Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-10-05
THE DUAL TARIFF PLAN
Olive Branch the Reformers
Offer Stand Patters.
THE CONCESSION Is WORTHLESS.
German and Other PrOhibitive Du-
ties Make n Bad Outlook For Amer
lean Producers Until Voters Are
Ready to Elect Real Tariff Reform
ers High Prices VIII Continue.

The Republicans who met at Chicago
for the purpose of deciding upon q
plan to reform the tariff evidently are
not yet prepared to seriously break
with the stand patters. The decision
to demand "a dual, or maximum and
minimum, tariff from congress is a
useless concession to the protection
lists if anything is expected to be ac-
complished. 1t is merely a threat Of
reprisal against Germany and other
countries which have raised their tariff
wall against our products and will
hardly induce them to lower it. The
only way to invite trade is to wipe
out, at least, some Of the restrictions
that the present tariff law imposes on
the countries that would like to sell
US their products and buy ours. The
protectionists' idea Of q maximum and
minimum tariff is to make the present
exorbitant tariff rates the minimum
and add 25 or so per cent to those
rates for the maximum. That is what
Secretary Shaw is reported to advo-
Cdlc. duu SpCdhCl Sdl1AOu, IlC 11Oluc
Market club and the Protective Tariff
league and their supporters probably
agree with him. But as Secretary
Blaine told Mckinley when the tariff
bill known by his name was incubat-
ing and proposing to increase the
rates Of duty, "Not a dollar of in
creased trade will be fostered by it,"
Neither would there be by this pro-
posed dual tariff unless rates are re-
duced.
Every voter who detests the exclu-
sion theory of the protectionists which
has fostered the trusts and their high
prices will Of course rejoice that the
protective tariff is attacked by friends
Of protection who have hitherto been
silent participators in the wrongs COM
mitted. Governor Cummins and those
other representative Republicans, as
the great majority Of the Chicago CON
vention were, by their protest will
greatly help the u Of tariff reform
in drawing the attention of the people
to the breakdown Of the protection theo-
ry. They have recorded the fact that the
American farmer and American indus
tries can no longer depend exclusively
upon the home market; that if our eX-
ports are not encouraged both u agri-
culturists and our WOrkmen will soon
be unable to find a market for their
surplus products except what England
can buy, and as all countries are
dumping their surplus products on the
English markets the price there is the
lowest anywhere.
The Republican majority in congress
may stand pat and refuse to revise
the tariff because the protected monop-
olies and trusts so literally divide with
the politicians and party managers u
share of the plumber ito keep the boys
in line,' but when the protection shoe
pinches a bit harder and farm products
decline in price and wages decline, as
they surely will, her the voters will
arise to the occasion and there will be
another revolt, as there was in 1884
and 1892.
The protectionists would gladly con-
cede Il dual tariff as long as they have
the power to make the rates, but they
have no intention of ~Surrendering Il
particle of their private gain by the
tax they levy on about all the people
consume. There is only one thing that
will ever nov them and that is the
adverse votes of IN outraged and plum
dered people. And until the reformers
are prepared to elect tariff reformers
to congress how is it possible to expect
relief? Governor CumminS himself
doubtless voted for John A. 7. Hull,
who represents the Des Moines district
ana who is IN ardent stand patter. and
until he is ready to defeat Nh. Hull
with some good. honest tariff reformer
his work is useless. You cannot re
form the Republican party On the tariff
issue as long as it gets part of the
graft that the tariff supplies.