The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-05-24
TO REDUCE THE TARIFF.


Duscussing Vice President Roose-
velt's reference TO the success OF the
tariff. the Hartford Courant mentions
tin plate as a striking illustration of
the Development that . protective
tariff can accomplish" 1t recalls that
free traders greeted the idea OF a pro-
tective tarih on tin plate with deris.ve
howls. This may be 50. Free traders
do not monopOllxe wisdom. They are
made up Of poor. erring mortals, just
as protectlonists are, but as a general
proposition We do not know that any,
4 denied that protection. If sutfi-
cient. could accomplish lis purpose.
To use the oft-used illustration, we
may raise bananas in Minnesota with
sufficient protection. But has not the
tin plate argument proved too much?
IL has undoubtedly been a great thing
foo the TN plate trrst. and some In
diana citizens have become mult.mil-
lOnaires because of il; but il the
whole history OF the industry were
written. and it were possible q count
the cost, could il be said that the tin
plate tariff was wise?
This is the whole question as TO
protection. II Is not whether it can
accomplish the thing in view. but
whether il may not. in the words OF
the proverb. make IS pay too dear
for our whistle" and whether an en-
~terprising people would not. in the
long run. prosper more greatly by the
development that they would natural-
~ make. But this. too. is merely
academic. for we have projections:
have had il in the modern sense since
the civil war. If we get back 70 the
original sense only we may be thank
full. and there T signs OF promise
in that direction Thus the Courant
1T would have been vel n Mr.. Roose-
velr had carried his fluctuations a step
further ard had pointed 0ut that pro-
tectivs tariffs are a means 20 ar end and
that. when a protected Interest reaches
such prosperity ard growth as TO build
up . trust and control the markets OF
the country then protection has done IT'S
work and should be removed from that
particular Industry The purpose OF pro-
lection ~ 20 enable n Industry TO establish
E 1851 $500 AA
tsctsOE- When It reaches that point. then
there Is no further need OF protection.
There Is no question hat establishirg
trust 10 control the whole country - evil
cerc= conclusive that the infant industry
period has passed. Ard there - no doubt
certain Industries Still benefited by
heavy protective tariffs are combined in
trusts. ard are using the tariff 10 make
America pay more thar the rest OF the
WORLD for goods and to add 10 their own
ample profits This Will not be tolerated
after II : understood.
Thus the idea is growing that in
many directions there has been pro-
TOO much. and the time has
come when Il must be abated. This
necessarily involves the recognition
Of the doctrine Of profession. that the
party originally espoused
protection as a mean toward free
trade, IS = temporary expedient, o
as a permanent policy.
Ii is already q matter Of general OBJ
~servation that the republican party
will be compelled to abate the tariff.
The effort viii not be easy nor will
success crown it at first The self-in-
terest that has secured the tariff will
be strong TO maintain il. but with the
at home. and with the ne
cessities for going abroad. il seems
that we are on the eve Of i re-
i~uction OF the tariff in many particu-
lars--Indianapolis News (Ind.).