Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-06-28
caught Ia Its own Net.

caption "a Lost Battle, the 1DdIan-
apolis News, one of the few really in
dependent republican newspapers Of
the country enters upon a discussion
of the situation OF the republican par
ty as regards the tariff. After Feferr-
ing to the death OF the reciprocity
measure the News continues as fol-
lows:
The plain truth is that the republic
can party is caught in netOf its own
weaving. 1t dareS not reduce the
senators representing those interests
should combine with the democrats
and reduce the duties on other out
rageouSly protected products. There
is scarcely protected interest in the
country that would not Tetaliate If
its protection were withdrawn. None
of them cares for protection as SyS-
tenn or philosophy, but only scheme
out of which it makes money. And
| If one interest ceases to make money
tout OF it, or makes less money than it
thinks it. ought to make, it would
quickly and gladly join with the enc
mics OF the system to prevent any one
else making money out of it. 1t is
pure SelfShneSS and greed that in
spires the beet sugar men and the
rest. In this sense, therefore, the
whole tariff hangs together. If the
sugar duty were lowered, the sugar
senators would promptly unite with
the democrats to secure the lowering
or the removal Of the duties on steel,
iron, wool, tinplate, cattle, ETC., and
then what would become of the bless
ed tariff?
This is the possibility, or rather the
certainty, that confrontS those sena-
tors and they are not few in number,
we are glad to believe), who seem to
be earnestly DESTROYS of doing the fair
thing by Cuba. What they have to
think of is the threatened reform of
the tariff, not by its friends, but by
its enemies, and we know that that is
something no republican can contem-
plate without Shudder But we
know that as a matter OF fact the tar
if, is now imposed, has no really eff
Gent friends except those who make
money out of it. And this being the
case, it viii never be reformed in such
way as to hurt any of its friends :"
The beet sugar people are thus, from
the protectioniStS point of view, who'll
ly within their rights. 1t has been
the custom Of our pro tectionists to
allow the protected Industries to say
| just how much protection they need
ed. Republican waySand means COM
mittees having summoned the heads
of infant industries to teStify.aS tex
perts" in the business OF tariff max
ing, and almost Invariably their views
have been adopted. Little attention
has been paid to those who have made
a study Of the science of political
economy and taxation. These were
not experts" So our tariff Sche-
dulles have been written by the bene-
ticiaries. And now we have reached
4 the climax.
That the people understand the
situation we have no doubt. They
|
publican presidents, one of them the
greatest protectioniSt of our genera
.tiOn, the overwhelming.Se of
the party OF protection, the deSir eS of
the American people, the welfare OF
the country and the very salvation of
Cuba, are as nothing when compared
with the supposed necessity of prOtec-
ting greedy and insignificant indus
try. After seven months OF effort,
the campaign for fair treatment of
Cuba has broken down. 1t is not
simply that Cuba is not to have her
chance, not simply that the American
people are not to be relieved of part
of the burden of taxation, but that
the American congress is pOwerleSS to
+ legiSlate when certain private inter
eStS insist that it shall not legiSlate.
So we say that the party nominally in
control is caught in its own trap. 1t
is nota question of duties or schedules,
f but OF principle.
OF course the old talk will continue
but it will be from now on much more
: difficult to make intelligent men be-
: lieve that protection is a great and
benifcent system the only object of
I which is the general welfare of the
people. The thing is unit and can
only be changed as unit So even
reciprocity is opposed and Cuba, from
/ the present outlook, will have to
struggle along as best she can, and we
: shall have to endure the disgrace OF
being held.up by few men who in
sist they shall be allowed to tax the
American people.