Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-03-11
PROTECTIVE TARIFF
AMERICAN PROTECTIVE LEAGUE
WOULD STAND PAT.
Wants No Tariff Reductions or Reel.
proc'fy' and Refuses to Consider
Demands of the National ASSOCia.
fiOn of Manufacturers for ReduC.
tiOnS Needed.

| 1t ls with much interest and added
respect tor the American Protective Tariff
League that We read its reply to the in.
quiries of the National Association of
Manufac urers regarding tariff modifica-
tions. The League stands for protection
as principle, just as we stand for free
tIade as principle, and it plumply re-
fuses to be drawn into any compromising
relations with manufacturers who want
tariff reductions on the products of 9th.
ers but not on their own. These manu-.
facturers remind the League of Josh
Billings' remark "that the best place TO
have boil is on the other fellow"
"Reciprocity," in the technical sense,
is rightly regarded by the League as "a
breeder of hoggishnes." that "would
take the blue ribbon at any county fair"
And "of all forms OF tariff revision or
tariff reduction" it argues, RECIPROCITY
is the most outrageous and abominable,
because it begins by discriminating
against one group OF domestic industries
and in favor OF other industries, and ends
ny discriminating in favor OF some for.
eign countries and against other coun.
tries." The League sees in such reci.
procity, what we also see, that "it would
carry with it the downfall of protection"
For the same reason, therefore, we look
with favor on what the League opposes.
The League stands for protection un.
mitigated and undisturbed. That is
where it ought to stand, if it stands for
protection at all. For protection is either
a fundamental principle of general bene-
fit, as protectionists say, or else it is a
method OF creating special favors. If it
is principle for the general good, then
the more completely and rigidly it is ap-
piled the better will it be for the whole
country. But if it is method of creating
special favors, then it cannot be torn up
by the roots too soon. That the League
believes it to be for the general good is
evident from its stand on proposals to
modify. If tariff revision is to come,
the League prefers that it come at once,
so that we may the sooner "find out the
folly of it," The League opposes perm.
anent "non' partisan" tariff commission
for the purpose Of taking the tariff ques.
ton out OF politics, and for this opposi-
tion it gives the best of reasons. 1t truly
says that there is no such thing as nom
partisanship on the tariff question except
among fools. 1t thinks that if BIZ
partisan commission were appointed it
would be constantly at loggerheads and
command no ones respect, and that
commission wholly of protectionists
would be deriJed by free traders. And
it doubts the willingness and denies the
right of the proper Congressional com.
mittees to surrender their functions to a
commission. All this is perfectly sound
and genuine. 1t points to a consistent
protection policy, with all the faith OF
men who believe in it for patriotic and
not for financial reasons. 1t raises the
one and only issue that can be candidly
raised, namely, protection or free trade.
There is no middle ground. Protection
with free trade features or free trade
with protection features, would be special
privilege in disguise. If protection is
good, let us have plenty of it; if it is bad,
let's get wholly rid OF it.