The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-06-11
RIGHT ABOUT TAE TARIFF.

Al the session Of the Industrial Com
mission ut Washington. IN Thursday.
Congressman Robert w. Taylor, Of
Ohio. in discussing the relation Of trusts
% the tariff announced the general prop
nsitiun that the history Of this country
Turing the last few years, and the pres
ut conditions. demand that the prin-
iple of protection as embodied in the |
Dingley law, should not he relaxed in |
my degree. Iii declaring that the rela
ion of the tariff 10 trusts is only incl |
lrntal, he said:
The Dingley law embodied the idea
hat american civilization is IN Il higher
lanc than any other. and required
higher reward for it's labor to maintain
hat excellence. Whenever the labor cost
: greater than elsewhere. il is necessary
| that there should he IN euualiZing ntiu-
| nee such rs the Dinglcy law. Primarily.
| therefore. the protective tariff law was
| u the interest Of labor. Even the farm
| Y gers reciprocal benefit.
| What Mr. Taylor is here credited with
ayng rmboaicS two ideas Of tho tariff
| Ills statement is right as to their rcla-
iyc Importance, but reycrSeS the order
f their evolution. The suggestion that
# higher civilization than the eco
lomc laws Of other nations will. doubt
'cSS bo regarded as new The general
dee, of the tariff il that Of Mr.. Taylpr's
l IA. a Z.
Influence for cqualiZing cost This is the
Id idea. 1t costs more to produce the
,nmr article III this country than else
| where. This however WAS not altogether
he result Of Il greater wage cost-not
due necessarily to Il greater per diem
ust Of lnbor--caused first by the lack
II skilled Labor. and the lack Of labor
saving machinery. These disadvantages
nav" nccn overcome. Effort has de-
vclnpcd skill. Invention has furnished
ulor saving devices. The labor capacity
has been cqualzed. To an observer OF
u merely surface conditions tho attainment
If this end obviat"s the necessity for Il
/ tariff. That is not true. 1t is only m
/ | appearance based upon Il superficial
! view Of the effects OF protection. Tn,
+ | conditions Of labor here ana elsewhere
are not The same. We don't want then
| ~ hr I'll" same. That is, we do not want
| equalization of conditions that will i'm
/ pose upon the Am 'rcan workman condi
= lions that obtain elsewhere. The tariff
| Al,
/ Influence is Just where its effect VIA,
1 most general, and bcnchcrnt. In that
ana its most important sense. il was no
: i mere equalizer of cost, II was
/ maker Of il higher civilization.
i In crcdting to the policy Of tariff pro
4 lection the credit of making our highe
q American civilization, We are not un
g mindful Of the differing political and so
/ cial conditions Of which our civilization
o is also product Whether recognize,
Z rs such or not, we think the fact o
l. political equality, and Of IL relative 50
cial status. accorded to labor in thi
Il country, were the impeling motives il
il the adoption Of the protective policy
y They made protection necessary. The
If were the basis of u higher civilization
Il They must produce that, or the idea o
/. the political freedom and equality of me
Il If government deriving its just power.
II rom the governed were iicti0nS Of dis
1t ordered imagination. The higher civil
/ Zation is here. The inca that II Is on
e higher plane than any other, has hec
4 embodied in tariff law. That is, a
10 we understand il. that the economic law
y Of this country must recognize the ncccs
d sity for provide for, and protect, o
lie maintain the conditions ont of whic