The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1903-04-07
Roosevelt on Our Tariff Policy.

in our own history but in the his.
tory of any other nation. This
prosperity is deep-rooted and
stands on firm basis, because il
is due to the lact that the average
American has in him the stuff ont
OF which victors are made in the
great industrial contests of the
present day, just as in the great
military contests of the past; and
because he is now able to use and
develop his qualities TO best adj
vantage under our we'll established
economic system. We are winning
headship among the nations of the
world because our people are able
TO keep their high average of indi-
vidual citizenship and to show
their mastery in the hard, complex,
pushing life of the age. There will
be fluctuations from time 10 time in
our prosperity, but it will continue
to grow Just SO long as we keep up
this high average of individual cit
izenshlp and permit 1t to work out
its own salvation under proper eco.
nomic legislation.
The present phenomenal pros
perity has been won under a tariff
which was made in accordance with
certain fixed and definite princi
pies, the most important of which
is an avowed determination to pro-
tect the interests OF the American
producer, business man, wage
worker and farmer alike. The
general tariff policy, to which
without regard to changes in detail
/ believe this country is irrevoca-
bly, committed, is fundamentally
based upon ample recognition OF
the difference between the cost of
production--that is, the cost of la
bor-here and abroad, and of the
need TO see to it that our laws shall
in no event afford advantages in
our own market to foreign indus
tries over American industries, to
foreign capital over American cap
ital, to foreign labor oyer our own
labor. This country has and this
country needs better. paid, better
educated, better fed aud better
clothed workingmen, OF a higher
type, II an are TO be found in any
foreign conntry. 1t has and il
needs higher, more vigorous and
more prosperous type of tillers OF
the soil than is possessed by any
other country. The business men,
the merchants and manufacturers
and the managers of the transpor.
tation interests show the same su
periority when compared with men
of their type abroad. The events
OF the last few years have shown
how skillfully the leaders of Amer
ican industry use in International
business competition the m 'ghty
industrial weapons forged for them
by the resources of our country,
the wisdom Of our laws, and the
skill, the inventive genius and the
administrative capacity of our peo
pie.
It is, of course, mere truism to
say that we want TO use everything
in our power 10 foster the welfare
of our entire body polite. In other
words, we need 10 treat the tariff as
a business proposition from the
standpoint OF the interests of the
country as whole, and not with
reference 10 The temporary needs OF
any political party. 1t is most as
necessary that our policy should
be stable as that il should be wise
A notion like ours could not long
stand the ruinous policy OF read.
ju,iing its business to radical
changes in the tariff at short in.
tervals, especially when, as now,
owing 10 the immense extent and
variety of our products, the tariff
schedules carry rates OF duty ON
thousands of different articles.
Sweeping and violen, changes In