West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-06-15
A BLOW AT DlNGLEYIsN.

There is Grape on the door OF the
American Protective Tariff Associa-
uon. The mourners OF the Home
Market Club are sobbing pi,ifully
behind the drawn shutters. Low
means of anguish escape from the
pallid lips of Wilbur +. Wakeman.
Hot tears are coursing down the fur
rowed cheeks of Gin'ral Charles
Henry Grosvenor. The Administra-
tion has been and gone and done it.
The irreverent may jeer at the
grief Of the stand-patters over the
open-market order for Panama Can
al materials, but it is a very real
grief nevertheless, and ought to be
respected. When the Government
of the United States brutally refuses
to be held up by its own tarff-fat-
tened manufacturers it is setting a
most pernicious example to its citi-
zens. In fact, the stand-patters
may justly charge the Federal Gov
ernment with inciting a revolt
against the Dingley schedules.
Certain sons OF Belial in Wash
ington who sympathize with the Taft
order are reported by the Tribune
as saying that steel rails for the
Panama Railroad, which would cost
S33 a ton here, can be purchased
abroad for $40 a ton, and that they
will be made by the same company
in either case. This is only another
way of saying that the Steel Trust
would charge the Government SI3
a ton more than it charges its for.
eign customers. Last fall the pool
was selling rails delivered at Eng
lish ports for Sa2 ton, while the
domestic price was S2S. If the
Government were restricted to the
home market in buying rails for
Panama Railway it would have to
pay any price the pool saw fit to
demand.
1t is not likely that much foreign
material will be bought for the Pan
anna Canal, in spite of the Taft or
der. The Government is simply
gong into the open market, and by
making the same rate to the United
States that they make to foreign
customers American manufacturers
can get all the contracts. They will
doubtless find it just as profitable
to do their dumping in Panama as
in Liverpool and Hamburg.
This of course is not the real
grievance of the stand-patters. 1t is
the horrible object-lesson which
sears their souls. II the Govern
ment will not submit to Dingleyized
extortion why must its citizens sub.
NIT ? This question will be asked
with perplexing frequency, and the
answer is obviously destructive of
the stand-patters' peace OF mind. 1t
seems to be destroying their com
mon sense too.
Grosyenor, for example, com.
plains in one breath against the Taft
order and in another breath declares
that 'Ihe country would rather pay
little more for something that was
made at home" II the Ohio Con.
gresham believed his own words
he would not worry about the Pan.
anna order. II the people really
preferred to pay more for something
made at home they would do so
whether there was a protective tariff
or not. No Dingleyile would then
he concerned as to where the Gov
ernment bought its Panama materi
ais, unless he happened to lose
contract to foreign competitor. It
is the fact that people do not prefer
to pay eKtortionate prices for things
made at home which worries the ex-
treme protectionists.
They see IN the action Of Presi
dent Roosevelt and Secretary Taft
new encouragement for the revision
lists, and they are right The Pan.
anna order is the hardest blow dealt
to Dingleyism since President Nc
kinley's Buffalo speecb.-New
York World.
Personally we feel sorry for Col.
Jim Lakin to have him slaughtered
so badly for he is a good fellow and