Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-12
REVISION
Republican Organ Admits the Neces-
sity of Tampering with. the
Sacred Tariff.

: The New York Evening Mail is a pro-
lection organ, but at last CLEAN OF light
seems to have penetrated its hitherto
darkened mind. The Mail has discovered
that the sacred tariff can be revised, to
some extent at least. We would call the
attention, says the Indianapolis Sentl-
mel, of those republicans in Indiana that
believe now, as the Mail formerly dld,
that the tariff schedules are sacred, 10
this ominous quotation from its col
umns: Secretary Shaw utters an i'm
portant, if obvious, truth when he says
that the policy of public improvements
cannot be enlarged upon without provid-
ing some measure for a corresponding
increase in revenues Thus the desira-
bility of some revision of the tariff IS
suggested by the needs of the govern
'ment as we'll as by the change in indus
trial conditions since it was enacted
There we have, first Secretary Shaw,
who at last own up, that public I'M
provements must stop unless the rev.
enues are increased. Then the Mail, with
It's dluSuL UCliCl III tlC Nv b@o @AH
appropriation, jumps at the conclusion
that a reduction of the tariff is neces-
sary, both on account of the needs OF the
government and the change in industrial
conditions. Now to revise the tariff for
the purpose of producing more revenue
is an unnecessary proceeding, for IL
economy was used in making approprla-
lions, there is no doubt that the present
revenues are sufficient. If more rev.
enues are raised from the tariff, or from
any other source OF taxation, the people
will have to pay those taxes, either di-
rectly or indirectly through the increased
cost of what they purchase. The repuD-
lican claim that the foreigner pays the
tariff tax is acknowledged to be an ex-
ploded idea.
Just what rate of tariff duties will pro-
duce the most revenue is a disputed
point. Is the Mail and are the repup-
lican leaders also willing to revise the
tariff as low as necessary to produce the
most revenue? That is the democratic
position. A tariff for revenue One can
fancy the dismayed faces OF the trust
barons and the tariff ~monopolists If such
a revision was proposed by the commit
tee on ways and means under a repub-
lican administration. We know that
tariff lower than the present one, as the
Mckinley tariff was, will not produce
more than the present tariff does, so the
cut would have to go deeper than that
though that depends upon business con
ditions which govern the importation O.
foreign goods to some extent regardless
of rates.
There is, however, a more importan'
matter to the masses of the people thar
the amount of revenue a certain tariff
will produce, and that is how much thu
rate must be reduced to prevent TN
trusts and monopolists from addln!
more than a fair price to their products
The fairest tariff to the manufacturer
and to the consumers would be the al
justment of the schedules SO that tot
nan foreign goods will not be importe'
and yet low enough to prevent the pric'
of home manufactured products from
being sold for more than a fair profit
AS long as the people of the Unite'
States are satisfied with raising revenu
on imports, the above happy medium i
as near perfection as can be arrived a
t 1t would prevent our products beln
sold for less to foreigners than they ar
here, would produce the maximum c
revenue and should be collected wit
much less expense than at present, fo
smuggling and that other curse of
high protective tariff, undervaluatio1
would be eliminated.
How can any fair man, that 1t, not a
arrant partisan, object to such a reason
able revision as is here outlined. "
: we have no idea that the republican
), will revise the tariff after this fashion
=. and looking at it from the democrat
partisan side, we can hardly wish it.
would eliminate their most potent poll
ical issue, but for the good of the who
" people we believe the democrats won,
vote for and help to enact such a la
. and allow the republicans to have I'll
y credit for it.