The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-01
a c4MP41GN or EDUCATION

While the average Intelligence of the
American people Is reasonably high, the
voters who determine the fate of party
policies are In the main totally ignorant
OF the economic principles involved in the
party issues. Tt is the coating vote which
carries elections and the noat,.g voters
10 very little independent thinking
The signs OF the times Indicate that the
campaigns of the immediate future will
have TO be fought out on educational
lines The people will have to be taught
the laws of trade as applied to our present
Industrial and commercial conditions be-
fore their votes viii mean anything AL
though the next congressional election is
a year. and the next presidential election
three Years. in the future the newspapers
are already indulging In pertinent eco
monte discussions More than that, con-
ventions are being held here and there for
the purpose of devising ways and means
to avert some unseen but anticipated
evil While the country Is apparently in
the most prosperous condition there is a
widespread feeling OF unrest-a feeling of
Industrial and commercial insecurity en-
party toward what the people believe to
be necessary reforms. The shoe, harness
and leather interests, alarmed by the
attitude of the Republican leaders toward
the subject of reciprocity, met In con-
venton last week in Philadelphia to dis
cuss the question of free hides. This
convention was made up OF business men,
protectionists, Republicans, and Demo-
Gratis. Their reasons fer desiring a revi-
sion of the tariff schedule of the Ding
ley bill will apply to many other arti-
cles other than hides. Here is a state
ment of their case:
The present hide tariff is not a protec-
TIVE measure; no one is engaged in the
manufacture of hides. 1t can be OPP
pnsed from the point of view of the most
consistent advocate of protection. The
tax works an injury to American labor,
because it enables European and Cam
adam tanners and shoe manufacturers
to secure cheaper materials. Thus, a
tariff ostensibly designed to protect labor
btIo1ISS III pTdctiCdl jill INJURY
to every one in the United States en-
pieyed in the manufacture of shoes and
other articles, made wholly or in part of
ieather-such as beltil,g, harness anu
trunks Yet it is necessary for us to
have the foreign hides, because they
make different kinds of leather from the
domestic, all of which are required for
fne many different departments of the
trade. The domestic supply is inade-
quate.
"A tariff on hides was never a part
Of MeI<ihleyss views. nor Wilson's, nor
DiEgleEs. 1t was placed in the Dingley
bill 80 satisfy certain interests in con-
gress who otherwise would have with
drawn their support to the entire meas
IRE. Senator Jones. of Nevada, favored
the duty on hides because he thought it
would help the raiser of cattle in the
West; but the farmer gets no increase
IN the price of beeves which he sells be-
cause of the tax on hides. 1t is the pack
crs who get the real benefit
This logic will apply to the tax on wool.
lumber. and other classes of raw ma
teriai. The Dingley schedule was not
framed along the line of the theory of
protection for American manufacturers,
but for the sole purpose of securing
enough votes to insure its passage.
IT'S announced that the pending reci-
precity treaty with Argentina will be
ek.Sndoned, because it provides for 20
per cent reduction on the wool schedule
To begin with, the Argentine wool cam
not he duplicated in this country-and as
matter of fact will not compete with
detesstic wool in this or any other ear