Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-12-04

n IL n Subject That stands Apart from
the Trusts.

AA0
one proposition advocated has been the
reduction Of the tartn as means Of reach
ing the evils Of the trusts which fall with
IN the category / have described. Not
merely would this be wholly ineffective.
but the diversion OF our efforts In such a
direction would mean the abandonment Of
all Intelligent attempt TO DO away with
these evils. Many. OF the largest corpora
tainly be Included in any proper scheme Of
regulation, would rot be affected In the
slightest degree by q change in the farift
save as such change interfered with the
only relation Of the tarin to big corpora
tions as 4 whole is that the tariff makes
mSnutactures profitable, and the tariff
remedy proposed would be In effect simply
TO make manufactures Improbable. To
remove the tsrin as a punitive measure
directed against trusts would Inevitably re-
suit In ruin 10 the weaker competitors who
are struggling against them; Our aim
shoulG be not BY unw.se tariff changes to
give foreign products the advantage over
Domestic products, but by proper regula-
ton 10 give domestic competition a fair
chance. and this end cannot De reached by
any tarin changes which would affect un-
favorhhly all Domestic competitors, good
are bad alike. The question Of regulation
o. the trusts stands apart from the ques-
ton Of tarih revision.
Stability Of economic policy must always
be the prime econerntc ree9 Of this country,
This stability should rot be fossill1atior
The country has acuuiesced in the wisdom
of the protective-tarin principls II sT-
ceeengly undesirable that this system
should be destroyed or that there should be
violent and radical changes therein our
past experience shows that great prosper.
ity IN this country has always come uneer
protective tarin, ane that he country
nt short Intervals. Moreover II the tariff
laws as a whole work well. anf II businrss
has Prospered under them and 4 prosper
ing. Il is better TO endure for a time slight
ineonyenieneea enc Inequalities In some
schedule than to upset business BY too
quick assd too radical changes. u Is most
earnestly 10 be wished that we could treat
The tarin from the standpoint solely of our
business needs. II is perhaps, too much 10
hope that pafilsanEhip may be entirely en-
eleded from eonsieerstlon Of the subject.
but az least Il can be mace secondary 10
the business Interests Of the countFy-ihat
r. 70 the interests Of our people ss a whole
Unquestioaably these business interests
Viii best be served n together with fxifv
OF principle as regards the tarif We COM
nihe system which Will permit Us from
time 70 time 70 make the Necessary reap
p,iest,ion 81 the brinclple 70 the shifting Ha-
care that the reappiication shall u irsSs
In such a way that Il win not anourf N
2 eisioessiioh es @ Of our system, the mere
threat OF which mot o speak OF the per-
formance) would produce paralysis Ir shs
business energies Of the community. Ths
nrst cor sieeratlon IN making these changes
clple which uncerlies our whole tsr5fgl sss-
tem--thst IS, the principle o. putting Amer
lean bustness interests a. least o. ! full
ssssis .ys Ssoi saaa is'sTssls seraafs sts sPs Il AZ
more than cover the difference between ne
isooT eost here ane sbroad; The Wsn-be-
lng OF the ullsr Of the soil. should be treat
60 as an essential Il. shaping our Whole
esohonAe poiiey. There mrst Eever be any
lnange when VII jeopsTcize the standard
OF comfort. the standard of wages ~ Ire
American wage-worker
One way fn which the readjustrrent
sought can be reached is by reciprocity
treaties. II is greatly TO Be desired thst
such treaties may be adopted They can
be used TO widen our markets and 10
give greater field for the activities OF
our producers on the one hand. and on
the other 10 secure in practical shape the
lowering Of duties when they are no
longer needed for protection among our
own people, or when the minimum Of
damage done may be disregarded for re
sake Of the maximum OF good acroa0-
pished- II IL prove Impossible 70 ratffy
the pending treaties, and IL there seem
to be no warrant for the endeavor 10
execute others, or to amend the pending
treaties 50 that they can be ratified. then
the same end-to secure reciprocity
should be met by direct legislation.
Need Of Tariff ConmianIon.
Wherever the tzrin conditions are such
that needed change cannot with ad-
vantage he made by the application OF
the reciprocity idea. then il can be made
outright by a lowering OF duties on a
given product II possible, such change
should be made only after the fullest
consideration by practical experts who
should approach the subject from a bust
ness standpoint, having in view both the
particular interests affected and the COM
mercial wrll-being OF the people as a
whole. The machinery for providing such
careful investigation can readily be sup
Piled The executive department has al
ready at Its disposal methods Of collect
ing facts and figures; and n the con-
EreEs desires additional consideration 70
that which viii be given the subject BIZ
rs own committees. then a commission
OF business experts can be appointed
whose duty It should be 10 recommend
action by the congress after a deliberate
and scientific examination Of the various
schedules ae they are affected by the
changed and changing conditions The
unhurrled and unbiased report Of this
commission would show what changes
should be made IN the various schedules
and how far these changes could 70
without also changing the great pros
peiity which this country Ia now enjoy
Ing, or npsetting its fixed economic pol
The cases In which the tariff can pro-
duce a monopoly are 20 few as 10 con-
eutute an inconsiderable factor ia the
question; but Of course n In any case
y be found that q given rate Of duty
does promote a monopoly which works
ill., no protectionist would object 20 such
reduction Of the duty as would equaiizs
competition.
In my judgment. the tariff on anthra-
cite coal should be removed, and anthra-
ha.ly, on the free list This would have
40 eHarf a all tr - sr