Charlevoix county herald., 1907-01-05
ycULLoM's UroPIAN SCHEME.
Folly Of Supposing the Tariff Can BE
Taken Out of Politics.


ed as proposing to introduce, in the
the creation of "non-partisan com
mission" of experts" to report on the
schedules of the tariff and make such
recommendations as it may desire for
revision" We had such a commits
sion once, and it made a sad mess of
1t. The result was a series of in
trigues lasting for the whole life OF
the commission, tariff fight at the
end, the defeat of the Republican
party, new tariff which Cleveland
would not sign, few years of misery
under 1t, and a final return to the
sound principles of protection.
The folly of Senator Cullom is fun
damental. 1t assumes that the tariff
question can be anything but polit-
ical question. Protectionsts and free
trade men differ radically. Protec-
tionists believe that every American
industry which is capable of supplying
domestic demands for its products
with sufficient surplus to permit do
nestle competition to set up should be
protected. The amount of protection
does not matter, so that it is enough.
It's object is to give the American mar
ket to the American producer. IL 1T
does this, it satisfies the protection
lists. If it does not, they wish the
tariff to be made higher All other
products they would admit free, and
If in the protected articles the tariff is
ic
the necessities of revenue. The ma
tional government cannot do without
some revenue from imported. articles,
and the policy of protectionists is such
reasonable adjustment of duties as
will produce the necessary revenue, to
be laid on competitive or non-competi-
tive commodities, as may seem best,
preferably on articles imported large
ly but which, like sugar, we produce
to some extent The free traders
have an entirely different theory. If
they could they would abolish all tax
on imports except port and lighthouse
dues. But they also are constrained
by the necessity of revenue and recog-
nize that there must be a tariff law.
In framing it, however, they would
| levy duties, so far as possible, on COM
modities which we cannot or do not
produce and, therefore, must import.
| They do this because revenue being
their only reason for consenting to
any tariff on imports they choose
those articles which we must import,
because from them the most certain
and largest revenue can be got from
| the smallest number of commodities.
They do not give protection any con-
sideration whatever. While all this is
the theoretical policy of the two par
ties, practically all American tariff
laws have been compromises. With a
free trade congress the tariff would
give the least possible protection. A
protectionist congress would give the
most possible protection.
The question of protection or free
trade is a matter of opinion. On that
the American people have always di-
vided The Republican party has al.
most no permanent distinctive doc
trine except that of protection. The
Democratic party has almost no per-
manent distinctive doctrine except
that of free trade. To take the tariff
question "out of politics" would leave
neither party much of anything ex
cept a scramble for offices, under OPP
portunist pretenses such as the Dem
ocratic party now makes with respect
to the passing issues of the day. The
Republican party is now in power. II
is responsible for carrying on the gov
eminent. On such a vital question as
that of the tariff the leaders have nc
right to take Democrats into counsel
Let Republican congress assume re-
sponsibility for legislation or no legis
lation on Republic principles and al
low the Democrats the privilege OF
voting the other way and bringing the
people to their views, if they can
San Francisco Chronicle.