Arizona republican., 1902-12-08
1 l

II.
 The proposed treatment of corpora tions, even if something ought to be done, is a fine example of how easily men mistake their wishes for their reasons. It is proposed to repeal such portions of the tariff act as nave made these corporations prosperous. or course, this is not intended to attack the tariff. All we are trying to do i5 to sap the prosperity of institutions which have grown so large as to frighten us. Why do they frighten us? Because they are great and strong and wealthy. Of course. then. their great ness and strength and wealth are fun damental facts beyong dispute. No tariff law can be made which does not apply 10 all. Hence. if the tariff is SO reformed that the big. strong and wealthy corporations go to destruction, how are the small ones to be saved Really. to the calm and judicious mind tnls seems like free trade for its own sweet sake.
 Protection in some lands may be the subject of discussion and debate. How it can be that in this country. and at this tune passes all understanding. In [ ton has had a century and a quarter of alternate triumph and defeat. The tri- umph has always been followed by prosperity, the defeat by hard times. The idea that protection is in the nature of medicine to be dropped as soon as possible, is an idea that we had better examine. What if it is food? The medicine notion comes from the early arguments for the selection of infant industries to be fostered and cherished. Time and experience have enlarged that notion of protection. 1 They have shown that protection is not a privilege. but a system. A privilege might be robbery. A system must jus ! tify itself by results. The principle i which underlies protection Is the secur- 1 ing at all times to the American people ! the markets of America. It means that 1 the work of this nation shall be done ! by the people of this nation. Ali wealth comes from the marrying of la bor to the raw material. In a country like ours, extending over such vast re- i gions there can be no lack of materials. 1 Any system which enables our people ! to do our own wcrk is the system which can give. and as given, Jhe best re- suits. The enemy have all along | sneercd at the idea that taxes can make US rich. But this is simply to be- guile by words. Would 1t be any less ! absurd to say that taxes gave US good ! currency? And yet they did. We tax i state currency. We do not raise one cent by the tax; it simply bars out the state currency. We used the tax as d way of accomplishing a result-as ! means to an end. In like manner. we used the taxing power to create a bar rier behind which we could do our own ! work. All the theorists. the men who ! thought there was nothing in the world l they could not think of. declared -nat we would be ruined. We have moi been ruined. but we are today very lively example Of a people who do their own work What would you say was tha ideal condition of a nation? Everybody at work. Just now we have everybody at work. And yet we think we want something else. If we keep on fussinS we shall get it. With all the world, ex- tept England. including her own col onies of our opinion. with success eU- broidered on all our banners. we are invited to surrender our views and give | place to a beaten world.
 Why? Simply because of tna: human unrest which is a part of the hiGp ry of the race. We. being also Of limited | knowledge, are much given to oe be- guiled by generalities. Here IS one lin,. of generalities. Is the Dingley tariff bill the end of wisdom? If not. then l it can be improved 4 tariff bill could 1 be framed. we think, which would be free from all the errors of that cele- brated bill and retain it's virtues. Where would you enact such a bill? Why. in your own mind, of course Unrortun- | ately. bill enacted in the mind has no extra territorial force. A bill enacted bv congress, like the progress of the worIi. is the result of a fierce conflict of op- posing human interests. and must be SO. When men talk carelessIy of tariff revision, they talk of tariff never yet established. and one that can never
 be. They dream of a tariff which ex- actly suits them individually, while q real tariff bill is one which measurably satisfies the country as a whole.
 But we can have, sitting in perpet- ual session. a body of men non-par- tisan. judicious. wise and lncorrupti- bie. Yes, in your mind. You can havs anything in your mind Imagination
 is unlimited, and it is very delightful to wander round among possible i'm possibilities. Just think of a non-pa-- tisan free trader sitting on a tariff tax, Of course. he would be above any
 prejudice except his own. I saw one tariff commission sit in 1882. and it's report was not enacted into law. All Its mistakes were, and the result was, sat- isfactory to nobody.
 What we nd better do is to remember where we are and what our dangers arc. Enterprises oS business are not
 entered upon by helter- -skeltcr They
 are the result of calcuHion. One of the
 first inquiries of the promoter or maker
 is, how many of our present conditions are to remain? If there are to be uncer-
 tainties in the future he will not dare
 to act. What can you imagine that
 would dampen q business mans ardo.
 more than to be called upon 10 guesr
 what new tarih bill would be, Tn.
 prophetic instinct in the human crea-
 ture is there beyond it's limit
 , We ought to let the tariff alone: VIC ought to defend it against ali corners
 for the good of the na tion We arc do-