Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-02
MAINE EDITORIAL COMMENT.
Maine Wants No Tariff REVISION.

! Maine Wants No Tariff Revision.
| Bangor News).
Loud and long is the Democratic cry
for tariff revision. Last July the DEM
Ocracy of the nation in convention II
| st. Louis declared i'll its PLATFORM th"t
the tariff was a robbery" and now.
having gone before the people on tha'
issue, and having been deleateu ny al
overwhelming vote, the newspapers OIL
| the party ask for revision u tHeif
robbery" In 1850 General Hafcock'
at that time the Democratic nominee
for the Presidency. came out ana sald
the tariff was local issue, ana was
laughed at by both parties Tor MS ls-
norance. But in a certain sense the
tariff is a local issue. Here in Maine
we should be somewhat the gamer
from free coal, because we couid then
| import our soft coal from nova scotia
at cheaper rates than we are now pay
ing. But PENNSYLVANIA asks for pro-
tected coal, and in view of the fact
that we produce many articles IN
| Maine that would come cheaper to the
people of Pennsylvania II the tariff
were removed, both sides have made
concessions, and the Dingley tariff. So
called, is on the books today as the
| best result of the best minds i'll the
| nation.
AS to the desirability of revising the
tariff. that depends upon how it IS re-
| vised and who has the handling OF the
| schedules. The last time the Demo-
cratic party attempted to overhaul the
tariff it made a sad botch of the job.
The Wilson, German bill was beyond
doubt the most absurd piece of legisla-
ton that has ever been enacted into
law. Men may say what they will
| about this act, but as a matter of fact,
| its passage and adoption brought on
the most painful period of hard times
that has been endured since the Civil
War; 1t is only fair to say that the
men who attempted the revision were
honest and believed they were work
| ing for the best interests OF the coun-
| try. How signal was their FAILURE the
hard times of 1884 can bear eVi-
dence. What sorrows came to Maine
in those gloomy days NEST OF US
know. The whole period seems like a
| fearful nightmare. May no person
| now living see such times again. In
| spite of the cool head of President
Cle> Gland and in spite of the scho'ar-
ship of Chairman Wilson, the Demo-
cratic tariff wrought great harm to the
| whole country.
| ION the whole" said Representative
Llewellyn Powers of the Fourtn
| Maine Congressional district, Il think
| it will be better for Maine and Maine
interests to let the tariff alone. Our
state stands on the borders of Canada
and New Brunswick, and without
protective tariff, all kinds Of industrial
| deyelOpment would suffer greatly from
Canadian competition. AS the law
stands TODAY. our industries are guard
| ed fully and amply. Our farmers are
safeouaried from Canadian competi-
| ton by having moderate duties on
nearly every article they raise. otf
lumber and pulp and paper lh'e''s'S
are protected. and in all history Maine
has not been so thoroughly preserved
from outside competition as 1t is To-Day.
And we are feeling the impulse OF TINS
protection in all parts OF the stare.
Maine was never so prosperous as II IS
TODAY. This year one farmer in Aroos-
took who had been offering to sell his
farm for $50 900, harvested ana SOLO
SIT ono worth Of potatoes from the d.
acres he had under cultivation, which
sum-after deducting the cost OF
growing and harvesting the crop and
having taxes and insurance and inc
entire expense Of conducting the farm
left net profit of more than IS per
cent. on the asking price of his hold
irrs. This is not solitary case. The
county is full of similar instances. All
60. to N,
Orr population and our valuation are
gaining 10y bounds. and so long as the
existing tariff rates are enforced, we
shall be swimming in riches. vi
course. there may be instances where
tariff revision on certain articles VIII
be of help to business. But am
speaking of and for Maine. and par
ticularly for the Fourth district. which
has honorcd me by sending me to Con-
gress. For the foregoing reasons,
think any radical revision Of the tarlfl
at this time would not be helpful to
Maine"
1t is needless to say here that Mr..
Powers has spent most of his busy life
ir ArOostook county. He went To
HOulton when it was small village
far away in the wilderness. He has
been an active participant in many of
the business transactions which have
taken place for the past 40 years. He
knows AroostOok thoroughly and
knows what is good for the people. In
return, the voters of AroOstOok are
aware of Mr.. Powers's sentiments and
continue to stand by him with in
creasing majnrities every time he
comes up for election. Hence, when
we view the tariff question in any
light. it would seem that no revision
at all will be the best for Maine.