Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-03-07
MORE FOR REVISION
GOOD REPUBLICANS PLEAD FOR
TARIFF ACTION.
Governor of Wisconsin the Latest to
Point Out to His Party the Neces-
sity for Action Concerning
Ubiquitous Rates.

The Republican governor Of Wis.
consin adds his voice to the chorus
for a revision of the tariff. He says;
THE people demand action. The
business of the country demands re-
vision. The only ones who appear to
be deaf and blind in the matter are
the men holding Office at the national
capital
Senator Spooner and Senator La
Toilette have also declared for tariff
revision. and other states have been
heard from. In spite of this Republi-
can revolt against the men holding
office at the national capital" there is
undoubtedly an agreement between
the speaker and the president that no
tariff legislation shall be considered.
1t is perhaps unkind to rub the
sore spots on the grand old protection
list party, but as such good Republic
cans as those above quoted believe
that a dose of tariff revision must be
at once taken for the sake of its fu-
ture health, it is very natural for
Democrats in a neighborly way to call
in and give their advice also. The
trouble is that the two factions of Re-
publicans can't get together for tariff
revision, for, like oil and water, they
won't mix. There is ever such a diff
ference of opinion about the Philip
pine tariff bill that it is very doubtful
if it will come to a vote, and yet that
modest measure only provides for a
reduction of the Dingley tariff rates on
imports from the Philippines to rs per
cent. instead of rs per cent, as at
present. The compromise offered by
Secretary Taft to split the difference
and make the rate 80 per cent. of the
Dingley rates is considered heresy by
the %stand-pat faction. 1t would inter
fere with their friends of the tobacco
and sugar trusts and, of course, the
general prosperity of the American
and Filipino people is nothing when
such great trust interests are at stake.
But leaving the poor Filipino to the
callous mercy of his Republican mas
tiers, it behooves us Anglo-Saxon free
men to register our protest against
continuing to pay exorbitant profits to
the trusts by reason of trust products
being protected from competition.
There are over so articles of common
use that cost the consumers nearly
so per cent. more than necessary be-
cause they are so highly taxed in the
tariff. On some of these articles the
rate is 100 pei cent. and over, and
none are taxeb less than SO per cent,
and, as the rtsult shows, these rates
are virtually hrohibitive, for but little
or any of these products are imported.
The trusts and combines, so carefully
nursed by this tariff protection, are
thus enabled to add to the price their
goods should be sold for the still
greater profit that similar goods would
have to pay as tariff tax, if imported.
The Republican majority in ON
gress refuses to revise these glazing
inequalities of the tariff law, although
it would not disturb the amount Of
revenue produced, and il a five or ten
per cent. tariff tax was retained on
these articles it would greatly add to
the revenue, for some would be I'M
ported, whereas now there is virtually
none imported. Such imports would
compel the trusts to reduce their
prices or lose the sale of their prod
ucts to their competitors. 1t is GER
tain that the present congress will do
nothing to relieve this trust plumber
ing, and as the protected industries
were lavish contributors to the Repub,
lican campaign fund at the last cleo
ton, there is no doubt that a compact
was made that those Republican con-
gressmen who were furnished with
campaign funds, either directly or
through their committees, are in honor
bound to stand by the protected inter.
ests who furnished the money. To
show their good faith they will all
vote for Cannon for speaker of the
next congress, for he is their stand
pat lord and master.