The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-08
NOT REVOLUTIONARY.
Platform of the Iowa Republicans Ii
Conservative Paper.

Boston Journal.
Like the Journal, the New York Tribune
cannot take as altogether serious the ef-
fort made 10 read an alarmst and revolu-
tionary meaning into the reciprocity and
tariff revision clauses OF the platform
adopted on Wednesday by the Iowa Re
publicans."
The more widely these reciprocity and
tariff clauses are read, the more manifest
will it become that the foes of Republican
ism and the protective policy are making
a purely artificial hubbub. for there is
nothing in the action at Des Moines to
demonstrate that there has come "a tri-
umph of radical over moderate opinion. Of
newer over older party leadership" The
Tribune reminds the sensaton-mongers
that the Iowa Republicans have done no
more now than they did year ago without
attracting any notice:
when the Iowa convention held on Aug.
Z. 1901. unanimously adopted resolutions
favOring such changes in the tariff from
time to time as may become advisable
through the progress OF our industries and
their changing relations 10 the commerce
of the world urging the development OF
the reciprocity policy as necessary 70 the
realization OF our highest commercial pos
sibilities. and demanding such modification
or the tarln ScheQuleS as may De required
to prevent their affOrding shelter to mOnop-
oily no voice was lifted TO suggest that the
platform advocated any new or crucial de-
partures in Republican doctrine. No cry
of innovation of heterodoxy was raised:
and the Republicans of Iowa conducted the
campaign Of l90l-One of the most success
full in their history-without realizing that
they had ventured into any unchartered
stretches of party theory"
Nor had they started out on a new
course. It is frankly recognized by pro-
tectioniStS everywhere that tariff re-
Quires occasional revision to meet the ever
changing conditions of trade and industry
Indeed, this is exactly what has been done
by Republican Congresses. The protective
tariff was revised by it's friends in 1883
ciprocity, 1t is distnctively a Republican
idea. This policy which the Iowa Repub-
Icans well describe as a complement OF
protection is practicable only under q
tariff. 1t was not SO very long ago that
the New York World the chief Democratic
reciprocity as "a plot to build our Chinese
wall little further southwark for tn,
benefit of no one in this country except the
manufacturer "a scheme for bringing for
eign countries under the shadow OF oul
| protective policy" The only use a Demo
cratic national administration has ever haC
! for reciprocity is to swash il. as president
Cleveland and his Congress did in 1893.
No protectioniStS desires TO have the tariff
so arranged as to give shelter to monoplies
In fact, the greatest and oldest of monopo
| lies to-day have nothing 10 do with tn,
| tariff. The United States Steel Corpora
| ton, sometimes described as the chief o
| tariff trusts is not a monopoly. It make
| % per cent. of the steel product of tn
| United States. The remainder is produced
| by its active independent competitors
| which would suffer from free trade a goo
| deal more than the great trust would.