The Commoner.
NOVEMBER 15, 19i2
NO DEFENSE FOR THE TARIFF LAW
The most amazing feature of the campaign
just closed was the utter lack of effort made to
defend the Payne-Aldrich tariff law. It was
the first great blunder that Taft made, the first
groat shock to the confidence the public had
given him, yet he found few to come forward
in his hour of need to offer even a good word
for his action in signing what has been proved
overwhelming to be a direct repudiation of a
most solemn pledge to the people. None of the
great leaders of the republican party ought to
excuse or palliate this offense against political
morality, and even the president himself con
fined his tariff discussions to criticism of the
bills the democrats in congress had passed, and
which ho vetoed. The only Issue they raised
was the false one of free trade vs. protection.
The truth Is the whole law Is, as President
Taft said was true of the woolen schedule when
he signed the bill, it was indefensible. Just
after Its passage Congressman Payne, then floor
leader of the republicans, made an elaborate de
fense of the law, and some computations based
on actual importations have, been printed to
show that it reduced duties slightly. Mr.
Payne's speech was circulated In some sections,
but the defense broke down almost entirely.
That speech was a most audacious attempt to
deceive the people. It contained a computation
showing that the bill, as It was enacted Into
law, reduced duties on articles the consump
tion value of which exceeds 5 billion dollars a
year and raised them on necessities the con
sumption value of which Is but $272,000,000.
The statement was true, but when it was
analyzed tho deception became apparent.
It was shown that the articles entering into
the consumption of the people to the value of
5 billions on which the duties wore decreased
comprised such things as lumber,' agricultural
implements, moat and food products and petro
leum and its products, of all of which we are
the greatest exporters in the world; steel rails
and coal, which we export in largo quantites;
barbed wire, a business entirely monopolized;
nails manufactured and sold by a trust with
strong international connections; yarns and
threads, the raw material for textiles, on which
finished textiles the tariff was increasod, and
sugar, on which the reduction was a dollar a
ton. Over a fourth of the 5 billions was on
the metal schedule, covering industries that are
in the hands of monopoly and making reduc
tions that merely decreased the excess protec
tion and made nothing cheaper. Five hundred
million was on lumber, 300 million on sugar
and 500 million on provisions. That these re
ductions were futile so far as price was con
cerned is proved by the fact that prices are to
day higher in each industry than when the
law was enacted.
Thus it was that the most pretentious de
fense devised for this bill proved to be of no
avail, and was early abandoned. The law was
indefensible also because it was a repudiation
of a solemn promise to the voters. For years
loyal republicans had been demanding a reduc
tion on imports because the excessive rates
shielded monopoly and monopoly extorted and
the cost of living mounted faster than income.
The party and Mr. Taft promised there would
be a revision, and stated specifically what rule
they would apply in making that revision.
When the time came to redeem that promise
the rule was not invoked, no attention was paid
to the large amount of data at hand that various
departments of the government had gathered
and which gave full information by which the
measure of protective duties could be devised,
and various Industries were permitted, as had
been done before, to write the tariff-schedules
affecting them.
On the pretense that whatever wrongs were
committed in the law, th-e president's tariff
commission would furnish facts by which they
would be righted thousands were spent gather
ing data. And when a democratic congress
passed bills justified by the tariff board's re
port tho president stood by the tariff barons
and vetoed them and said they were inadequate
and ignorantly drawn. No wonder the tariff
law lacked defenders in the campaign.
O. Q. D.
The democratic party is indebted to both Mr.
Taft and Mr. Roosevelt to the former for pre
YonUng the latter's nomination, and to the lat
ter for preventing the former's election.
RECEIVING RETURNS AT THE WILSON
HOME
Following is a special dispatch In the Now
York World: Princeton, Nov. 5. As tho big
grandfather's clock in tho library of tho Wilson
home In Cleveland lane chimed out tho hour of
ten, Mrs. Woodrow Wilson placed-her hands
upon the shoulders of hor husband and kissed
him.
"My dear, I waut to bo the first to congratu
late you," she said.
The governor was standing with his hands
folded and his back to tho open log fire. It
was tho first dofinlto word that ho was tho
president-elect of tho United States. Tho bulle
tins that removed all doubts of tho verdict wero
given to Mrs. Wilson by "Jack" Mondelson, tho
telegrapher, who received tho news off tho leased
wire.
Next to congratulate tho governor were his
three daughters, Missos Margaret, Bessie and
Eleanor Wilson. Bubbling over with happiness,
tho president-elect, fondly embraced each of
his daughters.
"Joe" Tumulty, tho governor's secretary;
James Woodrow, his cousin, and Charley Swem,
personal stenographer, danced with gleo. From
tho time that ".loo" Tumulty had telephoned the
first returns from tho Princeton club, Now York,
at 6:15 o'clock, not a line of discouraging news
reached tho governor.
A CHEERFUL FAMILY GROUP
The governor was at dinner with his family
when tho telegraph instrument which had ticked
off the news of victory to Grover Cleveland
twenty years ago first sounded. The first bulle
tins were from up-state counties in New York
and showed that tho governor had a big lead
over Roosevelt and Taft.
"Jack" Mondelson then copied tho returns
faster than they could bo read aloud by
Dudley Field Malono, a personal friend of the
governor, who was a guest at dinner.
James Woodrow and Waltor Measday read
tho returns to the newspaper correspondents In
tho library. Even after tho Now York Tribune
and other republican papers had conceded his
election, the governor refused to make a state
ment for publication.
Throughout tho evoning the governor was
tho center of a Tiappy group in tho parlor. Ho
told stories and laughed at those told by his
daughters and others who wero In tho happy
circle about tho wood flro. His comments on
tho bulletins were brief.
"That Is encouraging," he would say.
"Thoso figures are surprising," he said when
Mr. Malone read a bulletin from New York.
From 8:30 until nearly 10 o'clock tho gover
nor stood with his back to the fire and faced
thoso who wero scanning the typewritten bulle
tins as they came from Mendelson's typewriter.
Only two or three times during the evening did
the governor adjust his eyeglasses and read tho
bulletins for himself.
Others who spent the evening with the gover
nor and his family not already mentioned were
Prof. Stockton Axaon, a brother of Mrs. Wilson;
Capt. Georgo H. McMasters, U.S. A.; Fitzwil
Ham Woodrow and nine newspaper correspon
dents who have been with the governor since
the Baltimore convention.
The governor walked Into the library at 9:30
o'clock and called out to Mr. Tumulty that he
was wanted on tho telephone. Newspaper men
were writing about the big library table.
"You gentlemen will ruin your eyes," he said.
"I'll get you a better lamp."
He disappeared into another room and re
turned within a minute or two with an oil lamp.
"Perhaps this will be better," ho said.
As the governor dropped his ballot into tho
box, the camera men made the flashlight pic
ture. When the governor was leaving the en
gine house, Mrs. Wado Mountfort, wife of one
of the photographers, presented him with a
rabbit's foot.
"It's from tho left hind leg," she said. "And
I hope that it may bring you good luck today.".
"That is very kind of you," said tho governor,
and I thank you very much, Indeed."
After leaving the voting booth, tho candi
date pointed out a little house to Capt. "Bill"
McDonald, and explained:
"When I was a freshman I took my meals
there, and I remember that one dar I got a fish
bone stuck in my throat. See that porch there?
I jumped off that six times trying to shake out
tho bono."
Soon after reaching his home, the governor
answered a ring at tho front door, and was met
by William G. McAdoo, vice chairman of tho
national committee, and Josephus Daniels of
North Carolina, chairman of tho publicity com
mittee. Mr. Daniels camo to say good-byo be
fore returning to North Carolina and Mr. Mc
Adoo dropped In to congratulato tho governor
on his escapo from norlous injury in tho auto
inobllo accldont of Sunday morning.
Hundreds of tolcgrams woro received by tho
governor early In tho day predicting his oloc
tlon and wishing him success. Tho ono which
pleased him most camo from William Jennings
Bryan, who had JuBt returned to his homo in
Lincoln, Nob. Hero Is Mr. Bryan's wire:
"Having finished a seven wook's tour of
twonty-two statos with a mooting horo similar
to yours, I beg to assuro you that Indications
every whero point to an overwhelming victory,
but whethor you win or loao, J congratulato you
on the splendid campaign you havo made. You
deservo to aucceod. Best wishes."
In tho afternoon Governor Wilson wont for
a long walk. He was accompaniod by Capt. Mc
Donald, Walter Measday and Dudley Field Ma
lone, son-in-law of Senator O'Gorman. Mrs,
Wilson and tho Misses Wilson were out automo
blling during tho afternoon.
Tho governor's cottago Is In tho northwestern
part of Princeton. Tho streets about woro quiet
tonight oxcopt for the constant stream of mes
senger boys who wero kept busy dellvorlng tole
grams to the president-elect. A score of the
governor's neighbors called and offered their
congratulations in porson.
About ovory twenty minutes tho governor
was called to tho telephone, which Is In the din
ing room. As this Is being written ho was Just
hoard to say:
"That is very kind of you. I thank you very
much."
GOVERNOR WILSON CASTS VOTE
Governor Wilson cast ballot No. 112 at 10:51
o'clock today. Ho voted in tho village flro on
glne house In Chambers streot, near tho cottage
whero ho boarded In 187C when he was a fresh
man in Princeton university.
Ho was accompanied to tho voting place by
Walter Measday, his campaign secretary, and
Capt. "Bill" McDonald, his bodyguard. Photo
graphers were waiting for the governor when
he turned into Chambers street. He agreed to
havo a flashlight picture made if tho election
officials did not object.
Whilo waiting for ono of the throe booths to
be vacated, the presidential candidate chatted
with the election officials and newspaper cor
respondents. Ho remained in tho booth for
nearly a minute.
"That ballot was certainly arranged to conceal
the democratic electors," ho said, as ho stepped
from the booth. "I had a hard time finding
them, and was beginning to think that they had
been left off tho ticket entirely."
Tho names of the democratic electors wero In
tho second column, near tho bottom. The
governor could not understand why tho nominee
of his own party had boon placed on a less desir
able position than had been accorded tho bull
moose and tho socialist electors. Ho was told
that tho order of the numbers had been arranged
by tho county clork, who had taken tho names
off of tho first electors on each ticket and then
placed them In alphabetical order.
While the governor was waiting to cast his
ballot, one of tho election officials offered to
have one of the men who was then in a booth
called out.
WOULDN'T HURRY VOTER
"Ho has already overstayed his time," said
tho election official.
"No," replied tho governor. "You must not
hurry him. He must be given time to voto
right."
THE REPUBLICAN PAPER LIKES IT
Hero is an editorial from tho Hoquim,
(Wash.) News: The following from tho pen of
William Jennings Bryan, throws some light on
the philosophy of tho American system of pro
tection. We copy It, even though it is from the
leader of the democrats, at tho risk of persecu
tion for heresy: "In this country, if a man dies
he divides his property and gives each heir a
share. Why doesn't he do as the republican
party does In treating tho relation of employer
and employe and give his estate to an uncle,
Ordering him to give to tho children what ho
thinks they need? The republican party has
thrown millions into tho laps of the employers
and has said that thus they have helped tho
employes. What subllmo trust in tho employers."
The question of abolishing capital punish
ment was voted on In the Oregon election. Tho
advocates of capital punishment wero victorious.
II
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