The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1904-10-06
TRUSTS AND TARIFF.
Honest Treaties Would Expand Amer
Haa Commerce.


Francis E. Woodruff writes to the.
Evening Post N. ", the following in.
tereSting letter on Projections"
Sir-The Republicans declaration
that I'VE insist upon the maintenance
Of the principles of protection" is a
challenge TO make the question
whether the principle Of protection IS
right or wrong a campaign issue.
This leaves the clean-cut issue, is
protection IN principle right or wrong?
The only argument that has been adj
vaneed for the former is that we see
il accompanied 10y prosperity; and a
similar argument would equally prove
that the sun seeS around the earth!
An argument against il is that, simply
because something cannot be made out
Of nothing. protective" duties can do.
no more than TO Iii, ert production from
Its natural channels; that is, from the
lines Of least resistance, and therefore
Of least expenditure of effort, and so.
Of least cost of production. Converse
ly, such diversion from natural cham.
nels must Increase cost Of production,
and. therefore. other things being
equal. lessen profit.
Tariff duty is only one of many fac
tors. but 50 far as il goes the argu-
ment is confirmed by the fact that
under the Walker so-called free trade
tariff. when our manufactures came
nearest to following the natural chan
nels of production. their ratio of in
crease, which is largely dependent on
relative profit, was greater than ever
before or since. Under the browning
iniQuity. Sd far. ~ the Dingley tariff.
while the ratio Of increase, and SO the
profit to the Nation. is less, corrupt
legislation has diverted the lions share
of the DIMINISHED profits into the pock-,
cts of taritf-privileged few-to the
building up Of huge individual for.
tunes, that by their evil example and
evil use in eorrupting our Legislators.
and voters are endangering our repub-
lie. 1t Is true that, thanks TO abund..
ant crops, and 10 other causes with
which protection has nothing to do
except to do harm. there are crumbs Of
the resulting prosperity for the rest.
of us; but under the Walker tariff,
while individual fortunes would not
have been So dangerously overgrown,
the people would have had full loaves.
Besides, despite the delaying of the
end by Trust" combinations. the arti-
fetal stimulant is manifestly losing
its effect, and should the Republicans
win it is an open secret that to bring
about another 'hoom" il will be neces-.
Sary 10 increase the dose, at our further
expense; us wen as TO add ship subsi-.
dies, aud 81 oh. Ii, on the other hand,
the Democrats should win, revision,
properly managed as il would be by
the friends Of our country lin place Of
friends of the tariff heneticiaries, and
the Republican corruption fund.-, and
with honest reciprocity treaties, so far
from checking prosperity would give it
healthy impulse by throwing open
to us the field of International trade;
in which. just as fast as our necks are
freed from the milestone of protection
ism, with our natural resources, in
Guiding brains. we would lead the
world. The rich employers would be-
como richer. Steel rails. for example,
at SIS would lose the IS we are now
robbed of. but III remaining profit
of IS on the added enormous output
for the vast increase in the foreign
trade would more than make up the,
loss. These employers, also, could OBJ
viously afford TO ,and so long as a good
ratio of our land TO our inhabitants
continues would have TO give as good
wages as now, or better and instead
of the present alternating feasts and
famines there would be more steady
employment.
Best of all. perhaps, as the tariff
robbery was lesSened its artificially en-
HANGED cost of living would he reduced,
and (Say, fifty cents would provide
what now costs 4 dollar. 1t has been
the writer's lot 10 spend most of his
grown life abroad. and although now
some years at home he still feels hui
inflated whenever. as often, he finds
that in his own enlightened country,
of which he had been SO proud he.
now has to pay for inferior quality
double what he has been used to pay.
ing in the benighied world outside.
Besides the sense Of humiliation, how
ever. there is also distinct inclination
to kick somebody. What justice is
there in robhing us to make other men
rich, or TO swell the Republican COR
ruptiOn fund: From their own selfish
view point the Republicans do well to.
fight tooth and nail against change.
except TO make the duties higher.
Even ten years under scientific tariff
would make my countrymen amazed
that they could have been so fooled.
After fifty years, our historians would.
group the protection craze with the
tulip mania and the South Sea bubble.