Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-27
Free Trade and the Campaign.

The standpatters have seized the result
of the Manchester election. and are max
ing 1t the text for some very solemn dis
coveries Beware" they say to the
revisionists. "of how you proceed In
matter to be considered not alone In a
local but a worldwide aspect: Look at
England. Free trade is breaking down
The home of Golden is turning to pro-
lection. and presently we shall see that
policy again prevailing over there. Shall
we take up a policy which has brought
England to the tolls. and discard one
which has made us great? We cannot az
ford such a course, and at Chicago must
make that fact altogether plain"
Naturally, the most resonant warning
comes from Senator Knox, not only one
OF the ablest of the standpatters. but the
one who stands for the standpat principle
in the contest over the Chicago nomina-
ton. Speaking in Philadelphia Saturday
night to republican organization Of that
town, Mr.. Knox said:
"A denomination of tariff schedules to
adjust them to modern conditions. to cor
cate they are either too high to be just
or too low to encourage industry. is well
enough. and should be promptly under
taken.
his WOTR, however, SHOULD DC OOuc
by men wise enough to distinguish be-
tween revision and ruin: by men who
realize and fully appreciate that CONNER
cial prosperity depends upon the profit
able employment of capital and the lib
eral remuneration of labor; that the
further diversihcation of our industries
depends upon encouragement to the peo-
pie to enter new fields Of endeavor: that
remunerative prices for agricultural and
other home products depend upon the per-
manency of all these conditions, and that
In reconstructing schedules to remove all
tneQuities and excuses the work can and
should be done without impairing the liv-
ing and benef1cent purpose of the policy
Of protection through yielding to the In
Rnence of any more dogmatic demands"
Thi4 is fighting a man of straw. The
republican .revisionists are not warning
against the policy of protection. In over
hauling the schedules Of the Dingley law
protection is to guide the whole proceed
ing. It IS not proposed to abandon pro-
ton for free trade, but simply to adjust
protection to these new times Surely
the party which constructed the Dingley
bill and adjusted it to the times Of that
day may be trusted in dealing with the
present day Ito distinguish between re-
vision and ruin
The republican duty at Chicago is rea-
sonably clear. A greater question as re-
spects the Manchester election relates to
Denver. What sort Of tariff deliverance
will the democrats make? Will they pro-
claim themselves, as Senator Rayner
would have them do, the enemies of pro-
lection? Will they adopt Cobdenism. cast
of by Cobden's old constituency, and
make their campaign in part upon it?
Mr.. Bryan at heart is Cobdenite. and
80 is Judge Gray. In fact the trail of
Cobdenism Is over the great majority Of
the men now alive who assisted In re-
storing Mr.. Cleveland to Office in March,
1888
1t is likely. however, that the democrats
will be cautious in the matter of the tariff
at Denver. They had seen a light before
the Manchester illumination about free
trade. and they are not going to take any
unusual risks this year about anything.