The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-09-04
Eastern Comment on Idaho Taaiff Plank

The action taken by the republican
state convention of Idaho is another
proof of the aroused feeling in this
country on the subject OF tariff revision
particularly in its relations to the great
industrial combinations Congressman
Grosvenor, Ct Ohio, has recently said
that the republican party would revise
the tariff when the proper time came /;
but he allowed it to be clearly understood
that i'll his opinion the present was an
exceedingly improper time. But the
Idaho republicans insist upon "a revision
OF the tariff without uurc asonable delay,
which will place upon the free list every
article and product controlled by any
monopoly, and such other articles and
products as are beyond the need of pro-
lection" Taking this assertion in con-
nection with the further one "that many
OF the industries Of this country have out
grown their infancy and the American
manufacturer has entered the markets of
the world and is successfully competing
with the manufacturers of other countries"
and it becomes clear that these North
western republicans do not agree with
General Grosvenor, of the ways and
means committee, that things are pretty
good as they are, nor with Secretary of
the Treasury Shaw, that the protective
tariff is an arrangement for permanently
dividing government favors among diff
ferent geographical sections of the
country. These Idaho republicans APP
parently belong to the class of d-fash-
Toned protectionists, those who believed
that it was desirable TO build up the in
FAINT industries of the country by tempo
rarily according to the representatives of
these an opportunity during the days Of
early growth to charge their fellow
countrymen higher prices for their
products than it would be possible for
them to exact if there was unrestricted
competition. But when they find that
our industries have not only passed the
infant stage, but have grown to be the
most gigantic in strength and ability the
world has ever known, the notion that
the people Of the United States should
tax themselves in order to furnish official
gratuities to these investors may be an
acceptable notion to Messrs Shaw and
Grosvenor, but is evidently not SO looked
upon by the unsophistioated republicans
of the Northwest.
or course congressional resolutions
cannot bring about tariff changes; but
such resolutions, which are entirely at
odds with the wishes OF the political ma
chine of the republican party, would not
be adopted unless there was strongly
pronounced feeling on the part of the
people whom the delegates to these con-
ventions represent; hence it becomes evil
dent that if the republican majority in
congress refuses to act it runs the risk
of placing in the possession of the demo
Gratis the best possible issue with which
to win sweeping victory III 1904. We
should imagine that even the repr>sen-
eotiVCS VI Inc great IuuuStIldl Interests,
who have been the chief benefciaries of
our protection system, would realize
that, great as the risk may be of having
republican congress take up the subject
of tariff revision, the risk of having the
republican party defeated on the tariff
issue, and of having the democrats re-
wise the tariff is, so far as their interests
are concerned, vastly greater, and hence
Of the two evils it is conceivable that they
should see the expediency of choosing
the lesser.-Boston Herald.
The republicans Of Idaho have Endorsed
the President and called for tariff reform.
If the beet-sugar men in Congress had
not made snch desperate fight against
the proposed reduction in tine duties on
imports from Cuba these Western state
conventions might not now be so in
sistent on a more radical revision of the
tarif1-Providence Journal.