Republican Rank and File. w TH E methods adopted by republican leaders to stamp out the tariff revision sentiment are interesting. The Iowa republicans, In state convention assembled, adopted a platform in which revision of the tariff was de-' manded wherever the tariff provided shelter to monopoly. Governor Cummins led tho fight for this plank. He had the assistance of tho Dca Moines Register and Leader as well as of. other republican newspapers of the state. He was com pelled to fight a practically united congressional delegation, one member of which, Congressman Cousins, referred to the Iowa tariff plank as "a dirty lie." The Idaho republican state convention adopted a platform equally strong. "on tariff revision. Tho Iowa plank and tho Idaho plank evidently, met with the approval of tho rank and file of the party, so it was necessary that something be done. Then Walter Wellman, in the Chicago Record-Herald, gave out that famous interview with Secretary of the Treasury Shaw, in which Mr. Shaw pointed out the dangers, as they appeared to him, Involved in tariff revision; and at the same time Mr. Shaw declared, that agitation was even worse than revision. Subsequently in his speech at Morrisvllle, Vt., Mr. Shaw said he was not opposed to revision of the tariff. Mr. Shaw then explained: "Whenever congress is of the opinion that the friends of protection are strong enough to modify the tariff to meet conditions and conservatively to meet opposition to a re vision of the entire tariff law, thus paralyz ing business for a season, I am in favor of it. I. have expressed some doubt, however, about the wisdom of instructing by resolutions, or exacting pledges from candidates for congress, ' -when the effect is liable to precipitate a pro tracted debate with very uncertain results." Now it will be seen that this is by no means an indorsement of the Iowa platform. The Iowa platform is in favor of tariff revision wherever tho tariff provides shelter to monopoly. Mr. Shaw is in favor of tariff revision whenever con gress is of the opinion that the friends of protec tion are strong enough to modify tho tariff, and Mr. Shaw admits that he expressed doubt about the wisdom of "instructing by resolutions or ex acting pledges from candidates for congress, when the effect is liable to precipitate a protracted de bate with very uncertain results." In other words, Mr. Shaw does not believe in revising the tariff whenever the tariff provides shelter to monopoly, and he does not regard the adoption of the tariff plank by the 'Iowa republicans as a wise move. But now wo find that republican leaders and . republican organs that had indorsed the Iowa plank have suddenly discoered that Secretary Shaw is all right on the tariff question, that tho administration is -all right on the tariff question, and that there Is, substantially, no difference be tween the position of the Iowa republican conven tion and the administration. Charles Emory Smith, former postmaster gen eral, and editor of the Philadelphia Press, cor dially approved the Iowa platform and insisted that the republican party must come to that plat form; and yet in commenting on Secretary Shaw's speech, Mr. Smith, in an editorial, says: "Secre tary Shaw's speech, is in the right line. It puts the case with force and effect on a "ground on which all republicans can stand together." Then there is the Des Moines Register and iLeader which in an aditorial concludes: "There is not so very much difference be tween republicans on tariff legislation. About all it amounts to is that some want the tariff revised, but in such a way as not to disturb our industrial prosperity, others are willing to have it revised providing it will not dis turb our industrial prosperity. There isno occasion to magnify differences. It is much more important to magnify tho common pur pose and to go about accomplishing it in a harmonious and offective manner." A few weeks ago no -paper was moro zealous In impressing upon tho republicans tho import ance of the Iowa plank than, tho Roglstor and Leader; but now that paper tells us that there is no occasion to "magnify differences," but that it is much more important "to magnify tho common purpose." "Tho common purpose" perhaps is vic tory for the republican party entirely regardless of the fact that tho republican party may bo de pended upon to provide shelter to monopolies in any tariff with which tho republican party has to deal. And now comes the Chicago Tribune. In commenting on Secretary Shaw's speech, tho Tri bune says, "This expresses in a way tho sontl ments of most republicans," and then tho Tribune adds: "Whenever there Is sufficient discipline in the republican party to Insure a solid vote for a bill altering a single tariff schedule, thou such a bill can be passed without the slightest difficulty, and the quiet of the industrial world will not bo disturbed. There Is not sufficient discipline now. There are a few ultraprotec tlonlsts in congress who will go to tho last extreme to prevent the reduction of a single duty on tho most insignificant product. "Secretary Shaw has described tho condi tions under which he will be in favor of tariff readjustment. Ho does not venture to say when the conditions may be looked for or what can bo done to hasten their arrival." To bo sure, Secretary Shaw's position is a wholly uncertain one. "He does not venture to say when the conditions may be looked for or what can bo done to hasten their arrival." Ho advises the republicans to abandon all discussion of this question, to go to the polls and vote blind ly for candidates for congress, and to trust tho republican party to uphold national honor and business interests! But how different this editorial is from an editorial that appeared in the Chicago Tribune im mediately after the Iowa republicans had adopted their tariff revision plank. In that editorial tho Tribune said: "It is a notorious fact that some of the . tariff schedules do afford shelter to monopoly. That is, they permit certain trusts or com bines to exact from domestic consumers un reasonably high prices for their products prices higher than could be exacted If tho tariff afforded no more protection than is nec essary to enable .the American producers to compete on even terms with their foreign rivals. . fc "As some trusts make an illegitimate use of the protection they enjoy, why should tho republicans of Iowa and of the United States hesitate to say so? Why should not they promise to deprive the trusts of a shelter they are abusing? The language used in the Iowa platform is not a confession that the tariff is the parent of trusts.. There are 'trusts in free trade England. The language is a simplo statement that the party which made the tariff will change the tariff whenever it appears a wrongful use is being made of any of tho .duties levied by it." tyow, If, as the Tribune said, "It is a notorious fact that some of the tariff schedules do afford Bhelter to monopoly," and if, as tho Tribune says, he party which made the tariff will change tho tariff whenever it appears a wrongful use is be ing made of any of the duties levied by It," then the time for a change in the tariff is at hand, the Iowa tariff plank was right, Secretary Shaw was wrong, and the Tribune, in its position today in giving indorsement to Secretary Shaw's Vermont speech, is likewise in orror. The Sioux City Journal is another republican paper, but the Journal, at the latest account, took a little different view of Secretary Shaw's posi tion from that of these other republican papers. The Journal intimates that the Des Moines Reg ister and Leader was compelled to stretch a point .to find any confirmation pt the attitude taken by Iowa republicans in Mr. "Shaw's, speech, and the Journal declares" that if Iowa republicans find any gratification in what Mr. Shaw said, they should admit that thoy mado fools of themselves In declaring, as thoy have, for tariff revision. Congressman Charles II. Grosvonor, in an ad dress on receiving his nomination, said that the tariff schedulo would bo overhauled and such changes ,mndo as aro found necessary "wben the proper time comes." Tho Washington correspon dent of tho Des Moines Roglstor and Lcador, who seoms to bo a bit moro faithful to tho tariff revi sion policy than tho editor of tho Roglstor and Leador Is, provides an interesting story In connec tion with Gonoral Grosvonor's "propor time." This correspondent says: "Awaiting tho propor time is likely to be tho fundamental policy concerning tho tariff of the extreme school of eastern protection ists. "No bettor answor to tho question as to when tho propor timo will come could be found, In their estimation, than that given by an orthodox clergyman at Andovcr, Maw., early in tho last century, in a sermon discuss ing tho proper tlmo to dance. Josiah Quincy tells tho ontortalnlng story in his "Figures of tho Past." It seems that a proposal had been mado to teach dancing in tho town by some rash professor of tho accomplishment. Undor this threatening invasion thoro was clearly but pno subject for tho noxt Sunday's dis course. Tho good minister, although armed for tjie encounter, would tako no unfair ad vantages. His adversary must bo allowed -' every point that seemed to tell in his favor. In pursuance of this generous desire the text, selected from "Eccleslastes, was announced with unflinching emphasis, 'There is a time to dance.' After disposing of tho strict transla tion of tho Hebrew, which cleared the skirts of David from responsibility, tho clergyman declared it as pertinent to consider what that timo to dance might be. He divided life Into three parts to see if it fell, to any of them. Quoting from Mr. Quincy's recollections: " 'Could a man find tlmo to dance before he was converted? To ask such a question was to answer it. Tho terrible risks to which tho unregonerato were exposed, and tho nec essity that was upon them to tako summary measures for their avoidance, clearly left no timo for dancing. And how was it with a man while he was being converted? Overwhelmed with the sense of sin and diligently seeking tho remedy, it was simply preposterous to imagine that he could find time for dancing. And how was it with the salnta who had Teon converted? Surely such time as they had ;aust be spent In religious exorcises for tho copver- ' sion-'of others; obviously they had no time to dance. And so tho whole of human life had , been covered, and the conclusion was driven homo with resistless force.'" This Washington correspondent then fits a moral to his talo in this way: "By a fitting analogy tho life of the nation may be considered as divided into hard times, good times, and periods of transition between tho two. The present is no timo for tariff re vision, according to General Grosvenor, be cause business conditions are so favorable that they deserve to be let alone. When times are bad, as they occasionally must be, the first re source is to raise duties, in order to check the importation of something, and so turn or modi fy the current of international balances, and so make times better at home. One of the seeming axioms of tho reciprocity conference held here last October was that so long as we are importing any proportionate part of our demand of any article, and manufacturing the rest, this was a sign that the duties were not high enough; we should be manufacturing all or none of an article. Hence, times of adversity may be set down as occasions for closing up the chinks by higher tariffs, just as times of prosperity are occasions for letting high tar iffs once established severely alone, while times of transition are too serious with all their threatenings of financial uncertainty and business disturbance for any unavoidable changes. It Is clear that in extreme protective logic General Grosvenor has sufficiently nega tived the suggestion of changing schedulesby making it conditioned upon the arrirjtl of 'the - proper tlme.' """.. ,f " t r ,