Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 October 1905 — SPLIT ON THE TARIFF. [ARTICLE]

SPLIT ON THE TARIFF.

latenae Peelin* Between Rival Re- , t pabllean Faetieaa. The two tariff factions of the Republican party do not seem to be uniting for the newly proposed dual tariff, judging by the actions of their respective champions. The advocates of the lowa idea—that the tariff fosters trusts and therefore should be revised —were pretty effectually smothered last year, as far as political results are concerned, though the ardor of its defenders, revisionists, does not Appear to be dampened. Governor Cummins, who Is the most prominent Republican tariff reformer, has just 'fallen foul of Secretary Shaw and has demolished that economic charlatan by quoting him out of his own mouth. Secretary Shaw challenged a statement made by Governor Cummins in an address delivered before the national reciprocity conference at Chicago, in which he said the secretary of 'the treasury in a speech at Des Moines declared that the refusal of the senate to consider the French reciprocity treaty was because “it gives everything to France and nothing to the United States.” Secretary Shaw denied that he said the words quoted, “or anything that could be so interpreted.” But Governor Cummins comes back at him and quotes from an editorial in the Des Moines Capital, a Shaw stand patter organ, which substantially proves his contention. Secretary Shaw will probably try to creep out of the mess he is in, for that is his usual method.

But the main point is the fact that this intense feeling between the leaders of the rival factions id lowa is equally rampant elsewhere and cannot be smothered before the campaign for electing congressmen is under way next summer. That will be the golden opportunity for the Democrats. They should nominate their strongest and most able champions of tariff reform and make tariff revision tbe main issue. There will be quite a percentage of Republican and independent voters who will welcome the opportunity to read the Republican stand patters a lesson and give the trust magnates and their tariff fostered high prices a dig under the fifth rib that will let daylight in on their preposterous profits. A good many people besides Democrats have become tired of the greatly Increased cost of living without any compensating advantage.