The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-18
BRINGS THE QUESTION HOME.

The Panama Canal Commission has
given the best argument for revision
of the tariff that has been printed for
months: For years the Democrats
have been contending that it was not
right to make consumers pay two
prices for goods in order to give the
trusts a rake off, The trusts con-
troll most of the manufacturing plants
and the tariff tax paid goes into their
Golfers. But, as long as nobody COM
planned but the consumer and the
consumer continued to vote the Re-
publican ticket, no consideration has
been paid to<the protest. Now comes
the Panama Canal Commission asking
whether it must buy supplies from
American manufacturers or may buy
in the cheapest market. 1t needs two
5000 ton ships. They can be bought
in Europe for $75O,O60. American
ship-builders charge $1,4OO,0O0 for
the same ships. The Commission,
acting for the government, decided to
buy in the cheapest market, thus
saving nearly 100000. Will it con-
tinue that plan and buy in Europe,
thus lodging the payment of tariff
taxes? If so. how can the admins
tration have the face to refuse to per-
NIT individuals, less able to pay than
the government, to do likewise?
This object lesson of the burden of
the present tariff tax ought to
illumine the question and ought to re-
suit in. such revision as will end the
continued heavy exactions imposed
upon the American people for the sole
enrichment of the trusts.
If the government admits that the
tariff tax doubles the price of two
ships, and refuses to pay it, how can
it withstand the just demand for
sensible tariff reduction?
The New York Post sees the far
reaching meaning of the determine
ton to buy abroad, and says:
1.-The policy of excessive protection
successfully withstood all the logic of
John G.. Carlisle and all the elo-
quence of William L. Wilson, but can
1t withstand the blow dealt it by the
Republican administration in buying
abroad ships and material required
for the construction of the Panama
Canal? Could Grover Cleveland have
done more to discredit the present
3exorbitant tariff duties than Mr..
Roosevelt has done in exempting the
government from their enactment?
Certainly, he did not do as much to
hat President
either term-by the, Mills bill of 1883
or the Wilson bill of 1894.
There Will be a row about it. If
Congress were in session the stand
patters would be grievously agitated.
The government has shaken the dust
of our protected market off it's feet
and gone forth to trade with the
Scribes and Pharisees. chief priests
and elders of all the free trade mark
cts of the world. 1t will spend mill
lions in this behalf-every dollar in
the name of retrenchment and econo-
my. Could the daughters Of the
4Philistines have more. or better, oc-
casion to rejoice?
ships will be bought on the Clyde,
not on the Delaware, at Belfast, not
at Bath. But the ships are not a
speck on the ocean of expenditure
that a Republican administration in
tends to effect in the repulsive pre-
cincts of free trade Supplies for
thousands of human beings and ma
terial for one of the most stupendous
physical undertakings in the history
of mankind, are to be obtained, and
the administration intends to buy
them where they are to be had cheap
est, pauper labor or no pauper labor.
Heretofore we have had some
faint and vague hints of what may
be designated the Roosevelt precept
touching excessive protection, but
this is an enormous checkmate to
what we may call the Roosevelt ex-
ample in that behalf. The thing is
very sudden and very stunning. 1t
Comes as the winds come, when
Forests are rended:
: Comes as the waves come, when
NavieS are stranded.
This is matter for the Home
Market Club to consider. The Amer
lean Economist ought to make a few
remarks about it. The Hon. Mr..
McCleary and his trowel are deeply
interested. Congress, even a stand
pat Congress, left down a gap, and
heresy, a box car full of it, walked
right in and took a seat at the table
of the elect and reared it's hideouS
head and looked all the defiance of
very Macgregor. We see the result.
THE thing is done. Congress will
not be here until October, and before
the next Ways and Means Committee
is named, the government will have
spent millions with the free traders,
unless our protected mills sell their
wares to Uncle Sam at surplus
prices.
THE Roosevelt object lesson is
likely to beat the Carlisle logic lesson
in the next campaign of education"
ADMITS ARMOUR MONOPOLY.