The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-24
IS NOT SACRED.
President Roosevelt Further
Outlines His Tariff Views.
Regards Protection as Unalter.
able Policy of Government.
MATTER OF BUSINESS.
Schedules Require Changes
from Time to Time.
Partfsanshfp Should Not Enter
Into the Operation.


Into the Operation.
important speech made by the president
on his western trip was delivered at
Logansport where after thanking the
people for turning ,out to greet him In
such weather the president said:
Probably the most important aid
which can be contributed by the ma
tional government to the material well
being of the country Isl to insure it's fin
ancial stability. An honest currency is
the strongest symbol and expression of
honest business life. The business
world must exist largely on credit, and
to credit confidence is essential. Any
tampering with the currency, no matter
what purpose if fraught with the sus-
picion of dishonesty. is fataE In its ef-
fects on business prosperity. Very ig-
norant and primitive communities are
continually obliged to learn the elemen
tary truth that the reputation of debts
is in the end ruinous to the debtors as
class, and when communities have
moved somewhat higher in the scale of
civilization they also learn that any,
thing in the nature of debased cur
rency works similar damage.
"A financial system of assured hon.
esty is the first essential. Another es-
Sential for any community is persever-
course of years is found best fitted to
its peculiar needs The question o. COM
b1ning such fxedneSs of economic pol
icy as regards the tariff. while at the
same time allowing for necessary and
proper readiuStment of duties in par
ticular schedules as such readjustment
becomes matter of pressing import
ance, is not an easy one. 1t is perhaps
too much to expect that from the dis
cussion of such a question it would be
1<J<.ft .l<, 6&II
partisanship. Yet those who believe as
we all must when we think seriously of
the subject that the proper aim of the
party system is after all simply to sub
serve the public good, can not but hope
that where such partisanship on a mat
ter of this kind conflicts with the pub
lie good it shall at least be minimized.
What we really need in this country is
to treat the tarin as a business pro-
| position and not from the stand
point of the temporary needs of
any political party. 1t surely ought
not to be necessary to dwell upon the
extreme unwisdom, from a business
standpoint, from the standpoint of ma
tional prosperity of violent and radical
changes amounting to the direct upset
ting of tariff policies at intervals of
every few years. A nation like ours can
adjust it's business after fashion to
any kind of tarfff. But neither our ma
| ton nor any other can stand the ruin
GUS policy of readjusting its business to
radical changes in the tariff at short
/ intervals. This is more true now than
ever it was before, for owing to the i'm
| mense extent and variety of our pro-
ducts the tariff schedules of today carry
rates of duty on more than 1000 articles.
Continual sweeping changes in such a
| tariff. touching so intimately the COM
mercial interests of the nation which
stands as one of the two or three great
est in the Industrial world. can not but
! be disastrous. Yet, on the other hand,
where the industrial needs of the nation
shift as rapidly as they do with US, it
is matter of prime importance that we
should be able to readjust our economic
policy as rapidly as possible and with as
little friction as possible to these needs
We need a scheme which will enable
us to provide reapplication of the prin-
ciple to the changed conditions
THE problem, therefore, is to devise
some plan by which these shifting
needs can be recognized and the neces.
sary readjustment of duties be provided
without forcing the entire business
community and therefore the entire ma
| ton, to submit to a violent surgical
operation, the mock threat of which and
still more the accomplished fact o!
which would probably paralyze for q
considerable time all the industries OF
! the country. Such radical action might
very readily reproduce the conditions
from which we suffered nine years ago
| in 1893. 1t is on every account most
earnestly to be hoped that this problem
can be solved in some manner into which
partnership shall enter as a purely Sec
ondary consideration, If at all; that is
in some manner which shall
| provide for an earnest effort by non
partisan inquiry and action to secure
any changes, the need of which is in.
dicated by the effect found to proceed
from a given rate of duty on giver
article; its effect if any. as regards tht
creation of a substantial monopoly. 1t.
effect upon domestic prices upon the
revenue of the government. upon i'm
pOrtatiOns from abroad, upon home pro
duction and upon consumption. II
other words. we need to devise SOmt
machinery by which. while perseverinl
the policy of a protective tariff, il
which think the nation as whole ha.
now generally acquiesced. we would b.
able to correct the Irregularities ant
remove the incongruities produced b,
the changing conditions without de
stroying the whole structure. Such ma
chfnery would permit us to continue ou
definitely settled tariff policy while pre-
viding for the changes in duties upol
particular schedules which must tax
place from time to time as matters o
Legislative and administrative detail
This would secure the need of stabilit,
of economic policy which is prime fac
tor in our industrial success. while do
ing away with any tendency to FOSSIL
zation. 1t would recognize the fact tina
as our needs shift it may be found ad
visable to alter rates and schedules
adapting them to the changed condi
tions and necessities of the whole peo
pie and this would be in nowise incom
patible with preserving the principle o
protection for belief in the wisdom of :;
4 protective tariff is no way inconsisten
with frankly admitting the desirabilit.
of changing a set of schedules whel
from any cause such change is in tn
4 interests of the nation as q wl1ole-an
i our tariff policy Is designed to favor tn
interests of the nation as a whole an
mot those OF any particular set of in
fdividuals, save as an incident to thei
building up national well being
There ares two or three dffferen
methods by which it will be possible t
provide such readjustment without an
shock to the business world. Ny per
sonal preference would be for actfo
i which should be taken only after pre-
liminary inquiry by and upon the find
ings of a body Of experts of such hig
character and ability that they coul
be trusted to deal with the subjeS
purely from the standpoint of our bus
ness and industrial needs: but q
course congress would have to deter
mine for itself the exact method to b
xfx1<.