The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-05-29
TARIFF THAT MAKES GOOD.

Ten years of the Dingley tariff forms
q record that speaks for itself. The
fiscal year that ends with next month
will show a surplus of about SIC, 00O,.
600. This comes at a time when the
government is engaged in more large
enterprises than ever before. 1t is
building the Panama canal, is devot-
ing the proceeds Of land sales in the
arid region to irrigation. and at the
last session of congress appropriated
SS5, 900, 600 for river and harbor i'm.
provement. Yet. for the last ten
months treasury surplus has averaged
IS, 600, 600 a month. Importations are
unusually heavy. but the increase is
largely in foreign materials that enter
into American manufactures, the ex.
ports of which far exceed the former
amount. For several years the for.
eign trade of the United States has
been at the highest mark. The de.
mand for labor outstrips the supply.
Immigrants have been coming in at
the rate Of 1000, 600 q year, and this
average will be much increased in
1907. Railroads are crowded with
business and are in their most profit.
able era. Farm productions have been
bringing good prices, and their value
last year approached 8 1000, 900, 600.
1t is needless to go into the details
of the contrast of the business situa.
ton ten years ago, when congress met
in special session and passed the
Dingley tariff. a measure based on the
protective policy, which was thus re.
stored as a leading economic feature
in conducting the business of the PEG.
pie and Of the government shaped by
their ballots. The tariff law then
matured, and still in force, had the
benefit of the knowledge and wise
judgment of William Mckinley and
Nelson Ding!ey, both OF whom have
passed away, but their works live az
ter them. Neither they nor any who
deal understandingly with such mat.
ters put forward the claim that any
particular schedule is sacred and i'm.
mutable, lbut they held, as the republi.
can party has held in the past and
holds now .:that the protection of Am.
erican industries is necessary 70 the
welfare oflthe people, with their high
stand ards Of living and enterprise.
A ten-years' demonstr alton is before
the country. All that was promised
by the republican party in 1896 has
been realized, and much more. Pros.
perity has far surpassed any of the
estimates.
Yet it is certain that the democra attic
platform of next year Will denounce
! protection, as usual, and offer q
| promise to substitute something better.
Ia the light of experience and common
sense it would seem that the republic
cans could elect any sound ticket on
this issue alone, for it reaches into
the business interest Of every Ameri.
can citizen. Since the Dingley law was
passed the government revenue has
exceeded the expenditures by hundreds
Of millions. lin spite of the cost OF a
foreign war. Employment for all has
been abundant at good wages. The
interest bearing public debt has been
reduced, and solhas the rate of inter.
est upon it. War upon the Diugley
tariff 10 not a reasonable proposition
as matters stand. The aft airs OF the
people and the government are in the
ascending scale. A year Of extremely
bad crops might slow up the presen,
prosperity pace, but there is nothing
indicating that the highly favorable
conditions of recent years will no,
continue or that protection will ever
be less vital. Nagging At the Dingley
law is merely q proof Of folly and
recklessness.-Globe- Democrat.