The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-09-26

tariff law is OF the defensive and
forced to find excuses for a longer con-
tinuance. The plan of attack is to
discredit the law and then push a gen
eral assault on the protective SYSTEM.
ALI through it's history the Democratic
party has been opposed to the policy
OK protecting American wages and in
vision is deceptive. Its platforms have
always been against any such protec-
ton in a tariff. According TO the de-
clared Democratic belief a tariff should
men and manufacturers should be left
to make the best of such as
they can command in open competition
with the world. If the next Democrat
lie national platform leaves put a plank
to this effect it will be different from
the party's former avowed position. A
man from any party may favor tariff
revision, meaning a reimbursement of
schedules when needed. Republicans
from time 10 time have passed several
tariff laws and changed rates accord
ing to the progress of industrial de-
velopment. Sometimes they have adj
vanced rates as well as reduced them,
but always maintaining the protective
principle. What the Democratic party
by revision Is a general cutting
down Of duties and an elimination of
all protection as fast as it can be reach
ed. When did Mr.. Bryan or any other
Democratic party leader say a word
for protection?
Beyond any doubt the mex Repub-
lican platform will speak with pride Of
the great success in all respects of the
Dingley tariff, whose results for ten
years have more than realized all that
was expected by TIE able men who
shaped it. AS far as revenue is con-
cerned the only Democratic charge is
that the treasury surplus is excessive.
In general expansion of industry nc
decade in the history of the govern
ment, or of any government, can be
compared with the period of the present
law, and the tide of prosperity has
been running, aud is running now, high
er than eve before. But the Demo
cratic cry is for q change, and it is
the pretense of that party that Re
publicans are in a state of nervous ap-
~prehension, seeking to delay a revision
pictured as already ~imperatively need
ed and overdue. There is no such feel
ing or opinion in the Republican or
~ganization. 1t will give the present
tariff a most emphatic and enthusiastic
Endorsement, and refer to such modi-
fications as may possibly be required as
a matter for whose careful considera-
ton, from all points of view, there is
plenty of time, and from which free
trade influences will be excluded.
Since its passage the Dingley law
was temporarily modified in one item
by Republicans, and that example
serves to show how hollow Democrltic
the great Goa strike, when the people
Of the United States were threatened
with a coal famine with winter at
hand, some Of the leading Democrats in
Congress made imprisoned appeals to
take off the duty on coal, and asserted
that the admission free Of foreign coal
would strike at the root of the trouble.
The duty on coal is II cents a ton. Con
gress suspended 1t for over a year. but
the effect of this revision" really an
experiment in free trade, was abso-
lutely null. Foreign shippers of coal
at once marked up their price. Even
consumers of coal in American seaports
p~rofited nothing by the addition of the
article to the free list. When the duty
was taken off coffee in the name of a
free breakfast table the Brazilian deal
ers added the difference to their price.
American consumers paid the same as
before, but the American government
lost the revenue. So revision" often
works. For the Dingley law and the
principle of protection, the Republican
party has only words of triumphant
praise.-St. Louis Globe-D Democrat.