New-York tribune., 1904-09-12

therefore merely mean that the trust was re-
lieved OF the competition of its weaker American
with Foreign competitors; and that the first ef-
fort to meet this new competition would be
made by cutting down wages, and would there
fore be primarily at the cost or labor. In the
case of some of our greatest trusts such
change might confer upon them a positive
beneht. Speaking broadly, It is evident that
the changes in the tariff will affect the trusts
for veal or for woe simply they affect the
whole country. The tariff affects trusts only
as it affects all other interests. 1t makes all
these interests, large or small. profitable. and
its benefits can be taken from the large only
under penalty Of taking them from the small
also.
There IS little for me to add to this. 1t is but
ten years since the last attempt made. by
means OF lowering the tariff. TO prevent some
people from prospecting too much. The attempt
was entirely successful The tariff law of that
year was among the causes which in that year
and for some time afterward effectually pre-
vented anybody from prospering too much. and
labor from prospering at ALL Undoubtedly IL
would be possible at the present time to pre-
vent any of the trusts from remaining pros
porous by the simple expedient of making such
a sweeping change in the tariff as to paralyze
the industries OF the country. The trusts would
cease to prosper; but their smaller competitors
would be ruined. and the wage workers would
starve while it would not pay the farmer to haul
the trusts can be reached only by rational effort.
step by step. along the lines taken by Congress
and the Executive during the last three years
II a tariff law is passed under which the country
prospers. as the country has prospered under the
present tariff law. then all classes Will share IN
the prosperity. II tariff law is passed aimed
at preventing the prosperity of some of our peo-
ple It is as certain as anything can be that this
aim will be achieved only by cutting down the
prosperity of all OF our people.
UPRooTING TARIFF WOULD MEAN RUIN
OF course. if our opponents are not sincere in
their proposal to abolish the system of pro-
tective tariff. there is no use In arguing the
matter at ALL save by pointing out again that If
on one great issue they do not mean what they
say 1t is hardly safe to trust them on any other
issue. But II they are sincere In this matter,
then their advent to power would mean domestic
misfortune and misery as widespread and far
reaching as that which we saw ten years ago.
When they speak Of protection robbery"
they OF course must mean that II is immoral to
enact a tariff designed (as is the present protec-
tive tarinO TO secure TO the American wage
worker the benefit Of the high standard OF living
which we desire to see kept up In this country.
Now to speak of the tariff in this sense as rob
berry" thereby giving IT moral relation. is not
merely rhetorical; 1t is its face false. The
question or WndL tdrlH Is pest lOF puF pcOPAc
is primarily one OF expediency. to be determined
not on abstract academic grounds. but in the
light of experience. It is matter OF business:
for fundamentally ours is business people
manufacturers merchants. farmers. wage work
ers professional men. all alike. Our experience
as a people In the past has certainly not shown
us that we could afford in this matter to follow
those professional counsellors who have confined
themselves to study IN the closet; for the actual
working of the tariff has emphatically contra
dlcted their theories. From time 70 time sched-
ules must undoubtedly be rearranged and read
tusted 10 meet the shifting needs OF the country;
but this can with safety be done only by those
who are committed to the cause of the protective
system. To uproot and destroy that system
would be to insure the prostration of business.
the closing OF factories. the improverishment OF
the farmer the ruin OF the capitalist and the
starvation of the wage worker. Yet. X pro-
lection is indeed robbery" and II our opponents
really believe what they say. then IT Is precise
ly To the destruction and uprooting OF the tariff.
and therefore OF our business and industry that
they are pledged. When our opponents last OBJ
tanned power it on platform declaring a
protective tariff unconstitutional; and the ef-
fort to put this declaration into practice one
of the causes Of the general national prostra-
tion lasting from 1893 TO 1897. II protective
tariff is either "unconstItutionaT' or robbery
then 1t is just as unconstitutional. just as much
robbery. to revise 1t down, still leaving 1t protec
tive as IL would be to enact it. In other words
our opponents have committed themselves 10
the destruction OF the protective principle in the
tariff using words which. II honestly used. for
bid them from permitting this principle to OBJ
tain in even the smallest degree.
NO RECIPROCITY WITHOUT TARIFF.
Our opponents assert that they believe in reci-
procity Their action on the most important
reciprocity treaty recently negotiated-that with
Cuba-does not bear out this assertion. More
over, there can be reciprocity unless there is
a substantial tariff; free trade and reciprocity
are not compatible. We are on record favor
ing arrangements for reciprocal trade relations
with other countries these arrangements to be
on an equitable basis of benefit to both the con-
tracing parties. The Republican party stands
pledged to every wise and consistent method Ot
increasing the foreign commerce Of the country.
That it has kept it's pledge is proven by the fact
that while the domestic trade of this country
ceeds 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 export trade Of the world. standing
first among the nations In this respect. The
United States has exported during the last seven
years nearly S10O0oO00.O00 worth OF goods-on
average ndlI as HluCn AGAIN annually dS UuI-
ing the previous four years. when many OF our
people were consuming nothing but necessaries.
and some OF them scanty supply even OF these.
Two years ago. in speaking at Logansport.
Ind. said:
The one consideration which must never be
omitted in tariff change is the imperative need
of preserving the American standard OF living
for the American workingman. The tariff rate
must never fall below that which will protect
the American workingrfan by allowing for the