Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-19
As TO TARIFF REVISION.

Perhaps a majority Of the American
people feel that there is no more i'm
portant question to be determined by the
next congress than that of tariff revision.
Ii is a question which touches vitality the
industrial and commercial welfare Of the
nation, not alone for the time being, but
for the future. For ten years the United
States has had a tariff under which the
general welfare has grown with a rapid
ity without precedent in our national
history. There has been during these
years an enormous Industrial and com
mercial development We have wit
messed not only this, but also a remark
able gain in the benefits to labor and
the accumulation Of the gains Of labor
All along the line there has been prog
ress, a steady and normal advance, in
which every class of our people has
shared.
1t is now proposed by some to make
a more or less radical departure from
the policy which has admittedly been SO
potent an influence in building up the
United States to the position It now oc-
cupies among the industrial nations Of
the world. There is a prevalent belief
that this must be done in order to enable
this country to retain what foreign trade
It has got and expand our commerce.
It is urged that unless this is done we
will inevitably lose a great deal Of the
trade that has been won and inevitably
be driven to a lower place among the
great commercial nations. 1t is declared
that we must reduce our tariff or submit
to a material loss of trade, since our
Industrial and commercial competitors
in the markets Of the world are putting
forth every effort to take trade away
from us.
This is not a new proposition. We
have been hearing it for years and never
more vigorously or persistently than
since the enactment Of the present tariff
law. 1t was declared when that measure
was under consideration that IL enacted
into law it would have results disas-
trous to our commerce. Events have
have grown constantly and rapidly in
home development and in the foreign
commerce. Instead of the Dingley law
being a drawback it has been most
powerful help to our international COM
merce. Whereas before the enactment
of that law our business with foreign
nations was not growing, there has since
been witnessed a great progress in our
foreign trade, which is still increasing.
There is not single fact to show that
the existing tariff law has done otherwise
than to contribute to the general well
being of the American people and to
keep the United States in the path OF
industrial progress.
What better evidence could be desired
to show that the economic policy under
which this nation is living is an emf
nently wise policy, that should be stead
lily and cOnspicuously pursued, what
ever may be thought in individual cases.
In other words, the essential thing is
TO maintain the protective principle and
It can very confidently be predicted that
this will be the view of the majority in
the Fifty-ninth congress. Newspapers
and some prominent men IN certain con-
spicuous protection sections are urging
that the time is at hand for tariff revi-
sion by the party of protection; that no
harm can come to the business Of the
country If revision shall be at once
made by the party that can be depended
upon to take such action with a due re-
gard for the national industries. There
is unquestionably some plausibllity in
this, but it is doubtful II any movement
can be made for changing the tariff that
would not result in unsettling and dis
turbing to some extent the industrial and
commercial affairs of the country and
thus necessarily putting a check upon
our now growing prosperity.