The Jackson herald., 1906-09-27
TlNkERlNG WITH THE TARIFF
Protection Enemies Hope Sectional
Discomfort viii Break Down System.

Finding nothing else TO combat
when they take up the coming politi
cal campaign, the Democrats are like.
ly to make the proposition to tinker
with the tariff the main issue. They
already have found hopes of victory
In Massachusetts, where the shoe man
utacturers want lower tariff on
! hides, so that they may buy leather
| cheaper, the American packing con.
| Germs having so cornered the hide
| market that the tanners cannot OBJ.
! tain supplies to carry out their con-
tracts without putting up the price of
their products.
In some localities in the eastern
states there is a popular demand for
a readjustment of the tariff rates on
articles which are shut out now and
cannot be imported in competition
with American materials; but in every
conspicuous instance the demand is
local and affects only a small number
of people.
The American tariff is for the pro-
lection of the entire American people
the people as a whole. not the poo.
pie of particular localities Were this
not the case the tariff would be unfair
and unjust. In adjusting rates the
several localities to be affected for
good or evil were given respectful CON
sidcratiOn, but the good of the whole
nation was the criterion foT the final
scale. No other basis or cor 1ideration
for an equitable tariff could be adopt
ed The constitution of the United
States and the constitutions n the
several states prohibit class legislation
or favors to special localities. Any.
thing which affects one locality more
than another is not Chargeable to ia.
voritism or untairness, but is the good
fortune or the misfortune of that par
ticular locality under the operation of
law general and broad in its scope
and intended to be free of discrimina-
tion in its effect
The attempt TO make the complaints
of people of particular localities
against the tariff schedules a matter
of national interest will be in line
with the long established policy of the
Democratic party to draw sectional
lines and array one portion of the
country against the others, to create
special pleas instead of presenting
national propositions in combating the
opposite party.
The uneXampled prosperity of the
past l2 years is due to the protection
given by the statesmen of the Re
publican party TO domestic industries.
Any departure from that policy will
be n break in the wall of defense be-
hind which American labor and cap
ital have fought foreign invasions.
Tinkering with the tariff will be like
letting little streams trickle through
a great dixie till they wear the way
for a larger flow and finally destroy
the whole barrier against the floods
Behind safe wall of reasonable. fair
and just protection the American peo-
pie are building up industries and de-
vcloping material wealth at a rate
never dreamed of by the old-tiIrc
bourbon statesmen whose war CRY
always was frce-trade and cheap labor.
Good wages TO the workmcn and n
fair profit to the capitalist make the
wheels of industry go round smooth
ly and constantly, and both the wage
of the workman and the profit OF the
capitalist depend upon keeping the
gate, closed to the products Of Chcau
labor abroad and the incomiug of
cheap stun from the ovcrcruwdrd
markets of other nations This policy
may make prices higher in this coun-
try 90 the consumer, bu, ii gives the
consumer the same relatively high
price for what he produces, ant ;hus
eyons up the scale and keeps the
wheels Of industry and the marts Of
commerce going. There is something