Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1902-12-05
THE TARIFF.
1t In a Subject That Stands Apart from
the Trusts.

reouGuon oI the tarln as means of reach
ing the evils of the trusts which fall with
merely would this be wholly ineffective,
but the diversion of our efforts, in such a
direction: would mean the abandonment Of
an Intelligent attempt to. 90 away with
tons. many Of those which should Ger:
reg4lat ton; would not be affected in the
slightest degree by change in the tariff,
as such chiangs ipterfersa with tie
only relation of the tariff to big corpora
,, tons as whole is that the tariff makes
remedv Pr95ah and the tariff
to make MANUFACTURES improbable. 70
remove the tariff as punitive measure
directed against trusts would inevitably re-
suit IN ruin to the weaker compe titors who
are struggling against them. Our aim
shoulG be not by. unwise tariff changes to
give foreign products the advantage over
ton to give domestic competition fair
chance. and this end cannot be reached by
any tariff changes which would affect un-
and bad alike. The question of regula ton
of the trusts stands apart from the ques-
tis Sqa 1i tar # e ee0isj9n nocv s+
be the prime economic need of this country
This stability should lot be fossilization
The II :, country has acquiesced in the wisdom
! ceeGingly 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 under
appo5eG cqntae tar1snG tthat teSontry
laws as Whole work weIi. and if businesl
has prospered under them and is prosper
ing, it is. better to endure for time slight
schedules than to upset business by too
quick and too radical changes. It is most
earnestly to be wished that we could treat
business reeds: 1t Is, perhaps, too much to
hope that partisanship may be entirely ex-
GUIDED from consideration Of the subject,
but at least it can be made secondary to
the business interests Of the ountry-that
IS. to the interests of our people as whole.
unquestionably these business interests
Of principle as regards the tariff we com
bire a system which will permit us from
time to time. to make the necessary reap
ona sue mast 70 tahe znirtnS
care that the eapplcation shall be mace
In such way that it will not amount to
threat Of which mot to speak OF the mere mere
formance) would produce paralysis in the
business 6usI a energies Of thu; community. The
would. Of course. be to preserve the prin.
ciple which underlies our whole tariff sys-
tem-that is. the principle Of putting Amer
equality, with interests abroad, and Of al al
ways allowing sufficient rate of duty to
more more than cover the difference between The
ing Of the wage-worker, like the weil-be
| ing of the tiller of the soil, should be treat
co as an essential in shaping our whole
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 reciprocity
treaties. It is greatly to be desired that
such treaties may be adopted. They can
ee used to widen len our markets and to
our producers on the one hand. and on
the other to secure in practical shape the
55o oMeaI soo OF duties when they are no
own people. or when the minimum Of
damage done may be disregarded for the
s SAKE Of the :. maximum of good accom-
the pending trea ties. and if there seem
to be no warrant for the endeavor to
execute others, or to amend the pending
the same end-to secure reciprocity
should be met by direct legislation
Need Of Tariff Commission.
Wherever the tariff conditions are such
that needed change cannot with adj
vantage be made by the application of
outright BY q lowering Of duties on a
given product. If possible, such change
should be made only: after the fullest
sSoaa ~
ness standpoint, shayinG in view both the
| particular interests. affected and the com
mercfal Well-beinE of the people as q
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 fgures;- and # the con-
gress desires additional consideration to
that which Will4be given the subject by
: its own committees, then a commission
OF business experts can be appointed
whose duty it should be to-. recommend
action by the congress after deliberate
ana scientific examination Of. the: various
SCHEDULES as they are affected by. the
changed and changing conditions. The
unhurried and unbiased report of this
commission would show what changes
snould be made in the various schedules,
and how far these changes could go
without also changing the great pros
perlty which this country is now enjoy
ing. or upsetting Its fixed economic pol
ifX;,
The cases in which the tariff can pro-
stitute an inconsiderable factor in the
question: but of course if in any case
It be found that given rate Of duty
does promote monopoly which works
i'll, no protectionist would object to such
reduction of the duty as would equaHze
competition.
In my judgment, the tariff on anthra-
cite coal should be removed, and anthra-
cite put actually where it now is nom
tnally. on the free list. This would have
no effect at all save in crises; but 10