Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-05-14
PROTECTIVE TARIFF MUST GO.

Near the close Of the last Congress the
chairman of the Republican Congress
sional Committee, j. W. Babeock, intro
duced bill to abolish the tariff on iron
and steel. This was just after the
formation of the steel trust was an
nounced. This apparent lapse of Mr..
Babcock from the dogma of protection
caused considerable talk and he was in
terviewed by the newspapers. In one
Of these interviews he is reported to
have said;-''it was to forestall similar
action by a Democrat" No action was
taken by the committee to whom the
bill was referred, Mr.. Babcock evident
ly did not expect it, he was merely
playing to the galleries, in fact his bill
did not abolish the duty on iron and
steel, it merely pretended to. 1t pro-
videdfor the repeal of the iron schedule,
but did not repeal or change section
1913, which provides for an advalorem
duty of 45 per cent on iron and steel not
specifically provided for in the act. The
steel trust would doubtless be quite
satisfied with this 40 per cent tariff.
Two or three Democrats at the first
session Of the Fifty-sixth Congress had
introduced bills repeating all duties on
trust articles, but the committee on
ways and means never considered them,
the Republican majority being opposed
to such action. Mr.. Babcock, there
fore, did not forestall the Democrats,
who are pledged by their national plat
form against trusts and the Dingley
tariff and will certainly introduce bill
to that end when the Fifty-seventh Con-
the faith of those Republicans who feel
that the trusts should be curbed.
If the steel trust is to be legislated
against why not the sugar trust, the tin
trust and the hundred and one other
trusts and combines. But to do this
would require nearly every schedule OF
the tariff law to be repealed and the
whole fabric of protection would be
wiped out. This would leave the Re.
publican party with but Imperialism as
a living issue and with the greatest
| source of its campaign funds cut of
without a countervailing fountain t.
draw from.
A large majority Of the Republican
Senator's and Representative have re
ceiyed and are receiving favors from
the trusts, combines and corporations
many of them are owned by the trusts
and relief to the people from them is
unlikely and almost impossible.
But there are other troubles for the
prOtectionists. The State Department
and the diplomats have become inter
ested in the tariff discussion. The
counteryailing duties on Russian beet
sugar has been met by that country
with large increase Of duty on Ameri-
can goods, so that door is closing
against US. Germany and France are
also said to be intending retaliatory
measures, and even many of the Eng
lish politicians are talking the same
way.
Then we have the colonial tariff ques-
ton that must be settled and our new
possessions may soon be supplying us
wit2. sugar and some kinds of tobacco.
Free sugar from Puerto Rico and the
Philippines would cut off the revenue
from that source, wipe out the Ameri-
can sugar plantations, and free tobacco
would ruin the protected Connecticut
wrapper grower.
The whole tariff is a complicated but
frail structure, and, like the children's
house of cards, a finger or breath will
cause a wreck. When you have local
politics, loot and diplomacy, all taking a
hand, and inherited faith in the doctrine,
they have taught their rank and file to
worship, to beware of, one c;@lnot envy
our Republican friends the JOB of tariff
revision they must soon enter upon.
The Democratic plan of tariff for
revenue will have to be adopted sooner
or later.