Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-05-04
TARIFF REVISION.

Speaker Cannon has been smoked out OF
his tariff hole and forced 10 give reason
why the tariff should not be revised. He
declared In private letter to a trust pot
terry manufacturer, protected from competi-
ton by the tariff, that "the desire for q
change which exists in the common mind
will drive the Republican party, if con-
tinued in power, to tariff revision" He
said he did not want II, but II would have
to come "in the not distant future" This
letter having been Published compelled Mr..
Cannon TO make further statement Of his
position. He starts off by saying that the
amendment of single schedule, or o few
schedules, is "entirely impracticable." In
his judgment nothing can be done except
by complete revision of the tariff" That,
he says, "would halt production, consump-
ton and commerce Tor at least twelve
months" and the result would probably
not be an improvement on existing law"
"For the general interest of the whole coun-
try" he thinks the revision toward which
"the common mind" in Its desire for change
is driving the Republican party "should be
postponed as long as possible"
This disagreement Of the uncommon mind
OF Speaker Cannon with that Of the common
people is nothing new with Republican
politicians. Their aifiliation with the cor
pOfatione, trusts and combines obllteratee
any sympathy for the plundered people.
But tariff revision and other reforms will
come, not through the aid Of the unwilling
Republican Speaker OF the House Of Rep
resentatives, or his party associates, but
through the srdent reform efforts OF new
Congress born of the desires of the Democ-
racy and aided by independent voters who
are sick and tired OF the plunderiDg OF the
trusts and the corruption and grating Of
the Republican party.
The attitude of the Republican politician
towards the protective tariff Is like the
heather before his idol, 1t is a fetch to
worship and too sacred to be touched. But
when the time Of stress and political trouble
comes and the tariff idol has shown itself to
be but brazen image and It's high priests
have exalted il to plumber the people, then
the voters will have none OF 1t and will cast
1t down and break II.
The Republican contention that TO revise
the tariff, by reducing the rates on hides, or
coal, would destroy domestic industry is too
absurd for argument. Would it ruin the crops
or cause the rain TO come or the sun to be
darkened2 The beef trust would lose trifle
of the enormous profits, but no one believes
the farmer or cattle grower would lose cent.
Even the abnormally high price for hides,
now being paid, has not increased the price
of cattle, for cattle are now selling cheaper
than for many years before, though the
tariff protected beef trust is getting high
price for beef.
Take the iron and steel schedules and
abolish the tariff rates on the products of
the steel trust and that giant corporation
would still control the market for its pro
ducts, for the cost Of transportation over
seas would be protection enough and only
inordinate profits would be reduced. There
Is hardly q schedule Of the tariff that does
not shelter some trust, or combine, that In
fairness to long suffering people does moi
require revision. The Republicans refuse
to NEEDLE with 1t, so this duty must be In
trusted TO the Democrats, who are pledged to
q reasonable reform that will prevent the
trusts selling cheaper abroad than here, and
while producing enough revenue to run the
government will reduce the cost of living
to something more In reason than now.