Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-06-27
A. to rnrlr Revision

During the past six or eight years
the Republicans have promised to re-
wise the tariff, but the leaders have
prevented any bill from being consld-
cred by Congress. But now comes Les
lie NJ. Shaw. who rs Secretary OF the
Treasury has charge of the customs de-
partment and should therefore know
the intentions of President Roosevelt
and declares that the tariff Will be re-
vised by its friends in 1860. That Is a
long time ahead and Shaw and the
other Republican standpatters may
change their minds in three years as
they have done before. The time to
reform IS now by the present Congress
As Secretary Shaw is spell-b!nding on
his own account and is trying to defeat
Gov. Cummins and the tariff reform
faction of the Republican party In
Iowa and elsewhere, his promises of re-
forming the tariff in 1909 must be tax
en- with a grain of salt. In all preDa-
bility Secretary Shaw will be private
citizen before that date, and his prom
Use of tariff reform is therefore no more
valuable than that of aIy other voter.
1t should not be considered presump-
tuous to request Secretary Shaw to be
little more explicit in his promises.
As one of the arrogant standpatters,
who so far has believed that the only
way to revise the tariff is to revise 1t
higher. Secretary Shaw should tell us
his scheme of tariff revision. Republi-
can platforms have promised reciprocity
for the past twenty years, bu, the reel
procity treaties that Mckinley arrang-
ed with many countries have never been
ratified and are laying In Senate pigeon
holes presided over by standpatters. 1t
is plain, therefore. that If the protec-
ton faction of the Republicans, with
whom Secretary Shaw has always been
allied, are again entrusted by the voters
with another lease of power, they are
not to be trusted to redeem their prom
ises made before election. judging by
their refusal to redeem them IN the
past.
4 ut EltOnouliSt, tlit vi btit
standpatters, subsidized by the trusts
and combines which are fattening on
the present tariff schedules, is denounc-
ing every Republican who favors any
revision of the tariff. 1t brands reel
procIty with Canada and the abolition
OF the tariff on hides and coal as n
Democratic plan to ruin the country
and any form of tariff revision as the
certain overthrow of prosperity. The
Economist advocates tha continuation
of the present burdensome tariff sched-
ules, which are principally responsible
for the increase in the cost of living Is
per cent since its enactment. The Econ
omist lauds Secretary Shaw rs the
stanch friend of the tariff system that
has fostered trusts and protected com
bines in plundering the people. Secre-
tary Shaw is therefore discredited as a
tariff reformer by his association with
those who believe such reform would
reduce their large profits and make
their watered stock worthless Would
any sane business man trust negotia.
lions for a great change in his system
of business to known enemy of the
proposed reform? After so many prom
Uses and so many years Of nor perform
anee can the Republican party be trust.
ed to revise the tariff. especially when
the special interests" fostered by pro
lection are the principal purveyors OF
Doodle, without which Republican cam
paigns would be vapory vision and
result in disaster to the political ma
chine?
The retirement of some Of the ardent
Republican standpatters by their own
party shows the drift of public sentl
ment on the tariff issue. The voters
can no longer be fooled with false
promises of reform. They see that
monopoly breeds graft and that high
protection has bred monopoly The In,
dependent voters are too well Informed
to be the tools of the Republican ma
chine and will in the coming election
for Congress turn to the Democratic
party rs the true and only tariff reform
ers that can be trusted.