Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-08-08
SEEKING AN ISSUE.

In its frantic attempts to create
an issue which may place the
party in power the democratic
leaders and the democratic press
are making the most virulent at
tacks on protection. They would
have the American people be-
lieve that a protective tariff is
the prolific source of all the
ills from which they have suffer
ed and which they may appre-
hend in a rapidly darkening fu-
ture. AS Wesley said of human
slavery so would they have us be-
lieve & protection that it "is the
sum of all villianies. =.
They make too specious and
altogether misleading charges
against our tariff law: that they
breed trusts and that it enables
the manufacturer to sell his pro-
ducts to the foreign consumer at
prices greatly below those the
American consumer must pay.
If monopolies and trusts had
no existence outside of the Unit
ed States, and if here none were
found which receive no care
whatever from protection the
charge that they are the offspring
would be plausible. But they
do exist in countries where pro-
lection in the American sense is
no feature of tariff legislation and
they exist here without any aid
whatever through such legisla-
ton. Whatever dangers may be
apprehended from powerful trusts
engaged in manufactures it is
quite clear that protection is not
responsible for them. Everyone
having correct knowledge relat-
ing to them knows that if the
protective feature were wholly
eliminated from our tariff they
would remain. Indeed, it is
quite plain that the destruction
of protection would but intensity
the necessity for those great ag-
gregations of capital we know as
trusts. These are necessary to
the greatest economy in produc-
ton. Without protection pro-
duction would be forced to exer-
else yet greater economy in its
processes.
1t is true capital might accept
smaller profits and workmen low
er wages, but since both profits
and wages are distributed among
the many rather than restricted
to the few we would not curtall
either.
The assertion that our manu-
facturers are selling their pro-
ducts cheaper in foreign than in
our own markets is entitled to little
weight. 1t is true a list of such
articles is published and the diff
ferent prices specified, but it is
furnished by free-trade exporters
to democratic issue seekers. Ever
if the list and the prices giver
are correct the real truth is con
cealed.
Some articles are manufactur
ed expressly for the export trade
They are of a much cheaper
grade than our people, who de-
mand the best OF everything
will buy, yet more desirable te
the foreign consumer because ot
quality, utility and price. 1t i:
no new thing to export surplu:
and out-dated articles to be sold
for whatever they will bring.
It is no where in evidence thai
our manufacturers refuse or fail
to supply the requirements of the
home market, nor that he is SELL
ing his products in foreign mar
kets for prices below those at
which he sells goods of the same
quality at home.
Iron works, rail mills and
structural steel works have do
mestic or lers covering their full
capacity for many months te
come. During the year Ameri'
can orders for rails were placed
foreign because of the inability
of our mills to fill them.
The whole country is prosper
Gus; not the feck of a cloud ap-
pears in our horizon. Protec-
tiou, industrial protection, will
not be abandoned. Whatever
notifications tariff schedules may
require will be determined and
applied by the friends of protec-
lection. This is the purpose oi
the republican party. 1t satisfies
the American people. The dem
ocratic party must continue to be
the party of negation ever wall
ing: "Wanted, an Issue"