The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-11-01
What Democrats
PROPOSE Regarding
Tariff and Trusts
Secretary Root in New York.

Stcitldl! INODl III new 1oIN.
IN YH.AT DOES the Democratic party
NJ propose to do. if the people Of the
w United States put the power into
their hands, to remedy the indus
| trial evils and anoyanccs which have
| came along with our great prosperity?
They have made two proposals. The
first is, to revise the tariff.
1t is easy to say that the tariff needs
revising. In the nature of things time
must call for changes in every tariff law,
because it is fixed statute applied from
day to day to constantly changing condi-
tions. The purpose of the law itself is to
change conditions by improving them,
and it is impossible that such Il statue
should continue any considerable period
without our finding rates of duties which
may we'll be changed. But in considering
the making of such changes it is impOr
tant to keep two things in mind:
Frst-Ihut if Il tariff law has, on the
whole worried well. and if business has
prospered under it and is prospecting. it is
better to endure some slighr inconvcni-
cnces ana inequalities for Il time than TO
incur the uncertainty and disturbance of
business which necessarily results from
the process of making changes. The mere
fact that Il different rate of duty would
be better than the rate fixed in the stat
ute, does not settle the question whether
the change should be made now or should
be deferred. Every tariff deals with du-
ties on Il vast number of articles and i'll
wolves vast number OF interests. often
conflicting. and whenever the law is taken
up by congress for consideration with
reference to one change, every schedule
in the law is going to find some one urg
ing Il change in that schedule; and all
the business interests of the country are
going to be left during a long continued
discussion in II state of uncertainty as to
what will be the outcome of duties upon
the things they are producing, and there
fore in uncertainty as to what compa-
tition from abroad they will be obliged to
meet.
The second thing to be kept in mind is
that if the consideration of all the uues-
tons thus reopened is at the hands OF Il
party in power which is avowedly hostile
TO the principle of protection, the unccr-
tainty incident to the discussion will be
accompanied by loss of confidence ard
fear of the results. Apprehension of prob
able but unknown competition and rcduc-
tion of the prices which can be obtained
for the products of industry will newt
ably lead manufacturers and producers
generally to stop risliing more money,
with the probability of loss, and to con-
tract their operations and reduce their
product. Mills will bc closed and worii-
men thrown out OF employment. Ii this
We're to happen. as over 81 per cent. of
the raw materials of manufacture are
now supplied by agriculture, the con-
traction of manufacture would leave The
without a market for their pro-
ducc, and the farmers, not selling that
could not buy the products of
the mon thrown out of en-
ployment could not buy, and so further
contraction would take place and the
whole fabric of our business prosperity
'nttlI III
when the tariff is to be revised it should !
be revised hy its friends, so that the peC-
pie whose interests are to be affected NAY
so ON with their business with just and |
assurance that while outgrown |
Or erroneous provisions are 10 be cCr- |
rected they are not to be deprived of rea-
Sonable and fair protection.
Now what does the Democratic party |
propose? Does it say I'VE assent to |
The principle of protection and We ask the |
people of the United States to commit 10 |
)ur hands the revision of the tariff in |
conformity to that principle?' Far from |
t. They aVow their unrepenting hostility |
% the principle of protection and ask |
hat the people of the country put in their |
hands the revision of the tariff in order |
hat they may revise. the protection out |
If it and repeat the experiment of Mr.. |
rlevcland's second administration, which, |
according TO Mr.. Gompers, president of |
he American Federation of Labor, pur
hree million American workingnien to
walking the streets, without work and |
Without bread for their families. 1t is not n |
cvson o fthe protective tariff but the de-
'truction of the protective tariff upon
which the people are 10 pass in voting
or members of congress next Tuesday,
md with that destruction would di;ap-
,ear, necessarily the conditions of our
present prosperity II may be that some
imc or other We may have another Pc
'iod of prosperity under some other kind
ii llw; but the prosperity we have TO-
lay is under the protective tariff. You
weep that away and this period of pros
,crity ends.
The specific ground upon which the
party now says that ii should
Ne permitted to revise the tariff Is that
he tariff protects the trusts. Observe
hat they do not propose to conline them
elves 10 cutting off the duties upon the
rticles made by the trusts, but their rem
dy Is 10 destroy the protection OF all |
Americau products and destroy the trusts
~ dragging them down in the general
uin, But consider their proposition re-
;arding the trusts by themselves. The
trusts are protected by the
aIiff Ia common with all other producers
# similar articles, and the census OF 1880 !