The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-16
A SYMPOSIUM ON
TARIFF AND TRUSTS

n oIWSuolUM UN
TARIFF AND TRUSTS
In his letter of acceptance President
Roosevelt said:
''The question OF what tariff Is best for
our people Is primarily one OF expediency.
TO be determined. not on abstract ecaa-
deinic grounds, but IN the light OF cxpe-
rience. 1t is a matter of business, for
Fundamentally ours Is n business people
manufacturers, merchants, farmers. wage
workers, professional men, all alike. Our
experience rs a people In the past has
certainly not shown us that We could
afford in this matter to follow those pro-
gressional counseilors, who have confined
themselves to study in the closet, for
actual working of the tariff has en-
phatically contradicted their theories
In order to find out the exact position
upon theStarit trust question OF the coli
3lege professors, 10 whom President Roose-
welt SO contemptuously refers. tho New
York Evening Post sent a circular letter
TO a number OF the professors Of eco
nomlcs and political science. and in Its
Issue OF Thursday printed their answers.
The questions sent out hy the Evening
Post were these:
III President Rooscvelt's contention that
the protective tariff policy ought now to
be considered as definitely established"
t)$ His assertion that the tariff, II ever
'.modlfed,.' must be by 'the friends OF
the protective system.
(3) The Presidents view that an ats
tempt to Identify the question OF tariff
revision with q solution Of tho trust cues,
ton Is always a sign OF desire to
avoid any real effort 70 deal adequately
with the trust question"
~ Any other economic truths which
seem 70 BIO involved In the present cam
paign.
Ina general way II may be said that
the preponderant opinion of all points
suggested Is against President Roosevelt
by about five to one.
Professor William @, Sumner OF ale.
In his reply says that nothing is ever
settled until It Is settled right; that tho
protective tariff Is all wrong, wrong In
economies, wrong in morals and a great
corrupter OF politics. Il
Professor II. c.. Emery OF the same In
5stitution, agrees that the policy is def
nitely established, but that Dingleyism Is
not definitely established, and that serious
reform in the tariff Is demanded.
& Professor Irving Fisher, also OF Yale
says that 1t does not folio W, because a
wrong policy has been pursued for a long
time. that It ought to ba forever: chronic
diseases need cure, as we'll as acute.
\ Professor j. C. Schwab.5 ofNthe same in
stitution, does not consider the American
tariff policy definitely established any
more thar he would have considered the
policy Of slavery definitely established had
he lived fifty years ago.
Professor Henry T. Willis, OF Washlng-
ton and Lee University. says that the
Presidents statement that the protec-
tive policy should now bc considered del-
lnitely established seems to him.to have
no warrant beyond its assertion.
Professor Conan. of Wellesley. says
that the Presidents assertion is only true
..x..N -. s n -d,,ofptEn a@pp anil Hlica n mol.
!tIcian.
Several other professors In other insu-
@tutions take practically the same view.
|.On the second point, Professor Sumher,
| ot Yale, says that the assertion tHat the
tariff, IL modified. must be modified oyE
Its friends, simply means that the pro
t%cctionists mean to keep control or l,
and that Ii they ever have to yield any
thing they will yield as little and as
slowly as they can. Professor Calenoari
saws that we have had our tarln reVlscos
several times since he war by the Slr1enuS
OF tho protective system. It was dons
Immediately following the war. Wheh IN,
removal OF a great number OF lnteIn '
taxes called for a correspondent reuuc. ass
In customs duties. 1t was dono IN 1888,
and again In 1880, when q surplus revenue
reccssitatcd a reduction In customs rev.
enue. But In every case the resu!l. "as"
substantial Increase In the protectiYe
features of the tariff, with NO reuuct.Uno
worth mentioning. The folly OF expecting
any real revision Of the protective 3sys-
ten, from this source Is obvious. when we
%reflect on the way legislation ana espe-
cially tariff legislation Is commonly ee-
termined In most legislative podles.
professor Fisher takes the GROUND ttla.
thn tariff must be modified by the repre-,
sentotives OF the American people ana
tint ~ the people are educated M To-
knowledge Of the fact that the taTllL
tnx all of them for the benent OIL
few of them. tley have the right 70 2 =
. stroy protection without INST ushlNs wv
consent OF Its benehclaries. fTolessos
Rogers. OF Yale, says that q revision OF
The tariff made by Its benefciaries means
higher duties for the benefit q tne tsm
and more oppression and Injustice 70 luz
nnnnlc. Most OF tho other oplnlonfr1oA
lila point are much to the same ef1ec..
AS 10 tariff and trusts Professor SUM
ner says; ~ on, that
. refusal to identify the question Of
tariff revision with q solution ot ny
tr,st question is always q sign OF desire
"a avoid any real effort TO deal ~aaeauate'y
L With the tariff question
Professor Fisher says, e,,o,,,a
'The question Of taritf reVis,on e.uasu
not lie Identlhed' with the trust ques-
ton. but the hearing of protection On
tic imposition by trusts Of hlgheT pF;cas
1T homo than abroad should not pe lost
sight OF as one Of the ways ~ Wnieh
projection taxes the consumer, provn
Professor Allan II, Wlllett, q hFowN
University, snys that nc student Pre-,
tends that tho removal o. aHtses t icata
TIC evils Of monopoly, but adds mat ~
l. maintained, and 1t Is difficult 70 see
how any one can question the tac!. lnat
tho prevention of foreign coinpett.oh ~
higll duties increase enormously Ing Az.
rragate nlnountSpf monopoly gam Whluh
American combinations are ap'e = So
cure.
mt We have cited enough TO show The
general drift of the opinions. y Is man,
test that the college professors have not
Vet been converted TO the views Of Doc
tor Roosevelt,