Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-10-06
TRUSTS AND TARIFF.
Honest Treaties Woull Expand Amer
ican Commerce.

Francis Z. Woodruff writes to the
Evening Post On. IL, the following i'll
teresting letter OH 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 campaign issue.
| This leaves the clean-cut issue, is
protection in principle right or wrong?
| The only argument that has been adj
vanced for the former is that we see
it accompanied by prosperity; and
similar argument would equally prove
that the sun goes around the earth!
An argument against it IS that, simply
because something cannot be made out
of nothing, protective duties can do
no more than to divert production from
it's 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 chan
nels must increase cost of production,
and therefore, other things being
equal, lessen profit.
Tariff duty is only one of many fac
tors, but so far as it 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, so far, OF 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 a tariff-privileged few-to the
building up of huge individual for
tunes, that by their evil example and
evil use in cOrrupting our legislators
and voters are endangering our repub-
lie. 1t is true that, thanks to abund-
ant crops, and to 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 Ioaves.
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 boom it will Ee neces-
sary to increase the dose, ut our further
expense; as well as to add ship subsi-
dies, and so OH. If, on the other hand,
the Democrats should win, revision,
properly managed rs it would be by
the friends of OUR country Gin place of
friends of the tariff Deneficiaries, and
the Republican corruption fund.-, and
with honest reciprocity treaties, 50 far
from checking prosperity would give it
Il 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 pc
come richer. Steel rails. for example,
ct S2S would lose the So we are now
robbed of, but til remaining profit
of SIS on the added enormous output
for the vast increase i'll the foreign
trade would more than make up the
loss. These employers, also, could OBJ
NIOuSly dHOI u ~ NdIl1l 50 lOIlS us al SOOu
ratio of our land to our Inhabitants
continues would have to give as good
wages as now, o. better ard instead
Of the present alternating feaSts and
famines there would be more steady
Best of all, perhaps, as the tariff
robbery was lessened It's artificially en-
HANGED cost of living would be reduced,
ard (say) fifty cents would provide
what now costs 4 dollar 1t has been
he writer's lot to spend most of his
grown life abroad, and although now
some years at home he still feels hui
inflated whenever, as often, he finds
hat in his own enlightened country,
IF which he had been so proud. he
low has to pay for inferior quality
ionble what he has been used to pay
nS i'll the benighted word outside.
BESIDES the sense of humiliation. how
.ver, there is also q distinct inclination
o KICK somebody. What Justice is
here in rObbing us to make other men
ich. or to swell the Republican cor
upton fund? From their own selfish
Jew point the Republicans do we'll TO
Ight tooth and nail against change.
kept to make the duties higher
wen ten years under scientific tariff
would make my cOuntrymen amazed
nat they could have been so fooled.
utter fifty years, our historians would
roup the protection craze with the
ullp mania and the South Sea bubble.