New-York tribune., 1904-09-20
NOT Av Up TO DATE PRODUcTTOy

The compiler Of The Democratic Campaign
Book does not seem 10 have mastered some
OF the most recent and authoritative phases
of Democratic thought That benighted indi-
vidual. Mr.. George T. Parker. still dwells in
the darkness Of economic theory. He has ac-
cepteo and promulgated the antiouated doc
tIines held by Roger O. Mills. George G. Vest
William L. Wilson and Grover Cleveland With
Professor Henry Loomis Nelson, he still beats
his breast and cries aloud that any protective
1aTln is robbery Of the consumer'-that every
hat every suit Of clothes. every pair of shoes,
every piece OF glass every pound of starch and
sugar is made unjustihably dearer to the pur-
chaser By the 'iniQuitous operations of the pro-
rective system. In the interest Of the robbed
consumer, therefore, all tariff barriers should
be swept away, and Doth the prices here of ar
ricles Of consumption and the wages OF the
labor which produces them should be cut to the
levels ruling in the outside world
II Mr. Parker had availed himself of more
up TO date Democratic counsel. he would not
have fallen into this long ago abandoned eco
monte rut II he had only studied the editorial
columns OF The New-York Times" for in
stance, be would have discovered that his tariff
logic belongs to an era now dead and past Il
was well enough for Southern statesmen years
ago to assau the tariff because 1t kept their
section from buying the manufactures il need
ca on q european cost OASIS. II was the prayer
and hope OF men like Roger Q. Mills that Amer
ican manufacturers might some day hare to
operate on the European wage and cost level
or so out Of business But that sort of argu-
ment, THE Times" now sees. no longer attracts
the American voter. Our people do not want
20 produce on the cheaper European cost basis.
Nor are they TO be persuaded 10 abandon protec-
ton merely for the sake Of reducing the nrices
OF the things we make and the wages of those
who make them.
The Times" OF August % last frankly
warned the Democratic leaders in this cam
paign that they must keep of 1.-THE old. dusty.
beaten track which Democratic tariff reform
'eTs have trodden since $780, They must s'get
above the pettiness Of,the consumers interest.
above the old tiresome prea achments about the
"cost OF hats and coats" The consumer our
neigbbor argues with its new found wisdom is
not worth wasting either tears or rhetoric over
he is a unit an atom. a mere cell I'm the
great physiological whole He cannot be got
70 feel his wrongs or "fO think and act fn
the aggregate" No; the old emphasis laid on
the suneFings Of the consumer is a mistake in
tactics. The consumer should be left TO stew
~ MS own juice. Democratic tariff refOrmers
should give him Up as an object OF either CON-
miseTarlOn or persuasion. What they want to
do now is 70 get into the good graces of the
producer. AS The Tines advised the Demo
cratic managers: The true Democratic appeal
'this year lies to the whole broad Union as a
nation Of producers" Tariff revision sis no
longer an end" Il is no longer TO be demand
ed in the interest Of the "dOwntrod' consumer
1T is means" and the true end 10 be sought
through Il is commercial expansion"
Just E9w commercial exansion Is 20 cnrae