Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1907-01-16
WRITES ON TARIFF
ia M. TAR6EUL BEGINS SERIES
OF ARTICLES.
Worth That the Work Might Have
Promises TO Be MARRIED by
Spirit Of Hostiiity-Careless
Handling Of Facts.

We observe with interest the begin
ming OF a series os articles in the
American Magazine by Miss Ida NJ.
Tarbell. entitled The Tariff in Our
Times" IL is announced that the
author will attempt to make this
most difficult of subjects absolutely
understands able and entertaining to
hundreds of thousands OF readers who
have realized it's Importance without
understanding its meaning" That
there are many hundreds of thou
sands OF such persons is not TO be
doubted. Whether they will all, or
any very large portion of them, be
persuaded to read the serial produc-
ton just referred to, is. perhaps, an
other question.
The author in this instance starts
out with the advantage of having
already obtained a wide public hear
ing by means of the History of the
Standard Oil Company" VIII she
succeed in securing an equally large
reading constituency for her history
of the tariff?
Much depends upon the kind of
history that shall be written. There
are histories and histories. In her
story of the Standard Oil Miss Tar
bell was dealing with a single insti-
tuition, with only one industrial en-
terprise. In writing of the tariff her
scope must be enormously enlarged.
Now she is dealing with all indus
tries; with a total Industrial produc-
0f O.
wages earned by, paid TO, and again
spent by more than 100000 people;
with the American standard of living,
higher by far than that of any other
people ever known in the worlds his
tory; with a condition of national
prosperity so amazing as TO excite
universal establishment and envy;
with the material welfare of $1,000
900 men, women and children. 1t is
a stupendous proposition. How will
the lady deal with it?
The answer is suggested by the
opening chapter of Miss Tarbell's his
tory of The Tariff of Our Times"
We find, first of all, a spirit of hos
tility TO the American protective tar
if system. That seems to be the
point of view. Wherefore some sa-
lient facts are either overlooked or
else colored by craftsmanship in their
presentment. We are asked to be-
lieve that protection to American in
dustry was never intended to be more
than temporary; that the intention of
the Fathers OF the Republic was to
protect industries from foreign com
petition only until they should be
established, but no longer" that
they were then TO be left to their fate.
But We are not told that a protective
tariff was the second act passed bv
the first American congress, and that
Washington, Jefferson, Madison. and
all the early presidents were in favor
OF stimulating American products
through protection and OF establish.
ing the industrial independence of
the United States.
Miss Tarbell insists that the manic
Of 1857 was in no way influenced nv
free trade tariff Legislation, but she
does not explain how it was that
country blessed with abundant crops
and having the largest gold produc.
ton VI its career up to that time
could be plunged into financial ruin.
It's banks wrecked, its industries mar.
alyzed, its labor UNEMPLOYED. and a
condition of want and suffering
brought on without the greatly re-.
duced tariff and the greatly in.
creased inflow of foreign manufac.
lures having anything to do with the
disturbance
We are told by Miss Tarbell that
an enormous imitation of prices was
caused by the Morrill, tariff OF 1860
NO mention, however. is made of the
erect on prices of the heavy pre-
MUM on gold in the period of 1862.
SO, when $3.50 i'm greenbacks was
required to buy a dollars worth OF
goods.
mere are peculiarities in the story
winch relate 20 the question az In
what kind OF tariff history Miss Tar.
bell has undertaken TO write. and how
well equipped she is for the task
Judgment on the question may no
suspended for later installments For
the present IL is enough TO say that
the lady seems TO have started out on
an attack on the system Of protec.
ZION very much as she attacked the
STANDARD Oil. Evidences abound ~
lack OF studiQus preparation. OF nm
ripeness, OF careless handling of
facts and conclusions. The article
would have been better ,or :, moro
thorough and careful consideration
and one is tempted TO suggest for
more active employment Of the edI,o
rial blue pencil