Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1909 — MEET TODAY TO TALK ON TARIFF [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MEET TODAY TO TALK ON TARIFF

National Convention Opened In Indianapolis. ALL PARTIES REPRESENTED Gathering Is Nonpartisan, its Purpose Being Not the Discussion of Rates, but the Appointment of a Commission to Study the Tariff Question. Prominent Men Among the Speakers—President Roosevelt Interested. Indianapolis, Feb. 16. —The selection and appointment of a tariff commission, not to fix rates, but to ascertain facts as a basis for the fixing of rates by congress, is the purpose of the national tariff convention which began In this city today. The convention

will be in session three days, during which all phases of the tariff question will receive thorough discussion. There are more than 2,000 delegates to the convention, which was called by the National Association of Manufacturers and other large commercial bodies. According to James W. Van Cleave, the president of the association, it is “the first national gathering ever held for the express purpose of promoting the movement for comprehensive, scientific tariff revision.” Convention Is Nonpartisan. The convention is nonpartisan, and among the delegates are men of all shades of political belief. The committee in charge has declared that its purpose is not the discussion of protection, free trade or tariff revision. Its object is declared to be “the urging of reform in the methods pursued in determining schedules, and the discussion of schedules themselves is foreign to its purpose. The committee stands for the tariff commission plan and believes it is one of the greatest reforms in which the country can at this time interest itself.” Beveridge Among Speaker*. Among the speakers who will address the convention are Representative Charles N. Fowler of New Jersey, Senator Norris Brown of Nebraska, Senator Owen of Oklahoma, Senator Beveridge of Indiana, Director John Barrett of the bureau of American republics, Charles P. Neill, federal labor commissioner; Aaron Jones, master of the national grange; former Governor Guild of Massachusetts, and Representative Ransdell of Louisiana. Fowler will take a leading part in the discussions of the convention. His principal address will be on “Tariff Changes by Evolution Instead of Revolution.” In declining an Invitation to attend the convention President Roosevelt declared that he did fiot intend to interfere in a question which would be settled by his successor. Probability of friction on the floor of the convention was lessened by the announcement that the reservation of quarters in a hotel engaged by Secretary W. F. Wakeman of the American Protection Tariff league had been canceled.

CONGRESSMAN FOWLER.