Iron County register., 1904-12-29
PROTECTION
The Kind That Will Protect the Coun-
try from Too Much
Protection.

presidents views on the subject OF tar
if revision will be in the special mes
sage he has promised, or in defiance and
disregard of them, the leaders in con-
gress are taking steps to prevent any
tariff tinkering whatever. The most
influential members of the senate have
placed themselves fairly on record, and
Speaker Cannon has made no effort to
conceal his views. Unless, therefore,
Mr.. Roosevelt recedes from the position
he took more than two years ago or re-
fuses to admit that the present situa-
ton offers the kind of case that calls
for revision, he is bound to come in
conflict with the party leaders in con-
ress, says the Detroit Free Press.
In arriving at their decision these
leaders have seen fit to interpret the
sentiment expressed at the election
as confrmatory of the stand pat
principle. Just how they will justify
their action is a matter of interest
rather than Importance. They may
add something to the sum of the am
biguities, the insincerities and the eva
sions of the party position in respect
to the tariff, or they may stand boldly
forth, like Senator Aldrich, admit all
the arguments of the opposition as
true and proclaim that the tariff has
nothing to do with the conditions that
are complained of. When it is proved
beyond the possibility of denial that
commodities are sold abroad for a
much lower price than is asked at home,
they may announce that such things are
well-known habits of the commercial
world. irrespective of tariffs. They will
probably state that English and Ger
sell goods this year at apparently un-
fruitful prices, in order by driving
competition away to reap fuller har-
vest Of profit in the future. That is
a part of the scheme of dumping, 'and
possibly it has no relation to the tar
iff, but the American case is different
in one vital particular. Our manufac-
turers have secured high tariff on the
plea that they could not possibly com
pete with the foreigner without it. Con-
sumers at home have been asked to tax
themselves in order to prevent the for
eign producer from swamping us with
cheap goods. Yet here we have our
protected industries underselling the
dreaded foreigner in his own market,
while they maintain the artificially
high prices at home. Possibly that
is not a breach Of faith, but it looks
like it. We cannot imagine congress
even the present congress under the
present circumstances entertaining
a proposal to protect manufacturer
who had shown that he could cut I'M
der foreign prices. Such bill would
De hooted out of congress.
The objections to the Dingley sched-
ules are not based on hostility to the
protective principle, but to the unjust
and inequitable measure of protection
that it affords by them. This un-
toward degree of protection simply
makes extortion legal. 1t is a clear
case of the tariff sheltering monopolies.
What the country needs is not protec-
tion from the foreign producer, but pro-
lection from so much protection. There
Is mean between the two extremes OF
Dingleyism and tariff for revenue, or
positive free trade. Are the republic
ans incompetent to ascertain what that
balance is or are they too prejudiced and
aidebound to attempt to find it?