Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-11-12
CHANGE OF FRONT
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT MAKES A
SOMERSAULT.
Recent Utterances or the President On the
Tariff Question Totally at Variance With
Views Expressed by Author Roosevelt In
Life OF Thomas II. Benton.

Speaking of the tariff question, Mr..
Roosevelt said: at is exceedingly un-
desirable that this (the protective) sys-
tenn should he destroyed or that there
should be violent and radical changes
therein. Our past experience shows that
great prosperity in this country has al
ways come under protective tariff"
Those who have read these remarks Of
Mr.. Roosevelt may be interested IN read
ing something Mr.. Roosevelt wrote in his
Life Of Thomas H. Benton" On pages
81 and 81 Of that book, it will be found
that Mr.. Roosevelt wrote the following {:
"Fhe vote on the protective tariff law Of
1928 furnished another illustration Of the
solidarity of the west. New England
had abandoned her free trade position
since 1924. and the northwest strongly
for the new tariff; the southern seacoast
states, except Louisiana, opposed it Bit
terly; and the bill was carried bv the
support of the western states, both the
free and the slave. This tariff bill was
the first of the immediate irritating
causes which induced South Carolina to
60 into the ratification movement. Ben
toms attitude on the measure was that OF
good many other men who, in their
public capacities, are obliged to appear
as protectionists. but who lack his frank
ness in stating their reasons. He utterly
disbelieved in and was opposed to the
principle OF the bill, but as it had bid for
and secured the interest of Missouri by a
heavy duty on lead, he felt himself forced
to support it and so he announced his
position. He simply went with his state.
precisely as did Webster, the latter, in
following Massachusetts, change OF front
and supporting the tariff OF 1928, turning
full and complete somersault. Neither
the one or the othe, was to blame. Free
traders are apt to look at the tariff from
sentimental standpoint; but it is in
reality purely business matter, and
should be decided solely on grounds of
expediency. Political economists have
pretty generally agreed that protection
is vicious in theory and harmful in prac.
tice; but if the majority of people in IL
terest wish it, and it affects only them
selves, there is no earthly reason why
they should not be allowed to try the ex-
pertinent to their hearts content. The
trouble is that it rarely does affect only
themselves; and in 1928 the evil was pal
ticu!a-ly aggravated on account Of the
unequal way in which the proposed law
would affect different sections. 1t pur-
ported to benefi. the rest OF the country,
but it undoubtedly worked real injury to
the planter states, and there is small
ground to wonder that the irritation over
it in the region SO affected should have
been intense"
| Mr.. Roosevelt seems to nave "turned a
full and complete somersault." AS the
author Of the Life OF Thomas II. Ben.
ton" he declared that "political econo-
mists have pretty generally agreed that
protection is vicious in theory and harm.
full in practice" but as president of the
United States, he insists that it is ex.
'ceedingly undesirable that the protective
system be DESTROYED.
AS the author OF the "Life OF Thomas
II. Benton" Mr.. Roosevelt said that
while in 1928 the tariff "purported to ben
eft the rest Of the country, it undoubted-
ly worked real injury to the planter
states and there is small ground for won
der that the irritation over it in the re-
gion so affected should have been in
tense;" but as president Mr.. Roosevelt
declares that "our past experience shows
that great prosperity in this country ha'
always come under a protective tariff.