Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-10-11
TRUSTS AND TARIFF.
Honest Treaties WOnli Expand Amer.
lean Commerce.

Francis E. Woodruff writes TO the
Evening Post IN. VI. the following in
teresting letter on Protection"
Sir-The Republicans declaration
that I'VE insist upon the maintenance
OF the principles of protection" is q
challenge to make the question
whether the principle of protection il
right or wrong n campaign issue.
This leaves the clean-cut issue. ia
protection in principle right or wrong2
The only argument that has been adj
vanced for the former is that we see
it accompanied by prosperity: and r
similar argument would equally prove
that the sun goes around The EARTH
An argument against it is that. simply
because something cannot be made out
or nothing, protective" duties can do
no more than to div ert production from
its natural channels: that is, from the
lines of least resistance, and therefore
of least expenditure of effort, and so
OF least cost of production. Converse
~, such diversion from natural chan
nels must increase cost of production.
and, therefore. other things being
equal. lessen profit.
Tariff duty is only one of many fac
tors, but so far as it goes the argu-
ment is confirmed by the fact that
under the Walker. so-called free trade
tariff, when our manufactures came
nearest to following the natural chan
nels of production. their ratio of in
crease, which is largely dependent on
relative profit, was greater than ever
before or since. Under the browning
iniquity, so far, &c the Dingley tariff,
while the ratio of increase, and so the
profit to the Nation, is less, corrupt
legislation has diverted the lions share
of the DIMINISHED profits into the pock-
cts OF a tariff privileged few-to the
building up of huge individual for
tunes. that by their evil example and
evil use in corrupting our legislators
and voters are endangering our repub-
lie. 1t is true that, thanks to abund-
ant crops. and to other causes with
which protection has nothing to do
except to do harm, there are crumbs of
the resulting prosperity for the rest
of us; but under the Walker tariff.
while individual fortunes would not
nave been so dangerously overgrown.
the people would have had full leaves.
Besides. despite the delaying of the
end by Trust combinations, the arti-
fetal stimulant is manifestly losing
its effect, and should the Republicans
win it is an open secret that to bring
about another boom" 1t viii be neces-
Sary to increase the dose, at our further
expense: as well as to add ship subSi-
dies, and so on. If, on the other hand,
the Democrats should win, revision,
properly managed as it would be by
the friends of our country lin place of
friends of the tariff Deneficiaries, and
the Republican corruption fund.-, and
with honest reciprocity treaties, so far
from checking prosperity would give 1t
a healthy impulse by throwing open
to us the field of international trade;
in which, Just as fast as our neeks are
freed from the milestone of protection
ism, with our natural resources, in
Guiding brains, we would lead the
world. The rich employers would be-
come richer. Steel rails, for example,
at $2S would lose the IS we are now
robbed of, but tn remaining profit
of IS on the added enormous output
for the vast increase in the foreign
trade would more than make up the
loss. These employers, also, could OBJ
viouSly afford to tand so long as good
ldtAO VI Jul idlu " Jul
continues would have to give as good
wages as now, or better. and instead
of the present alternating feasts and
famines there would be more steady
employment.
Best of all, perhaps, as the tariff
robbery was lessened its arti6cially en-
HANGED cost of living would be reduced,
ard tsay) fifty cents would provide
what now costs a dollar. 1t has been
the writer's lot to spend most of his
grown life abroad, and although now
some years at home he still feels hu.
inflated whenever, as often, he finds
that in his own enlightened country,
of which he had been so proud, he
now has to pay for inferior quality
double what he has been used to pay
ing IN the benighted word outside.
Besides the sense Of humiliation, how
ever. there is also a distinct inclination
to kick somebody. What justice is
there in robbing us to make other men
rich, or to swell the Republican cor
ruption fund? From their own selfish
view point the Republicans do well to
fight tooth and nail against change.
except to make the duties higher.
Even ten years under a scientific tariff
would make my countrymen amazed
that they could have been so fooled.
After fifty years, our historians would
group the protection craze with the
ft1IiTa M af1ia and tho SOnfh hnbhIo