The Globe-republican., 1901-09-12

The Delusions of .sTarfn Reformers'' and
In-Tnfor1ned Politicians Ably Dissected
and Truth Clearly Forth-Peo-
PIE Opposed Tariff Revision.
One Of the most comprehensive and
conclusive arguments supplied in re-
Spouse to the American Economists
requests for expressions on tae subject
OF tariff revision is that contained in
the subjoined letter of Con gresham
Burkett of Nebraska There is. for
example, world of sound sense in
this statement:
..The Dingley bill may not be per
feet in it's workings in every particu-
lar, but would the little that we could
hope to better it warrant the risk Of
the undertaking, especially when We
take into consideration the fact that
try are all adjusted to it?''
Congressman Burkett's letter in full
follows:
In response to your letter of recent
date asking my opinion of general
revision of the tariff law in the fifty
seventh congress, permit me to say
do not find any demand in the Middle
West for tariff revision. In fact, L
should say it is not desired. The peO-
pie are prosperous, and in my Judg-
ment they do not forget with what
promptness their prosperity followed
the ena ctment Of the Dingley bill In
this, 1 would differ with the eminent
statesman from Ohio, General Gros-
venor, in his letter of June 1, a copy
Of which is before me, and Wherein he
said:
1.-The great danger to the future well
fare of the American people lies in the
shortness of their memory
The people have not forgotten, nor
will they ever forget, the disasters in
business during the unfortunate period
n fra @ in this country.
The agitation for revision of the tar
if laws is neither the voice nor the
mind of 1.-The people,. 1t does not
sound like 1.-The people,; it dogs not
look like 1.-The people; it does not
come through proper channels to be
recognized as of 1.-The people, I have
failed to find any expression of the
people, whatsoever, either in election
returns or elsewhere, Indicating their
dissatisfac elton with the present condi-
tons.
Agitators may always be found
Those who believe in free trade would
no doubt like to see the advocates of
the American System in clash
among themselves as to detail Per
sons interested in certain ways no
doubt may pretend to believe a revl-
sion of the tariff desirable; but neither
the voice of the agitator, nor of the
free trader, nor the interested one.
should be mistaken for the voice of
the people,
Some may attempt TO name particu-
lar faults in our present tariff laws,
but the chances are that they are not
in sympathy with the general policy
of protection.
1t can be said without doubt that no
legislation could be enacted that would
suit everybody and every individuals
interest The welfare of the whole
American people is the criterion by
which the American congress should
be guided. The farmer in the West,
the planter in the South, the manufac-
turer in the East and the wool grower
in the Northwest and the laboring man
all over the country are prosperous at
present and in my judgment ask no
change.
The Dingley bill may not be perfect
in its workings in every particular, but
would the little that we could hope to
better it warrant the risk of the I'M
dertakine especially when we take in
to consideration the fact that the ma
chinery of commerce and industry are
all adjusted to it? Besides, reciprocity
is a wisely devised and constructed
safety valve to guard against any pos
sib1e danger of too high tension of the
tariff law itself in any particular. A
tariff law is the commercial policy of
the nation. 1t is the governor, so to
speak on the commercial and indus
trial machinery of the nation, and if
we would take it off to mend it the
machinery would either run away with
itself or stop on dead center Any
threat of tinkering with the law
would create such fear in business
centers and among the people inter
ested as to do much harm, even If the
only excuse therefor should prove to
be the familiar philosophy that the
bark is often worse than the bite
Yours truly,
j BURKETT,
NJ. c.. First Dist. of Nebraska
Lincoln, Neb., July "a, 1901
WILL NOT SUCCEED.