The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1907-08-22

Of the National Association a Manu-
facturers a. conclusive upon the Char
acter Of the present schedules, nor do
assume that the manufactureu OF
The country embrace all the classes l
who are interested In maintaing the
protective system, for ! fuzzy recognise
that other classes, especially the farm
ers, are vitality concerned In some OF
the schedules. All that maintain 10
that when after tarif law has bsen
in force 10 years and representative
body of protectionists in principle ana
interest, whose business makes them
familiar with the facts and who have
no motive for Misrepresentation. adopt
such report as the one have quoted
from, II makes case for investigation
into the existing tariff by congress for
the purpose of determining how much
revision II needed.
1.-THE investigation In the end will be
conducted by the committee Of ways
and means Of the house Of represents
tives and by the finance committee Of
the senate. The schedules are for
them to recommend and for congress-
to fx after they hear evidence of the
cost OF production In this country and
the cost of production abroad, and the
conditions existing In each trade, and
II It shall turn out that popular opinion
founded on such substantial evidence
as that which have cited here should
prove to be unfounded, then the re-
vision Of the tariff will be confined to
minor inequalities But II the result
OF the investigation justifies the report
Of the National Association Of Manu-
facturers, then the revision Of the ex-
cessive schedules should be substan-
tial, and the motive for the organizar
tion and maintenance Of unlawful
trusts to monopolize the manufacture
and sale OF articles in such schedules
will be taken away. ~
Prosperity Argument Against Revision.
objection is made to revision on
the ground that we are enjoying busi-
ness prosperity. that this will be dis
turbed by proposal to change the
tariff, and that we should wait until
hard times before we revise. ] can
not follow the argument. The revision
proposed is to be by the Republican
party and is not to be a departure
from the protective principle but In
conformity with IL. II will affect only
those persons inJuriously who are
making an unreasonable profit out of
an excessive rate. The present pros
perity is not dependent on such profit.
II II were, then It would not be the
prosperity OF the whole business COM
munity, but only of a few unduly IA
vored at the expense of the commu-
nifty. In the present temper Of the
people, general prosperity has not pre-
vented the remedying OF other abuses.
and injustice. don't know why It
should prevent this.
IT had occasion In a speech which
delivered at Bath, Me-, now about q
year ago. to express my individual
opinion as In favor of an immediate
revision Of the tariff, but there point
cd out, and only refer to It to repeat
It and emphasize It, that the revision
of a tariff involves SO many different
interests the country over az that It
|
by the Republican party, and therefore
ought not to be undertaken at all, un-
til the party as whole In in favor of
II. ventured to express the opinion
that the sentiment In favor Of re-
vision In the Republican party was
crystalliing to such a point that In
short time we might expect to have
action upon the subject. What has
happened In the last year has only
served to confirm the view then ex-
pressed. and It now seems to me that
even most of the extremists In the
matter of the tariff are Of opinion that
II would be not only unwise, but un-
safe, for the party to fail In its next
national platform to pledge itself to q
revision of the tariff as soon after the
next presidential election as possible.
Those of us who favor immediate re-
vision can well afford to wait until
] after the next presidential election in
order to secure substantial acQuies-
cence by all Republicans Certainly .
delay OF action for 18 months ought to
furnish reason for no protectionist to
invite the certain business disaster
that Democratic revision on free trade
lines would involve. More than this.
full time should be given for the oper-
alton of new tariff upon the busi-
ness of the country before the people
express their opinion Of It. The pas
sage Of bill by the next congress-
would mean the consideration by con-
gress of the tariff In the midst OF q
presidential campaign with all the op-
portunity for Misrepresentation Of Its
effect which Its practical operation for
year or more would refute. Further
more. with a presidential election four
years removed. we can count on re-
vision less affected by political consid-
erations than II made In the heat Of =