Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-12-03

merce with Foreign natlons ana among
and requirements operating directly upon
| such commerce. the instrumentalittes
thereof and those engaged therein: 49,,
consideration of the congress with view
to the passage of a law reasonable In its
provisions and effective In Its operations atoms
| adjudicated that now raise doubts as to
| the necessity of constitutional amend
ment. If it prove impossible to accom-
| plish the purposes above set forth by such
a law, then assuredly we should not
shrink from amending the constitution so
as to secure beyond peradventure the
The congress has not heretofore made
| any appropriation for the better enforce
stands Very much has been done by the
! department Of Justice In securing the en-
| forcement, Of this law, but much more
/ special appropria ton for this purpose. to
be expended under the direction of the
I attorney general.
reduction of the tariff as a means Of
reaching the evils OF the trusts which fall
Ti5hm era hs GaS wSo1
| tive. but the diversion of our efforts In
such a direction would mean the aban-
away with these evils. Many of the lar
| gest corpora tons, many of those which
| should certainly be included In any proper
fected in the slightest degree by a change
\ In the tariff, save as such change inter-
fered with the general prosperity of the
| to big corporations as a whole Is that the
| tariff makes manufactures profitable, and
the tariff remedy proposed would be in
| effect simply to make manufactures I'M
| profitable To remove the tariff as a
| punitive measure directed against trusts
would inevitably result in ruin to the
| against them Our aim should be not by
unwise tariff changes to give foreign prod
ucts, but by proper regulation to give do
| nestle competition fair chance and
| this end cannot be reached by any tariff
| changes which would affect unfavorably
all domestic competitors, good and bad
| alike. The question of regulation of the
trusts stands apart from the question OF
| tariff revision.
Stability OF economic policy must al
ways be the prime economic need Of this
country. This stability should not be fos-
in the wisdom of the protective tariff
principle. 1t Is exceedingly undesirable
that this system should be destroyed or
changes therein. Our past experience
shows that great prosperity in this coun-
| try has always come under a protective tar
| If and that the country cannot prosper
under fitful tariff changes at short inter-
| walls. Moreover, II the tariff laws as
whole work well and IL business has pros
pered under them and is prospecting. it Is
| better to endure for time slight incon-
veniences and inequalities in some sched-
and too r.dea ehaDsss Is most ear
the farifr from the standpoint solely of
much to hope that partisanship may be
entirely excluded from consideration Of
the subject. but at least 1t can be made
country-that is, to the interests of our
Bu business interests viii best be served Il
CARDS s9SHe the tariff we combine a system
which will permit us from time to time to
make the necessary reapplieation Of the
| We must take acrupulous care that the
| reapplication shall be made in such a way
that it will not amount to disloeauon OF
| to speak of the performance. would pro-
duce paralysis In the business energies
Of the community. The first eonsidera.s
course, be to preserve the principle which
underlies our whole tariff system-that is,
ness interests at least on full equality
| with interests abroad and of always al
lowing a sufficient rate Of duty to more
labor cost here and abroad. The well be-
| Ing Of the wageworker, like the well be-
| ing of the tiller of the SOIL should be
| whole economic policy. There must never
be any change which will Jeopardize the
standard Of comfort, the .o standard OF
| One way in which the readjustment
soughe can pe reachea IS oy irad thay
snch tSsaties = nav he adonted They can
| he ised 10 widen our markets and 10 give
| a greater field FOR the activities OF our
| producers on the one hand and on the
| other hand to secure In practical shape
the lowering of duties when they are no
! longer needed for protection among our
own people or when the minimum of dam
age done may be disregarded for the sake
| of the maximum OF good accomplished.
II II prove impossibie 70 ratify the pend
ing treaties and IL there seem TO be no
warrant Tor the endeavor to execute 9TH
| ers or to amend the pending treaties so
| that they can be ratified then the same
| end-to secure recprocity-should be met
| by direct legislation.
| Wherever the tariff conditions are such
that a needed change cannot with advan-
| tage be made by the application of the
| reciprocity idea. then IL can be made out
| right NV a lowering of duties on a given
| nrodrct IL nossihie such change should
r. I'D on,y aftsr tha f,,llast considera-
. pe ni S', oay %, axnart. M shn,SId an
~. - S,Ssaut 49, q hu.,nass ,tand
proach the supJee. iIoi,i .nil ss .,S,,o
point having IN view pom .he PAL .ou ,,s,,
interests anecteu ana the coHirnerSAi wen
being OF the people as whole me ma
chinery for providing such careful inves-
tigation can readily be supplied. The e1-
ecutiye department has already at its
DISPOSAL methods Of collecting facts and
io,,res and II the congress desires aiidi-
ttonaI consideration 10 that which Will be
Ia -. s,,htact ~ tta cum cornmittaes
s.veh '.S SI.ss" -, h',s,na.. oTnaxt. % y
sise.i = ss 80. % 80, ~ sho,X r. a.