The Washington times., 1901-09-27
Western Republicans and the Tariff


Western Republicans md the Tariff
There can be no doubt that In the
Western portion of the country there
is a strong feeling among Republicans
in favor of both reciprocity and Win
drawaI of protection from trust con-
trolled products. Representative BAD
cock is a Western man, and his Din
gives voice to what he believes to be
Western Republican sentiment upon
the latter proposition. We also find 1t
rather feebly- expressed in the Iowa
platform of that party, and just little
more strongly, although guardediy, by
its gubernatorial candidate, Mr.. Cum
minis.
1t will not do, however, to build up
too much hope for tariff reform upon
this circumstance alone. Western Re
publicans have frequently been at issue
with their Eastern party brethren upon
commercial and financial questions, but
in the end the Eastern wing has abso-
lutely dominated the party policy. AT
one time the silver sentiment was al
most as strong in the Mississippi Val
ley as it was in Colorado, and very few
newspapers in the land ever denounced
the demonetization of silver with more
vigor and indignation than did the
Chicago Tribune" So the people OF
that section have always felt that the
prohibitive duties levied by Republican
tariff laws Injured almost entirely to
the benefit of those engaged in the pro-
tected industries-a comparatively
small fraction of the entire population.
Even among the Republicans there
have been many outspoken free
traders" as the term is used in this
country to designate those who are in
favor of tariff reform
But in the end, after a due amount Of
spluttering protest, the Western Re-
publicans have generally clung to their
party and cast their ballots for its can
didates. They have thus been held to
their allegiance, partly by the spread
eagle oratory of their spellbinders, and
partly by vague and qualified promises
of reforms along the lines of their de-
sires. 1t is needless to say that these
promises have never been kept, and
keeping them by the real leaders of the
party. The purpose has been merely to
allay discomfort, to hold the organiza-
ton together, and stave off any action
until in some way the progress Of
human events brought change for the
better, and then, of course, it was all
owing to the sound and patriotic policy
of the Republican party.
The experience of the past makes it
wise for us to be exceedingly conserva-
tive in our anticipations of substantial
results to flow from Western Repub-
lican reform movements. Nevertheless,
there is a degree of satisfaction in con-
templating this move in the direction of
freer and more reciprocal trade, and for
the curbing of the trusts. Almost of
necessity it will carry some Republi-
cans from their party moorings, and,
besides, it is a direct admission that the
basic arguments of the tariff reformers
are sound. When a Republican advo-
cates-reciprocity it is tantamount to
declaring that he wants trade which
protective tariffs prevent him from get
ting. When he urges that protection be
withdrawn from the trusts the logical
deduction is that he regards these great
combinations as being in part, at least,
supported and strengthened by the tar
iff The fact that ne at the same time
declares his unaltera bic devotion to the
protective principle proves nothing ex
cept that he fails to appreciate the logic
of his position. For man to declare
himself firmly welded to the protective
principle and at the same time ask that
protection be Withdrawn from the
trusts is about as contradictory and
inconsistent an attitude as can very
well be assumed with reference to the
tariff
i. The great fundamental objection to
prohibitive tariffs las always been that
by preventing competition they create
monopolies or trusts. The demand that
protection be withdrawn from goods
produced or controlled by such trusts
is an admission of the soundness of this
argument, which, as before stated, is
basic If the trust evil is not aggra-
waited by the tariff, as the laws now
stand, it is simply puerile to ask for
removal Of the duties from trust prod
ucts. It would not benefit the country
a particle. But it is perfectly clear that
while it may be possible for trusts to
exist without protective tariff. such a
system gives them great additional ad-
vantages. This is proved by the giant
proportions TO which they have grown
in the United States, which has a
higher tariff than any other country in
the world Naturally, it should be
more difficult to form trusts here than
elsewhere, because of the extent and di-
versity of the country's resources. This
was a favorite argument with Mr..
Dingley, the father of the present tar
iff. Still, we are confronted by the fact
that nowhere else on earth do the trusts
grow and flourish as they do here. thus
reversing the natural order of things.
It can only be because they have been
given some artificial advantage, and
this can easily be found in the tariff
wall that has been erected between
them and all competition from without
Mr.. Cummins' Sweeping Claim.
In his recent speech at Centreyille,
Iowa, the Hon. A b. Cummins, speak
CT,