Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-03-06
A SETTLED QUESTION.
Is THE TARIFF NO LONGER OPEN
TO CONTROVERSY?
Dangers of 0verconfidence Illustrated
in the Fact that the Enemies of Pro-
lection Are Only Biding heir Time
for Another Attack.

OYerconfldence is more subtle but
a scarcely less dangerous evil than is
lack of confidence. 1t has betrayed
the American people more than once.
Because the country had been prosper
Gus so long, because its prosperity had
grown continually greater, the major
ity of us got to imagining that we
ter what we did or what policy we
adopted. The people b, gan really 10
believe that business and politics had
little or nothing to do with each other,
and so they voted for change III 1892.
We have gotten over that folly now,
and are not likely TO make the same
mistake again. But our overcontidence
Is laying another trap for us. This
time 1t takes the form of saying that
the tariff question is settled, that there
is no need of counting that as an issue
any more. Only few days ago the
New York Sun said editorially:
THE tariff question has been remov-
ed from controversy, and practically
has settled itself. /. This policy of
developing American Industry has re
ceived a practical yindication so COM
plete that there remains only feeble
academic opposition TO it. Politically
Ii is accepted by ali parties. lit did not
provoke controversy in either of the
two last national campaigns"
The Sun forgets, apparently, that
fhn rla Of fba ffn rf1s
adopted at Kansas City last July de
nounced the Dingley tariff law. 1t for
gets. apparently, that Mr.. Bryan, the
late Democratic candidate for the pres
idency. is still on record as declaring
that a protective tariff is vicious in
principle, or it would not say that po-
litically protection has been accepted
by all parties" The editor OF the Sun
must have been curiously unobseryant
of the words and writings of many po-
litical writers besides Mr., Bryan; he
must have skipped many things in re
cent editions of many papers which
must be on his exchange table, his
neighbor. the Times. among the num-
Der, If he thinks that the only opposi-
lion to protection is either feeble or
academic.
There can be no doubt in the mind of
any person of sense or Judgment of the
fact that the American people are, by
an overwhelming majority. in favor. of
the system of protection. So far as be-
lief goes, the tariff Is settled; but not
all the free traders are by any means
convinced. They are only biding their
time, and not until denunciations of
protection are eliminated from all po
litical platforms, both State and ma
tional; not until the leaders of all the
political parties are men who stand on
a protection record will the tariff ques-
ton be no longer political issue. The
policy of protection is safe enough If
little guarding is done, but no policy
and no principle is safe if its friends
forget it. Its enemies will nos be so
forget full, and the Sun and eyelv other
proteetionist paper which is incliced to
think that the tariff is no longer an is
sue in politics and needs no further de-
Tending will dc well TO remember that
the enemies of protection are always
watchful. The tariff is settled for all
time In favor of protection only if the
protectionists of the country see to it
that they are equally watchful.