Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-05-05
TARIFF REVISION.

TARIFF REVISION.
Speaker Cannon has been smoked out
of his tariff hole and forced to give a
reason why the tariff should not be re-
vised. He declared in a private letter
to trust pottery manufacturer. pro
tected from competition by the tariff,
that 1.-THE desire for a change which
exists in the common mind will drive
the Republican party. if continued in
power. to a tariff revision He said
he did not want it, but it would have to
come lin the not distant future This
letter having been published. compelled
Mr.. Cannon To make further state
ment of his position. He starts off by
saying thai the amendment of a single
schedule. or few schedules. is "entire-
~ impracticable. In his judgment
nothing can be done except by com
plete revision of the tariff. " That, he
says. would halt production, consump-
tion and commerce for at least twelve
months, and the result would prob
ably not be an improvement on existing
law. For the general interest of the
whole country" he thinks the revision
toward which 'the common mind in
its desire for change is driving the Re
publican 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 utilization
with the corporations. trusts and com
bnes obliterates 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 Representa-
tives. or his party associates, but through
the ardent reform efforts of a new Con
gress born of the desires of the Demo
cracy and aided by Independent voters
who are sick and tired of the plumber
ing of the trusts and the corruption and
grating of the Republican party.
The attitude of the Republican poll
tician towards the protective tariff is
like the heather before his idol. it 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 a
brazen image and its high priests have
exalted it to plumber the people, then
the voters will have none of it and will
cast it down and break it.
The Republican contention that to re-
wise the tariff. by reducing the rates
on hides. or coal, would destroy domes-
tic industry is too absurd for argument.
Would it ruin the crops or cause the
rain TO come or the sun to be darkened ?
The Beef Trust would lose a trifie of
its enormous profits. but no one believes
the farmer c- cattle grower would lose
a cent. Even the abnormally high price
for hides, now being paid, has not in
creased the price of cattle. for cattle
are now selling cheaper than for many
years before. though the tariff protect
ed Beef Trust is getting a 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 cor
p0ration would still control the market
for its products. for the cost of trans
portation over seas would be protection
enough and only inordinate profits would
be reduced. There is hardly a schedule
of the tariff that does not shelter some
trust. or combine that in all fairness to
a long suffering people does not require
revision. The Republicans refuse to
NEEDLE with it. so this duty must be
intrusted to the Democrats, who are
pledged to 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 some
thing more in reason than now.