Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-10-02
MlssouRPs EXECUTIVE SPEAKS
STRONG WORDS TO THE NATION.
THE EVILS OF THE TARIFF
A Tariff Arranged to Create Monopoly
Is LOCALIZED Graft-America Com
petes With the Entire World
Reconsideration Makes Ameri-
can Laborer Master Of Industry.


ic ideas was never brig lter than I0w.
BY democratic ideas | mean those
principles embraced in tire expression,
equal rights to all, special privileges
to none" This maxim of Jefferson
expresses every essential element OF
real democracy. With this rule for
our guidance we cannot lose our
course or be led into the quicksands
of dishonor or despair With this AK.
ION as our chart the infamies of priv
ilege in every form can be destroyed
Jefferson's phrase sounds simple. but
it has taken generations for men to
attain a practical understanding of its
wisdom and justice. 1t applies to the
conditions today with even greater
force than when 1t was first an
nounced by the father Of democracy.
A political revival is going all over
the land today on this subject. The
people are beginning to awaken to
"a realization OF the fact that the gov
eminent CT city, state and nation be
longs to them, and that they can take
the government into their own hands
whenever they wish. This is the ideal
the democratic party stands for, the
rule of the people for the people as
opposed to government by class for
a class.
With these words Governor John w.
Folk prefaced an address at a ban
quet in his honor. His subject was
Ideals, and he spoke from the stand
point of one who would assail the
deeper evils as they exist IN our gov
eminent particularly those forms that
exist in special privileges conferred
by law The elimination of these priv
IiIeges, he contended, is a moral ques-
ton. Amy privilege" he said. lis a
graft, whether it be a privilege exer-
cised contrary to law or one that the
law itself may give. A tariff so ar
Ersnged as to create monopoly and to
give a few people the privilege Of
preying on the rest of the people is
legalized graft. Considered from this
standpoint, the tariff is a moral ques-
ton. Indeed. every governmental
question in a sense is moral ques-
ton, in that it is question of right
and wrong. But as an economic rues-
ton merely, monopoly tariff Is IN
IdefensibIe under the conditions that
exist today"
Discussing then the question of the
tariff in its relation to the industrial
situation, Mr. Folk said:
"A monopoly tariff is not necessary
to protect the American worhngman,
was never intended to do so, and has
never had that result 1t is self-evi-
dent that if tariff equal to the diff
ference between the cost of labor in
this country and abroad is necessary
to keep wages of American labofers
on their present basis, then American
made goods could not compete with
European goods, for as the American
Elaborer receives more the American
lproducts could not be sold at the same
prices as those made by cheaper Eu-
ropean labor.
What are the facts? All the great
factories of America now sell in com
petition with the entire world abroad.
The handiwork CT the more skilled
ant better paid American laborer is
now sold abroad in competition with
the lesser paid European laborer with
out decreasing in the least degree the
wages of the American laborer. The
law of supply and demand regulates
| the price of labor. The average Amer
lean laborer is worth more than the
average foreign laborer because he is
better educated and can accomplish
better results in a shorter time. He
completes with the world today be-
cause there is nothing to prevent for
| eign labor from coming here and what
| he manufactures is sold abroad in
competition with that same labor. La
| Dor asks no largesse of the state. 1t
wants but freedom OF opportunity TO
have and to enjoy and to exchange
1.-THE products of its handicraft. The
| protective tariff cannot be for the ben
eft of the workingman. Then for
! whose DtHenl Is IL mere Is Il tdI Ill
of $50 per cent on oil for the benefit
of the Standard Oil company, although
| this same company sells it's oil all
lover the world and for less than it is
sold here. We tax hides to hamper
the shoe and leather industry and
Ipay higher prices for our shoes for
the benfit of the beef trust We tax
| steel nails and obstruct the develop
ment of our transportation facilities
for the benefit of the steel trust We
tax wood pulp and hamper the print
ling business by the increase in the
cost of paper for the benefit of the
paper trust As If to add insult to in
| jury. these trusts in almost every in
stance sell their products for less in
foreign countries than at home. The
same article the American trust sells
| in England for Eve dollars is sold in
America for FIVE dollars plus the tar
! iff. The Injustice of the present tar
lifT schedule is so apparent that a gen.
eral demand has been brought about
Tor tariff revision. There are some
who take the position that while they
favor revision they think it should
not be done until the people as a
whole want IT, The man who says
that he is in favor OF doing right when
everyone believes In the right can