The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-12-06

JaflH laws as WnOle WOrk well, ana
il business has prospered under them
and is prospering, it is better to
endure fora time slight Inconvenience
aud inequalities in some schedules
than to upset business by too quick
aud too radical changes 1t is most
earnestly to be wished that we could
treat the tariff from the standpoint
solely of our business needs. 1t is,
perhaps, too much to hope that par
tsanship may be entirely excluded
from consideration OF the subject,
out az least it cau be made secondary
TO the business interests of the
country-that is, to the interests Of
our people as whole. Unquestion-
ably these business interests will best
be served If together with fixity
% Drilcip.e as regards the tariff we
comblne a system which will permit
US from time to time to make the
nece,sary aap2'cition of the princi-
pie To Tue shifting national needs.
We must take scrupulous care that
the reapplication shall be made in
such way that 1t will not amount to
a dislocation Of our system, the mere
threat Of which (not to speak Of the
performance) would produce paralysis
in the business energies Of the COM
munity. The first consideration in
making these changes would, Of
course, be TO preserve the principle
which underlies our whole tariff
sYstem-that is, the principle Of
putting American business interests
at least on full equality with inter-
ests abroad, and Of always allowing
a sufficient rate of duty to more than
cover the difference between the labor
cost here and abroad. The we'll
being If the wage worker, like the
well-being Of the tlller of the soil,
should be treated as an essential In
shaping our whole economic policy.
There must never be any change
which will jeOpardize the standard Of
comfort, the standard Of wages Of the
American wage worker.
One way In which the readjustment
sought can be reached is by recipro-
city treaties 1t is greatly to be
desired that such treaties may be
adopted. They can be used to widen
our markets and to give a greater
field for the actlvies Of our producers
on the one hand, and on the other
hand to 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 dlsregarded
for the sake of the maximum of good
accomplished If it prove impossible
to ratify the pending treaties, aud II
there seem to be no warrant for the
endeavor to execute Others, or to
amend the pending treaties so that
they can be ratified, then the same
end-to secure reciplocity-should be
met by direct legislation
Wherever he tariff conditions are
such that a needed change can not
with advantage be made by the appli-
cation Of the reciprocity idea, then II
can be made outright by a lowering
Of dulles 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 business stand.
point, having 10 view both the par.
ticular interests affected and the
commercial well-beiog Of the people
as whole. The machinery for pro-
viding such careful investigation can
readily be supplied. The executive
| department has already atits disposal
methods OF collecting facts and
figures; and il the congress desire.
additional consideration to that which
will be given the subject by its own
committees then a commission Of
business experts can be appointed
whose duty IL should be to recon
% nd action by the congress after d
deliberate ana scientific examination
Of the various schedules as they arr
atiecled BY The changed and ch ngins
tcoqciuded on page four.l