The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1907-10-04


foreign competition and bring down
prices without decreasing either the
volume or the rate of wages paid to
American labor. Senator Lodge of
Massachusetts is the man. In a
speech at Nantasket Beach on the Sth
of August, according to the report in
the New York Press,
Lodge said there would be no re.
vision Of the tariff before 1909; that
the party leaders were opposed to any
tariff tinkering preceding a prcsiden-
tial election; that a revision would
not mean the lowering of duties on
any manufactures the importation of
which would hurt our workingmen,
and that a new tariff act would be
along the old Republican lines of pro
lection for the American working.
men,"
Here we have the problem solved.
but with no hint as to the process of
solution. Like all the rest Of the
tariff "reformers," Mr.. Lodge fails to
furnish Il bill of particulars. The
tariff, he tells us, is going to be re.
duced along protective lines and not
on any manufactures the importation
OF which would hurt our workingmen.
In that case, how shall competition
be increased from abroad and prices
lowered accordingly? For it must
not be forgotten that the sole end
and aim of tariff revision downward is
To increase competition and force low
er prices. If this were not the end
sought, why talk of tariff revision?
Now, as a general rule, there are
but two causes of price reduction.
One is diminished demand, and the
other is an increased supply offered
at cut rates. At present there is no
/ decrease of demand and no overpro-
duction to break down values. On
the contrary, prices remain firm and
the facilities of every line of domestic
/ production are strained to the utmost
TO supply the demand. Then if the
/ supply is to be so increased as to
break down prices, it must be by i'm.
| portationS bearing lower values. This
| is plain. Just how the tariff is going
to be tinkered to suit all the shouters
| for downward revision Mr.. Lodge does
not make clear. He does not tell us
! row the tariff can be so manipulated
in the revision process as to satisfy
the free-traders, the progressive" Re
! publicans like Cummins, who want to
bring in foreign competition that will
! do away with "the monstrous eXtor-
! tion and graft being practiced under
! the Dingley tariff, and the demand for
/ free raw materials and reciprocity in
competitive products that is so strenu-
i ous in Massachusetts, and at the same
| time keep the peace with American la
! Dor on the farms and in the mines,
mills and factories. The iaunty, off
hand assurance that all this can and
| will be done when the tariff comes up
for revision will hardly suffice.
Gratifying it is to know that the
/ tariff is not going to be touched until
! after March 4, 1909. We don't know
how Mr.. Lodge has managed to settle
this thing SO conclusively, but he
seems to have settled it to his own
! satisfaction. But not to the satisfac-
! tion of Gov Guild. On the same plat
| form and within the same hour Guild
! reiterated his burning desire for inn
! mediate tariff revision. Not without
some show of reason and consistency,
one would think. If the present tariff
/ is so atrocious as it is thought to
! be by Guild and Foss and Cummins
and Whitney and lot of other urgent
reyslonists, why postpone the rem
edy for three years? If the country Is
not now prosperous; If labor is un-
employed; if wages are low and pov-