The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-08-27
THE TARIFF LEAGUE
Mr.. Van vorhis Has Correspondents with
Secretary Keenan, Concerning the
Aims Of the A. r. T. L.


N. My Dear Sir: Yours of the
article in The Independent Hincoln,
Neb.) of August 6, of which some one
seems to have sent you a copy, has
been received.
1t would have been proper, il you
thought it worth while to notice the
article at all, for you to point out
any mistakes of fact or conclusion in
stead of intimating that you might do
so. Neither of us ought to have any
desire to deceive ourselves. am al
ways glad to be corrected if | am
wrong If you have thought me
wrong when | am not, then you do
not do yourself justice unless you
give me the opportunity to correct you.
If you will look over the letter files
of the league prior to 1896, you will
find evidence that, l think, will con-
vince you that | was in position to
know something about your league,
about it's professions it's work, and its
constitution. / am reasonably familiar
with such definitions as the one you
quote from Thomas B. Reed. AS a
rule such definitions are not, economi-
cally, correct. TO make such defini-
tons correct they must be explained.
AS rule they are misleading. | am
afraid they are often the product of a
desire to mislead. If should speak of
the human race and the productive ac
tlvities of the world, it would be
proper to use Mr.. Reeds sO-called
definition of raw material for then
the raw material would, of course, be
"the round earth" But such defini
ton of raw material" when We refer
to manufacturing interests of this
country as distinguished from other
countries, or as distinguished from
other interests in this country, would
he not only absurd, but very foolish.
II is true, of course, and everybody
surely understands it, that what is
raw material for one enterprise may
be, and often is, the finished product
CT another, but such finished product
is, nevertheless, raw material in the
usual and general sense, and it is alb
surd to attempt to avoid the force of
facts by saying that everything that |
man has touched is finished product
to somebody.
Is there any doubt about manufac
turing interests, particularly those of
the east, wanting that which is raw
material to them admitted free of
duty? Of course not It is an intelli-
gent desire and has an intelligent pur-
lose. They think it would be more
profitable for them to have it so. The
time has passed for bubbles. What
is needed is prevailing desire to
know, and to intelligently express, the
truth; not to avoid facts by tricks of
language.
If a member of the National Free
Trade league had written me that the
American Protective Tariff league
stands for protection on every prod
uct," | should have answered him
that the statement was unfair, but
coming from you as the general secre-
tary | must conclude that it is an
example of hasty and thoughtless die
tation.
Do you mean to say that your
league stands for that which is i'm
possible? DO you mean that it stands
for particular duty on every prod
uct? If this is not what you mean,
then your words are misleading. If
it is what you mean, then tell me
how you can apply an import duty so
that it will be protective, to any ar
| ticle that, in the markets, we can I'M
dersell the world at profit? If it
should be admitted that protection. as
a principle and policy, is correct, what
possible reason or excuse can there be
for putting duty on any article that
we can produce and sell cheaper than
any people on earth? What possible
result can there be except that the
consumer will be robbed? Admit all
that has been claimed for "home mar
kets" and protection to American la
bor," neither can justify such duty
for, if we can produce cheaper, the
difference in cost of production fur
nishes all the protection either ought
to have.
Ny dear secretary in view of your
constitutional provision which you
quote article g. The object of this
league shall be to protect American
labor by tariff on imports which
shall adequately secure American in
dustrial products against the competi-
ton of foreign labor" ask you if this
does not pledge you not to put duty
on anything that we can and do pro-