The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-12

on It's race false. The question OF what
tariff is best for our people is primarily
one of expediency, to be determined not
on abstract academic grounds, but in the
light of experience. 1t is matter of
business; for fundamentally ours is
business people, manufacturers, mer-
chants, farmers, wage workers, profess
sional men, all alike. Our experience as
people in the past has certainly not
SHOWN us that we could afford in this
matter to follow those professional coun-
sellers who have confined themselves to
study in the closet for the actual work
ing of the tariff has emphatically con-
tradicted their theories. From time to
tie schedules must undoubtedly be rear
ranged and readjusted to meet the shift
ing needs of the country; but this can
with safety be done only by those who
are committed to the cause Oh the pro-
tective system. To uproot and destroy
that system would be to insure the pros
tration of business. the closing of fac
tories. the impoverishment of the farmer,
the ruin of the capitalist, and the star
walton of the wage worker. Yet, II pro-
lection is indeed robbery" and II our
opponents really believe what they say,
then it is precisely 70 the destruction
and uprooting of the tariff, and there
fore of our business and industry, that
they are .pledged. When our opponents
last obtaikd power it was on platform
declaring a protective tariff 'unconsti-
tutlonal" and the effort to put this de-
claration into prac..ce was one of the
causes of the general national prostration
lasting from 1898 to 1897. If a protective
tariff is either Unconstitutional or
robbery" then it is just as unconstitu-
tional. just as much robbery, to revise
it down, still leaving it protective. as it
would be to enact it. In other words
our opponents have committed them
selves to the destruction of the pro-
tective principle in the tariff, using words
which if honestly used forbid them from
permitting this principle to obtain In
even the smallest degree.
Believe In Reciprocity.
Our opponents assert that they believe
in reciprocity. Their action on the most
important reciprocity treaty recently ne
gotiated-that with Cuba-does not bear
out this assertion. Moreover, there can
be no reciprocity unless there Is a sub
stantial tariff; free trade and reciprocity
are not compatible We are on record as
favoring arrangements for reciprocal
| trade relations with other countries,
these arrangements to be on an equitable
| basis of benefit to both the contracting
parties. The republican party stands
pledged to every wise and consistent
method of increasing the foreign COM
merce of the country. That 1t has kept
its pledge is proven by the fact that
| while the domestic trade of this country
exceeds in volume the entire export and
Import trade of all the nations of the
world. the United States has in addition
secured more than an eighth of the ex-
port trade of the world, standing first
among the nations in this respect. The
| United States has exported during the
| last seven years nearly ten billions of dol
| lars worth of goods-on an average half
as much again annually as during the
previous four years, when many of our
people were consuming nothing but nee
essaries, and some of them a scanty sup
| ply even of these.
Two years ago, in speaking at Logans-
port, Ind, | said:
1.-The one consideration which must
never be omitted in tariff change is the
imperative need of preserving the Ameri-
can standard of living for the American
workingman. The tariff-rate must never
fall below that which will protect the
American workngman by allowing for
the difference between the general labor
cost here and abroad SO as at least to
equalize the conditions arising from the
difference in the standard OF labor here
| and abroad-a difference which it should
be our aim to foster in so far as it rep
ter paid better fed, and better clothed
workingmen of higher type than any
to be found in foreign country At all
hazards. and no matter what else Is
sought for or accomplished by changes
| of the tariff, the American workingman
must be protected in his standard of
wages, that is, in his standard of liv-
ing. and must be secured the fullest OPP
portunity of employment. Our laws
should in no event afford advantage to
foreign industries over American indus
tries. They should in no event do less
than equalize the difference in conditions
at home and abroad
Protective Tariff Policy.
1t is matter of regret that the pro-
tective tariff policy, which, during the
last forty odd years, has become part
of the very fiber of the country, is moi
now accepted as definitely established
Surely We have right to say that II
has passed beyond the domain of theory
and a right to expect that not only its
original advocates but those who al
enc time dstrusted it on theoretic
grounds, should now acqulesce in the re-
suits that have been proved over and
over again by actual experience. These
forty odd years have been the most pros
porous years this nation has ever seen,
more prosperous years than any other
natlon mas ever seen. Beyond question
| this prosperity could not have come II
/ the American people had not possessed
the necessary thrift. energy, and bust
ness intelligence to turn their vast ma
terial resources to account. But Ii is nc
less true that it, is our economic policy
as regards the tariff and finance which
mas enabled us as a nation to make such
! good use of the Individual capacities al
our citizens, and the natural resource.
OF our country Every class of our peo.
pie Is benefited By the protective tariff
During the last few years the merchant
mas seen the export trade of this coun.
Try grow faster than ever In our prev.
lcus history. The manufacturer could
not Keep his factory running If it were
not for the protective tariff. The wage.
worker would do we'll to remember thai
If protection Is robbery" and is to be-
punished accordingly. he will be the first
to pay the penalty, for either he will
be turned adrift entirely. or his wage.
! will be cut down to the starvation point
AS conclusvey shown by the bulletin.
of the bureau of labor, the purchasing
power of the average wage received b,
the wage-wor<er has grown faster thar
the cost of living. and this in spite o.
the continual shortening of workin,
hours. The accumulated savings of tn,
workingmen of the country. as shown b,
the deposits In the savings banks, hav.
! increased by leaps and bounds AT M
time in the history of this or any othel
country has there been an era so nro
ducive of material benefit alike to work
ingman and employer. as during the sever
years that have just passed
Farmer Has Benefited