The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-04-13

accepted explanation was that the price
Of commodities had gone up. that the city
man was the salaried man, and his wages
had not kept pace with tho cost of liy-
ing. 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 condluon
would then be practically universal.
The republican party should lay the
foundation for it's future perpetuation
while the country Is prosperous 1t
should abide strictly by its fundamental
principle of protection. This means that
If it costs one dollar to manufacture an
article abroad and one dollar and quar-
ter to manufacture that same article in
the United States, the tariff on that ar
ticle should be % cents
'The minute the tariff exceeds the
difference in cost Of manufacture be-
tween the two countries, that minute
it fosters monopoly.
Two Typical illustrations.
'The iron and steel industry is the
great example of this fact. Heavy cast
ings in steel and iron can be produced in
the United States for less money than in
any country in the world, yet there is
tariff of nearly IS a ton on these same
products. This means that the American
consumer OF steel is required to pay 10
the American producer of steel at least
s. on each ton purchased. In the aggre-
gate this amounts to over $So00b0o0
year.
The glass industry presents another
example on the same line. A few years
ago You could buy box Of GLASS Tor
something like 50 cents. To-day it costs
in the neighborhood of $3.50.
''Nhpp conditions change to the
tent 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 demon
strated over ana over again.
1.-THE evil Of over protection, how
ever, must be recognized as an evil,
and should be corrected"
Take Away Over Protection.
That sounds good deaI like the talk
which Will be heard from many demo-
cratic campaigners in the next fight. I'm
less all Indications fail the democratic
fight for tariff reform will be made on
practically the same lines as outlined here
by Chairman Babcock.
Speaking about the sentiment Of the
people of HE country SO per cent of
whom he thinks are protecuonlsts, CHAR
man Babcock continues:
''They do not want the tariff placed be-
low the point of protection, but they do
want it maintained precisely at the point
of protection. When the conditions change
so that it gives the manufacturer a profit
over the foreign made article, that Is
where the monopoly gets its foundation
Take away the overprotection and You DO
away with the MONOPOLY
Chairman Babcock has just returned to
Washington from trip through the
northwest and he says that his reading
of the sentiments Of that section is that
tariff action should be taken at once
Analyzed. this declaration undoubtedly
means that unless the republican party
heeds the warning which comes from
Wisconsin,, Minnesota, Iowa, MlchlSah
and other northwestern states, the people
Will desert it and so to the party Whlch
NAV be relied upon TO grant revision.
Men Represent Special Interests.
Chairman Babeock takes a parting fall
ont of some of his most eminent republl-
can associates when he says:
''Our great trouble is that we have
men in congress who represent spe-