Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-13
THE pRoTEcTionism OF THE FATHERS.
Hartford Courant.

The late John Sherman of Ohio pass
ed for a pretty good republican and
protectionist He was active in party
affairs, a member of congress, a repub-
lican caucus nominee for the speaker
ship, conspicuous and influential in de-
bate and legislation. before the guns
went off in Charleston harbor. His lat
err career as senator and secretary of
the treasury is familiar. Once, at least
he was very near the presidency.
He helped at the making of the Nor
rill tariff in 1861, and of the subsequent
tariffs down to 1890. He never pros
trated himself in alteration before any
of them. He saw mistakes and flaws
in the best of them. Il have never
succeeded" he said in old age, "in Sc
curing one that entirely approved
In 1895 John Sherman published his
"Recollections of Forty Years in House.
Senate and Cabinet'-an autobiogra-
ply that will grow in value, for every
serious student of our political history,
as time goes on. We quote here few
sentences of present interest:
another principle must be ingraft-
ed into our tariff laws, growing out Of
new modes of production by corpora
lions and combina lions. Until recently
each miner, each artisan and each man
ufacturer had to compete in the open
market with every one engaged in the
same industry. The general public had
the benefit of free competition. This
tended to lower prices on many COM
modities, etc. Instead of small or
moderate workshops, with few hands,
we now have great establishments
with hundreds of employees and all the
capital of scores of stockholders under
the control of one man. This
power in the hands of few is at this
moment the disturbing element in many
of our great industries. 1t Is especially
dangerous when it is promoted by rates
of duty on imported goods higher than
are necessary to cover the difference
in the cost of labor here and abroad.
= Whenever the tendency of a
monopoly is to prevent mutual compe-
tition. and to advance prices for any ar
ticle embraced in our tariff laws, the
duty on the article should be at once
reduced or repealed.
Governor Cummins and his republic
an associates may be surprised-They
will not be displeased-to learn that
the iowa idea" was thus
championed, years before it's formula
ton at Cedar Rapids, by John Sher-
man.
We quote from the "Recollections'
another passage, President Roosevelt
may possibly have overlooked or for
gotten. In any case he will not be sorry
to have 1t brought anew to the notice of
The honorable senators and representa-
lives, Here is the passage:
"As members of congress, divided by
marty lines and crude platforms. must
in the main care for and protect local
interests, do not believe any fair, inn
MARTIAL and business tariff can be
framed by them. 1t would be better
for congress, the lawmaking power
latter determining the amount to be
ra,sed. to sanction and adopt careful
tariff bill framed by an impartial COM
mission, large enough to represent all
employers and employees. Let US
| try the experiment of tariff framed
not by a party upon q party platform
| Int by the selected representatives OF
the commercial, industrial, farming and
Ilaboring classes. Let congress place
upon the statute book such a law, and