The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-11-07

| the New York Commercial has printed
in connection with the plan of taking
the tariff out of politics and placing 1t
| in the hands of bipartisan commits
sion none is more interesting and use
full in pointing out how not to do 1t
than that of Mr.. Charles H. Parsons
Of the Parsons Fruit company. This
gentleman is quoted as saying:
Il certainly am in favor of tariff
commission, non-partisan preferable.
Our President in his several speeches
last month entered quite fully into the
subject and large majority Of the
people are with him. A tariff is neces-
sary and should be one for the benefit
Of all If possible A tariff for the
benefit of the manufacturers neces-
sarily Is for the benefit of our work
men, and when they are employed at
good wages the entire country is pros
porous.
1.-THE President should have the
power if he, with the advice of the
commission, should consider 1t neces-
sary for the benefit of the country Tin
case of shortage of our crops or pro-
longed strikes) to suspend for time
the collection of duties on articles af-
fected thereby For instance, had he
the collection of duties on articles af-
on coal we should all feel much
easier, as the situation before us is
certainly alarming. If there were no
duty on coal and prospects of large
importations the present controversy
might reach an early settlement.
when there is a failure of any of
the crops that are necessary to the
support of mankind. such as potatoes,
onions, apples, beans, ETC., the duty
should be suspended for the time be-
ing, thereby enabling all to procure
them, if not at reasonable prices, at
least at much lower than if we have to
depend on our home supply"
The simplicity OF this scheme of
tariff tinkering is one of it's chief
charms An article has increased in
price through diminished supply or
abnormal demand. All you have to
do is to take off the tariff and the
price is forthwith lowered by foreign
competition. Wages are too high to
suit some people, Lower them by re.
moving the tariff. Very easy, very
simple. Much too simple many will
think. The American farmer would
be quite certain to think so. 1t is the
votes of American farmers that sup
port and maintain the protection prin-
ciple. Take away the votes of agricul-
tural protectionists and we would
have free trade in short order.
None the less it is a remarkable
fact that all schemes Of tariff reduc-
ton seem to point first to the Ameri-
can farmer. He must be thought an
easy mark by our politicians and
statesmen If one is to judge by the
readiness with which they pick him
out for sacrifice and slaughter. If he
grows sugar beets in Michigan or to-
bacco in Connecticut, no matter; take
away the sugar and tobacco duties in
the name of relief" or of "reciproci-
ty."
Take the Parsons idea of spasmodic
free trade in potatoes, onions, apples,
beans, etc. There is a potato crop
failure in ten states and more than
average potato crop in ten other
states, as often happens. Now, it
won't do at all to give the farmers in
the ten full crop states the benefit
Of the higher prices that will naturally
come because OF the crop failure IN
the ten other states. The farmer
might do too well, might make too
much money. 1t is true that his last
years potato crop was hardly worth
the digging because of the heavy yield
all over the country and the conse-
quent drop in prices. Don't let him
recoup last years losses by this years
higher prices. Take off the Dingley
tariff duty of rs cents bushel and
give the benefit to the potato farm
ers of Canada, Ireland and Germany.
If beans are abnormally high on &C.
count of short crops, because of
storms or other unfavorable condi-
tons in some sections, shall not the
farmers who were lucky enough to
grow good crops of beans take advan-
tage of the improved prices? No,
| Il
duty of as cents a bushel; take 40
cents off the market value Of every
bushel of beans grown by American
farmers. When apples or onions are
scarce and high priced remove the
Dingley rate of 40 cents a bushel. No
matter if million or more American
farmers are thereby robbed of nat
ural and legitimate chance of getting
better prices this year than they got
last year. What is wanted is cheaper
apples and onions. The farmer can go
hang himself.
No, Mr.. Parsons, you won't do. You
are evidently a very raw protection
list, a very crude economist and a very
bad politician. The party that knocks
of the tariff from labor products when
wages are high and knocks of the
tariff from farm products when their
price is abnormally high will not last
long in this country, whether the
knocking of be done by an irrespon-