Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-23
BEcLouDING AN ISSUE.


BECLOUDING AN ISSUE.
In perfect harmony and unison the
voices of coterie Of Iowa newspapers
have recently been lifted as in the old
time chorus of a Blythe campaign,
against any tariff revision at all. With
his usual artfulness Late Young has
already begun a most heroic attack
upon free trade as tho there were act
ually danger that somebody was about
to propose free trade policy. With
everybody keenly conscious Of sad ex-
periences under a tariff law which at
tempted free trade, Mr.. Young can cas-
lily spread alarm among a considerable
population by making terrible hub
bub and noise, as tho the prosperity Of
the country were again being attacked.
The real issue and the actual propo-
sition never gains access to the col
umns of the Des Moines Capital.
But our economic conditions are
changing with each succeeding month.
A recent dispatch from Racine, Wis,
states that the j. I. Case Manufacture
ing Company will build at Fort Will
lam, Ont, plant, the buildings for
which will cost 100000, and calculated
to employ 500 men. The Canadian
business Of this company amounts to
between $1,000,0o0 and s1,5Oo,00O per
year and the Canadian tariff on ma
chinery importations makes it desir-
able for the American factory to move
over across the line.
Progress of this kind is a good thing
for Canada. 1t is the way in which
the United States encouraged her own
remarkable development, but when we
have reached point in our career at
which sales of our manufactured goods
in other countries are necessary to keep
our factories running at full speed, it is
high time we were willing to give and
take little on tariff schedules, and
strike a bargain advantageous to
both Of us.
Americans who have Invested large
sums in Mexican mines and planta-
lions have found that they must pay
enormous tariffs to the Mexican gov
eminent for every piece of farm ma
chinery and every mule or heifer i'm
6o Tho T1Y1itad
States exacts similar high duties upon
hundreds of articles that are, in fact,
never imported from Mexico, and be-
cause Of their nature never will be. II
our schedules came down, Mexican
schedules would come down. Our per-
iod of exclhsiveness is past" said Nc
Kinley. If our congress was as shrewd
as the Yankee is said to be, bargain
would be struck with Mexico, whereby
and livestock into Mexico would be
encouraged in return for concessions
on schedules which we could well af-
ford to make Mexico, without ruin
ing any American industry. Especially
Is this true under tariff schedules plac-
ed higher than necessary for the ex-
press purpose Of furnishing trading
stock in the negotiation of reciprocity
treaties.
The same situation exists in our re-
lation with many European countries,
in fact, several such treaties were act
ually negotiated by Mr.. Kasson. Of
Iowa, under the personal direction of
President Mckinley, but the members
Of our millionaires' club quietly pigeon
ho1ed them all, without debate. This
is the sum and substance of all revis-
ion that is now desired. To raise a
fuss about free trade or any attack
upon schedulese necessary to protect
an American industry from the cheap
labor competition of other countries, is
done merely to becloud the issue.