The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-11-15
Senator Beverage Discus
ses the Tariff

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New York Nov. lin an article in
the Reader Magazine, Senator Bever-
!. idge discusses tariff revision in an in
teresting way. He says: 'Our tariff
is no longer exclusively Il question of
protecting American industries; ii
is also a question of opening the mar
kets of the world to the products of
American industries. A tariff for rev
enue only would open our market to
the products of foreign count ries, but
would not open the markets of those
foreign countries to our products.
con the other hand, our existing
straightout tariff does keep our home
market for the American producer but
it does not sufficiently open foreign
markets to the American producer
our present tariff opens foreign mar
kets only little-it is a lever with
which we have opened the doors of one
or two foreign markets until we can
get a glimpse of their possibilities.
key which naturally unlocks the doors
of foreign markets and throws them
! invitingly open for American products
to enter easily.
$50 we must have revision of our
present tariff; but it must not be po-
litical revision-it must be a scien-
| tiic revision. 1t must not be a poll
| tician's tariff-but must be a business
mans tariff. But it cannot be either
, scientific or business-like if it is a
tariff made by either politicians work.
| inc out the theory of tariff for re-
venue only and nothing else or by
politicians working out the theory of
straightout tariff for protection and
nothing else. 1t must be a tariff
based upon the most thorough study
and accurate information as to cost
of production, prices of commodities,
possibilities of production, extent OF
competition by foreign countries ef-
feet of foreign tariffs upon our own
the condition of foreign markets and
how we can best enlarge the sale OF
our surplus in those foreign markets.
Such a tariff cannot be constructed by
congressman and senators, insufficient
w Informed and crowding through their
work in a single session.
an all modern countries the present
dav tariff is the most intricate involv-
ed and delicate fiscal problem that any
twentieth century legislative body has
to deal with. The present German
tariff which is perhaps the most ac-
curate, businesslike and effective tariff
in the world, required six years for
it's preparation. 1t was worked out by
commission of thirty-two tariff eX-
merits who thoroughly investigated the
condition and interests of every pos
sible industry in the empire. Not only
this. but the German COMMISSION
studied with scientific accuracy the
tariff schedules of every other nation
down TO the smallest item. 1t is a
literal fact that the German experts
arc far and away better informed con-
corning every item of our tariff than
any American senator or congressman
'The german commission also con-
suited more than 1000 trade and
technical experts The practical sue
cess of these thorough German meth-
DDS is shown in the astounding IN
crease of German exports which puts
other exporting nations to shame,
IF our tariff were revised upon the
German theory. and with the care,
accuracy and information with which
Germany revised her tariff, our eX-
ports of American products would re-
spond accordinly.
ct is clear then that we cannot nave
any between night and morning re-
/ vision of our tariff. We must not
only take the necessary time TO get
all the facts and the exact facts, be-
fore we revise the tariff, but those
| facts must be uncovered by men spe-
cially qualified for the work, whose
exclusive business it is to do the
| work, and who will, and must, give
all their time, thought and energy
to the work. With all the facts thus
| gathered, and every fact verlhed
congress can legislate with the ln'ei-
ligence and precision of the German
| legislature.
mo hurriedly built tariff, based on
ignorance, but a patiently built tariff,
based on information-is this not the
| business-like common sense, and there
fore patriotic view for all Americans to
take? L say the view for all Americans
to take, because the tariff is business
question and not political question.
| The republican or democrat who man.
| ufactures shoes, the democrat or re-
publican who raises wheat and CORN
the republican or democrat who
makes implements or hardware, the
democrat or republican who produces
| anything, is affected in precisely the
same way by the tariff
''The tariff should not be taken out
of politics in the, sense that different
| tariff theories shall not contend Tor
the mastery at the American ballot
box, but the tariff must be taken out
\ hat