The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-11-29
TARIFF REVISION,
nsnssessrie. OF che Protective sys-
tem Are fsetfiaG Aaxiess ter
Another Haul

We are now hearing from certain
republican organs that Il IL about
time for the tariff 10 be revised by ~
friends" once more.
When theEe organs speak OF the
tariff they mean the protective syt.
TEN. They are not talking about
revenue. They do not have that 10
mind at all.
Therefore, when they any that the
friends Of the tariff should revise 10
they mean that the friends OF the
protective system should revise Il.
Who are the friends" Of that sys
tS@7 Its benefeiaries, Of course. Its
friends are those who get rich out Of
II. They are those who arr at once
licensed by tariff laws 20 demand far
more than the competitive prices for
their products and armed with power
TO collect the extra charge from their
fellow citizens.
Thus II viii be seen that what the
republican organs referred TO propose
10 that II shall be left to thoae who
are practically armed With public
powers for their own enrichment 10
say for themselves just how far they
shall be armed with those powers
We are told that many Of the bene.
hclarleS Of the system do not need
so high duties nv they formerly did
TO shut out foreign competitors and
give them possession Of the home
field. And the suggestion is that
since they can hold the field with
lower duties they. the "frlends" Of the
system. will voluntarily reduce them.
Perhaps they will. hut we shank
them for nothing. We may be SURG
from our past experience with them
that they will arrange the duties 80
"A 20 shield them completely against
foreign competition and extort the
highest possible prices We may de-
pend on It they will keep up the rates
SO that by combining among them.
selves TO EtiAe competition they can
extor, far higher prices from theft
own countrymen than they hnd quite
satisfactory when they sell theiI
goods to foreigners.
Those organs which suggest that
the tariff should be revised by its
friends" are not in the least prompt.
ed by any desire TO relieve the Amer.
lean people from the wrong Of being
compelled by the agency OF isw 10
contribute out Of what Is Justly ;seirH
to the enrichment Of those who are
engaged In pet industries.
All they intend Ia that there shall
be q reduction Of such duties as do
not produce revenue or enable any.
body 10 practice extortion. and that
on the strength OF such reductions
their party shall get credit for re-.
ducinT taxes.
Heretofore they have no, succeeded
even In playing this dishonest game
to any purpose.
The friends" Of the tariff mode
Of sxtortion revised II IN $500. but
they did not even make a prrtcnse Of
relieving the people which could i'm
pose on any intelligent person. Asa
matter Of fact. they increased tho
protective duties and gave us a higher
protective tariff than we ever had be-
fore. The most they did was to dis.
guise very thinly the fact Of the in. |
rreas" by nbolishinE the duty on
sugar, which was equivalent 10 some |
rs per cent, and substituting an
rqu!valca, bounty for The benefit 81
domestic producers Of sugar. /
In 1897 the friends" revised again,
and again they helped Themselves 10
more protection than they had ever /
before venturcd 60 take.
Thus we learn about how much the
people have 10 expect from revision
II the tariff by It's friends" People
who enjoy profitable privileges do not
~ q rule surrender them voluntarily.
they never see the time when they
AN get along with any less privileges.
Il would be ss rational TO leave an
criminal legislation TO the inmates Of
he penitcntiaries nE to leave tariff
legislation 10 the benedciaries Of pro.
lection. The public would fare about
equally well Ia either case.-Chicagu
n ronieie