The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-12-12
LETTER WELL WORTHY. 3.
OF CAREFUL PERusAL
Shows How Protection Has Been
Maintained on Behalf Of Pro-
duction Interests.
THUS ENABLING THE FEW
TO PREY UPON THE MANY
Millions of Consumers Being Civ
en- no Consideration What =:
ever in Tariff Laws.

en- no Consideration What =:
ever in Tariff Laws.
The following admirable letter writ
ten by Charles Francis Adams, in
response to a general invitation to
appear before the committee on tariff
revision, STRIKES the nail squarely on
the head"
To Congressman Mccall.
II see in the Boston Herald Of this
morning that the President-elect is
anxious that those who desire re-
vision Of the tarif in the direction Of
reduced schedules should make them
slves heard in Washington. It is
claimed that those asking that the
tariff schedules should remain as they
are, or should be changed only in. the
way of increase, are much in evil
dence at the hearings now in progress,
and that the tariff reformer, So
called. does not appear, or is silent,
The Question Stated.
"You. my dear Mr.. Mccall, know
perfectly well the reason Of this. Those
first referred to are directly and pecun-
iarly interested; and, as such, natur-
ally divided into two classes. Speak
ing after the fashion Of men, they are
either Thieves or Hogs. myself be-
long to the for1nr class. am a tariff
Thief, and I have a license to steal!
It bears the broad seal Of the United
States, and is what is known as the
'Dingley Tariff I stole under it yes
terday; I am stealing under it today;
I propose to steal under it tomorrow,
The government has forced me into
this position, and I both do and shall
take full advantage Of it. am, there
fore, a tariff Thief-with license to
| steal. And-what are you going to do
about it?
A Protection Trough.
"The other class come under the Hog
category; that is, they rush squealing
and struggling to the great Washing
ton Protection Trough, and, with all
four feet in 1t, they proceed to gobble
the swill. Well acquainted with those
Of this class. you know their attitude
and thett utterances, It IS uselesz for
me to :dNate upon either. To this class
| I do not belong. am simply q, tariff
Thief; but, as have said, with IL
cense to steal.
But, on the other hand. I am also
a tariff reformer. would like. to see
every protective schedule swept out Of
existence-my own included. Mean
while, what inducement have to go to
Washington on g. public mission Of this
| sort? A mere citizen, represent no
one. If went I would receive from
! the committee scarcely a respectful
! hearing, If any hearing at all; and
would have to go at a considerable ex-,
pense OF my money and my time, the
last Of which I can least afford
my position in these respects is
exactly the position of myriads of
others. And then they say we do not
exist! :.
Opposition to Tariff.
!; meanwhile, I do know this. On
every occasion when Of late have had
! occasion to address an audience, any
reference to Protection run mad,' or
| to the tariff as the Mother of Trusts
has invariably elicted g. more spon-
taneous response than any other utter
anuce could make. This feeling is
abroad, becoming stronger and will
certainly, soon or late, be in evidence
at the polls. Meanwhile, the tens of
thousands Of persons who feel in that
way, like myself, cannot afford either
time. or more frequently. the money to
go to Washington to be heard before
committee which they know in ad-
vance is both prejudtced and packed
against them.
Consumers Not Represented.
/, Il have in this letter set forth the
situation so far as a revision Of the
tariff is concerned, as it exists within
your personal knowledge and my per-
sonal knowledge. You are welcome to
make such use Of it before the COM
mittee, or elsewhere, as you see At.
| meanwhile, have it we'll understood
that my position is exactly the position
of tens OF thousands Of others scat
tered throughout the country. To ask
us to put aside our business affairs.
and. at our own expense, go to wash
ington on desperate mission. is ask
Ing little too much. whether the de-
n1and comes from the committee or
from a President-elect"
|