-
The Commoner.
JULY , 190
15
and still leaving them a duty on their
financial products.
To do that Is simply to give the
manufacturers protection, at both
ends, which, of course, means double
protection to them. In view of the
fact that the whole system of pro
tection was devised for and has been
supported by the manufacturers, it
would be singularly inconsistent for
the democratic party to advocate
giving them free trade in what they
buy, while leaving them with the
power to tax American consumers on
what they "sell.
I am aware, of course, that some
of the democratic senators who voted
for free iron ore were actuated by a
belief that they were thus helping
what are called independent steel
companies, to better compete against
the steel trust; but that argument
does not appeal with any force to me.
Instead of levying taxes or remit
ting taxes to help one group of man
ufacturers to compete against an
other group, my desire is to com
pel both groups to compete for the
patronage of the American people.
There never was anything more fal
lacious than to suppose that the steel
trust can be injured by free trade in
Iron ore, because they always pos
sess a large part of their supply on
that material.
With their material already bought
and paid for, it makes no particular
difference to them whether a tariff
is levied on it or not, aud their sole
concern is as to the price which they
can obtain for their finished pro
ducts. In other words, they do not
sell the raw material, and, conse
quently, the price of it Is of no mo
ment to them; but their prosperity
and profits are determined by the
labor and their cost of production
as compared with the price at which
they can sell their finished products.
The proposition to exempt some mil
lionaires frjom their just taxation, in
order to strengthen them in their
competition with other millionaires,
does not commend itself to my judg
ment; because it leaves the consum
ers of this country wholly out of
the calculation.
I have no doubt of he honesty of
the men who think .t&at they could
in some way injure the steel trust
by putting iron ore on the free list;
but I do very gravely doubt their
wisdom In that particular respect.
While the lumber question involves
to some extent the theory of free
raw material, It does not involve it
to such an extent as to be decided
according to it; and I voted against
putting lumber on the free list for
the very good and sufficient reason
that the present duty on that article
is less than 12 per cent, and raises
more than $1,700,000 in revenues.
I am not exactly able to see how a
democrat who believes in a tariff for
revenue only can justify himself in
surrendering that $1,700,000 collect
ed under, a duty of less than 12 per
cent. While it sounds very well to
declare that we are in favor of giv
ing the people cheap homes, we
should not mislead the public by
such, a 'declaration.
Upon the average, lumber consti
tutes al30ut 20 per cent of the cost
of a buildmg, and we could hardly
be asked to take the duty off lumber,
and still leave" the duty on anything
else that enters into the construction
of a house. The average duty on
every other material required In a
building Is' about 36 per cent as
revenue duties, against the lumber
mill and in favor of the factory.
As to very much the larger portion
of this country, frco lumber could
not affect its price in the slightest
degree, becauso freight charges make
it impossible to sell Canadian lum
ber in eight-tenths of our country. It
would doubtless be of some benefit to
the states which He along the Cana
dian border, but I am not willing to
surrender a revenue which the gov
ernment needs in order to give free
trade in lumber to those communities
which support the policy of protection.
3ER. TOMLINSON'S OPINION
Commenting on the address of Dr.
Dabney of Ohio, made during the
commencement exercises at tho Uni
versity of Alabama, on the "Solid
South and tho Nation," John W.
Tomlinson, member of the democ
ratic national committeo for Ala
bama, says:
"Dr. Dabney, n his plea for break
ing the solid south, stated 'with the
first establishment of the rights of
the states and with the passing of
the fear of Ignorant negro domina
tion, the chief incentive, the imper
ative need of a solid Boutn nas uius
been removed forever;' and he con
tinues, 'there can be no question that
the removal of the fundamental rea
sons for the existence of the solid
south clears the way for independent
political action.' He further points
as evidence 'of the fact that a part
of the south has already abandoned
some of its traditional doctrines,'
that 'southern democratic congress
men are hanging around tho tariff
pie table trying to pick up a few
crumbs of protection,'
"Dr. Dabney errs when he assumes
that we have been held together in
tho south by reason of the fear of
negro domination. The south is
democratic from principle. Further
more, is it fair for him to assume
that the fact that some of our south
ern representatives are favorable to
so adjusting the tariff as to give rev
enue and at tho saniq. time afford
incidental protection, that they have
abandoned the, j traditional doctrines
of their party? Again Dr. Dabney
is in error in assuming that because
the supreme court of the United
States has rendered some decisions
favorable to stat rights, that there
is no longer necessity for the south
remaining solidly on guard for local
self-government? What democratic
principle does he want the south to
abandon? What democratic princi
ple is hurtful to the south, or any
other section of the ountry? Why
not break up the republican strong
holds of the north and west? The
solid south today stands as a bul
wark against tendencies and methods
which prevail in other parts of the
nation, and is the great conservative
influence on which we can connaent
ly rely to preserve in fact, as well as
In name, our republican form of gov
ernment." Birmingham (Ala.) Age
Herald. Tins JOHN E. JjAMB INTERVIEW
Widespread attention has been at
tracted to an interview given to the
newspapers by-Hon John E. Lamb of
Terre Haute, Ind. The interview
follows:
"I have noticed with much regret
and some surprise the conduct of a
number of democratic united States
in tho scnato, ati they had led tho
fight in tho committeo on resolutions
against tho tariff reform planks
which wo adopted. Tho contest in
tho committeo on tho question of
placing articles which ontor into
competition with trust controlled pro
ducts upon tho free list was warmly
contested, and was only carried in
th committeo by a few votes after
a strenuous contest, but tho plank In
tho democratic platform demanding
'tho immediato repeal of tho tariff
on wood pulp, print papor, lumber,
timber and logs,' and that these ar
ticles be placed upon the freo list
was carried by a vote practically
unanimous, and thfs waB aftorwards
ratified by more than ono thousand
delegates in convention assembled
without a dissenting vote. There is
consequently no excuse for any man
who protends to bo a democrat to
cast his vote against freo wood pulp,
print paper, lumber, timber and logs,
all of which articles are of prime
necessity in every day life. If party
platforms are to bo ignored upon
vital questions by representatives and
senators without rebuke from tho
people, then (ho organization of
parties becomes a sham and a delu
sion, and a long step 'has already
been taken in tho direction of dis
solution of parties and an appeal to
tho rabble.
"Tho attompt of the administra
tion to avoid an Income tax by plac
ing a 2 per cent tax upon tho profits
of corporations I trust will not suc
ceed. Why a widow who chances to
have her fow thousand dollars In
vested in a corporation should bo
subject to a special tax is pretty diffi
cult to explain. Whllo this might
and probably would In a great many
cases work groat hardship, tho im
position of a 2 per cent tax upon
all incomes of ovor $5,000 could
harm no ono, and a largo sum of
money could thus bo gathered for
tho federal treasury to take tho placo
of somo of tho many millions now
collected upon tho nccesltlos of llfo
from tho pockets of thoso who can
ill afford to sparo tho monoy.
"As a momber of tho democratic
organization in Indiana I earnestly
hopo that every domocrat in tho
United States scnato will lino up
in favor of tho Bailey-Cummins
Income tax amendment. Tho
democratic senator who falls to do
this should not hereafter bo consid
ered ns a party man by his associates
and should not, in my Judgment, bo
permitted to take part In a caucus of
tho democratic minority. Tho fact
that tho United States supremo court
somo years ago decided tho income
tax law unconstitutional furnishes no
excuso for voting against this tax
at tho present time. Tho opinion
then rendered by tho supremo court
was by a baro majority of ono vote.
Tho personnel of tho court has slnco
changed, and it is much better to
present this question again to tho
supremo court of tho United States
as at presont organized than to try
to remedy things by a constitutional
amendment which would require at
least six years for its adoption aud
ratification by tho people."
Rfinators who. upon many important
against IV per cent on lumbpr; and questions, are voting with the repub-
surely a democrat must hesitate be- lican maority m tne senate uyuu
fore he removes a 12 per cent duty
from the product of the forest while
leaving a 3Qper. cent duty on the
products of the factory. When the
government can' dispense4 with' the
revenue, J, (aL be more' than gladi
to put upon the free list Very 'article,
which enersrintp the construction, of,
a home; but I shall never agree to
discriminate, even within purely
nnestions involving a revision of the
present tariff schedules. Having
served on, the committee on resolu
tions in, tho, democratic national con
vention at Denver last year witn ben
ator Siminons of North Carolina,
Senator Daniel of "Virginia and Sen
ator Newlands of Nevada, I was not
surprised to see them lining up on
this great question with republicans
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