The Washington herald., 1907-03-25
MONDAY. MARCH %. 1901
MIR. Cleveland on the Tariff.

At seventy years of age Grover Cleve-
land is still an ardent tariff reformer
seeing in the tariff issue, as of yore. the
opportunity of the Democratic party
How insistently that issue thrusts itself
into American politics! Party leaders on
both sides may affect TO ignore it. and TO
present new political projects for the at
traction of votes, but it ever returns 10
plague them. For 1t is the great strong
hold Of special privilege, the particular
abiding place of government favoritism
always open 70 the attack of those who
believe, as Mr. Cleveland does, ia the
economic as well as the legal equality Of
all men, So the veteran eX-President
urges his party TO renew the attack, for
if we fail to do so now. our friends the
enemy viii take it out of our hands be-
fore four more years have rolled by"
Mr.. Cleveland believes reform of the
tariff to be a fundamental necessity Of
economic justice. and that the trust CUES
tion is dependent upon the tariff question.
Here he places himself upon ground dia-
metrically opposite TO that of President
Roosevelt and other corporation reform
ers in both parties. who think the control
of corporations by the government a
separate and more important matter. But
there is other ground for advocating tariff
changes. and Mr.. Cleveland, though not
among those who have reioiced at our
advent into world-pOliIics. does not hesi-
tate to occupy il. In the interview in the
Philadelphia Public Ledger, Mr.. Cleveland
says;
''On the broader ground Of o.u enlarged national
hfe, how Ill it becomes 10 persist longer in our
policy o. childish. selfish isolation We pretend TO
be world power. We insist upon interest
in pretty much all that goes on the globe. With
what justice. with what cOuntenance can We thus
boast ourselves a member. and very active mem
her. Of the family Of nations. while we shut out
the other members of that family from mar
ksts and cut ourselves OF from theirs-fof SO We
inevitably do-plsying our little selfish part Of de-
luded folly ia our corner Of the family home.
lit is time 10 end the farce. and the conscience
and brain Of the nation, now after its century Of
internal Development pulsing with a realizing
sense Of its cell to a higher life, wll respond
pend upon twill respond 10 the demand to throw
of this barbsrous superstition Of industrial isolation.
and gladly confidently take its true place IN the
industrial scheme of a well-ordered world"
The present agitation for tarin changes
has largely arisen out of our ambition
Tor commercial expansion-au expansion
which is fettered by tariff barriers here
and abroad, as Mr. Cleveland points out.
4 real world power cannot be industrially
isolated, any more than it can be politi-
cally isolated, and the "barbarous super
sttion' that we can live to ourselves
within tariff walls and play our legitimate
role In the worlds commerce is one that
is rapidly undergoing dissipation even in
the ranks Of the protectionist party.
Secretary Root and Mr.. Cleveland. Pc
should judge are not so far apart in this
view of the tariff question. At all events,
there are many Republicans who will
gladly subscribe TO Mr.. CleVeland's ideal
of commercial development, and who are
as earnestly for The removal of the
shackles on our foreign trade as is the
Sage of Princeton.