Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-04
REVISION & TARIFF
BABCocK TAKES ISSUE WITH SEC
RETARY ROOT.
Says the Republican Party Should
Keep Its Pledge to Stand Square
ly on Protection.

icSdiu Lie FIIty~e1Sulu SOHSTeSS
pledged to revision Of the tariff" This
was the positive statement of Representa-
tive j. w. Babcock Of Wisconsin, chairman
of the republican congressional campaign
committee to the Tribune correspondent to-
day, when his attention was called to the
speech of Secretary Root in Boston last
night, of which mo tariff tinkering'' was
the keynote.
I'm the first place." continued Mr.. Bah
cock, there seems to be great apprehension
and, in my opinion, wholly unwarranted
apprehension. of business disaster following
republican revision of certain tariff sched-
ules. The fact seems to be lost sight of
that the republican party is standing
squarely on it's plank Of protection to Amer
lean industries, and any tariff reforms
which 1t would fnaugurate would be predf-
Gated with that idea as the working basis.
republican tariff revision has never dis
turbed business in our history. Business is
only disturbed by tariff revision when the
democratic free trade idea Is to be put into
effect
Pledge Should Be Carried Out.
''Will the pledge you speak Of be carried
out?"
II can only say that 1t ought to be carried
out. 1t ought to have been carried out at
the last session Of Congress. This was the
earnest desire Of President Roosevelt. But
it was blocked by the solid opposition OF
eighteen republican senators, who declared
positively that nothing should be done.
These senators are still holding their seats"
What will be the result politically II
nothing is done?'
cat the last Congress election the Sepub-
lican party lost practically every city dis
trict In the country The generally ac-
cepted explanation was that the price OF
commodities had gone up, that the city man
was the salaried man. and his wage had
not kept pace with the cost of living. In
the country that condition did not prevail
But imagine what would happen if the
American cereal crop should fail or if the
European cereal crop should be unusually
large. This city condition would then be
practically universal.
Fundamental Principal of Protection.
1.-THE republican party should lay the
foundation for it's future perpetuation
while the country is prosperous, 1t should
abide strictly by it's fundamental principle
Of protection. This means that if it costs
81 to manufacture an article abroad and
$1.25 to manufacture that same article in
the United States the tariff on that article
should be 25 cents The minute the tariff
exceeds the difference in cost of manufac-
ture between the two countries that minute
1t fosters monopoly. The iron and steel in
dustry is the great example of this fact
Heavy castings in steel and iron can be
produced in the United States for less
money than in any country in the world,
yet there Is a tariff of nearly s. ton on
these same products. This means that the
American consumer Of steel is required to
pay to the American manufa cturer Of steel
at least s. on each ton purchased. In the
aggregate this amounts to over $S0,O00,OOO
year.
THE glass industry presents another ex-
ample on the same line. few years ago
you could buy box Of glass for some thing
like 80 cents. Today it costs in the neigh
When conditions change to the extent
Of fostering such conditions as these it is
the part Of political wisdom and patriotism
to change these particular tariff schedules.
When the true principle of protection is
maintained the country will be prosperous.
This has been demonstrated over and over
again The evil OF overprotection, how
ever. must be recognized as an evil and
should be corrected. s~
Il venture to say that 80 per cent of the
people of this country are protectionists.
They do not want the tariff placed below
the point or protection, but they do want it
maintained precisely at the point of protec-
ton. When conditions change so that it
gives the manufacturer a profit over the
foreign made article. then is where the
monopoly gets in its foundation. Take away
the overprotection and you do away with
the monopoly.
Issues in Next Campaign.
ouQOuDleuly the ldTlI ana the trusts
to be made the issues by the democratic
party. Democratic revision of the tariff
means a revision for free trade The issue
is sharply drawn between such revision
and a revision by republicans on the basis
of protection Democratic revision would
demoralize and parafyze the business of the
country, and would be most disastrous Re-
publican revision would not have that eff
feet and 1t ought not to be delayed"
Representative Babcock has just returned
to Washington after visit to the northwest
since the adjournment Of Congress- and his
reading of the sentiment of that section is
that tariff action should be taken at once.
In the definition of the extent to which such
revision should go, he is positive in his
statement that not single schedule should
be disturbed which Is needed to protect
American labor.
'Our great trouble Is, he continued
that we have men in Congress who repre-
sent special interests. They view the situa-
ton from the standpoint Of the good of
those industries. and when there is a large
profit being made in those lines through the
ope Grafton CT any particular tariff schedule
which changing conditions may have made
possible they stand squarely in the way of
changing those schedules even though the
good of the whole country demands it,
MODE SDEEn UIOT ATTONS