The Detroit times., 1908-08-22

the possessors OF the swollen for
tunes" which now menace the nations
morals AS well a. It's business
And yet the Republican party was not
willing that a single item on the steel
schedule should be touched. and the
Republican campaign committee VIII
the contributions that have been made
or will be made TO the Republican cam
paign fund by the men most largely
Interested in the steel trust.
What would be the effect OF the rem
edy proposed by the Democratic plat
form? Simply this--a law goes into
erect at some fixed date In the future,
and II the Democrats pass a law, put
ting upon the free list articles coming
into competition with those controlled
by trust, the trust will have until
siders the law too drastic II can avoid
II by giving up its monopoly.
Taft Doesn't Like Remedy.
Secretary TAFT calls this remedy 'ut-
terly destructive" and IN his anxiety To
prevent II overlooks the fact that thS
Democratic party has other remedies
for the trusts. IL We Gan succeed n
dissolVing existing trusts. and IA pre-
venting the organization or new Cnes,
there viii be no trusts against which
to- lae-tAe- reIaadN-ot- f4fiett-ft-- vur-r~-
plains. There Is now law against
trusts, but IL has not been sufficiently
enforced 10 prevent trusts The Dem
Ocrats demand its enforcement, IL its
enforcement rids the country Of trusts.
T.
much fears will become perfectly harm
less. II the Democrats secure control
or both the house and the senate. they
urr pfedged 10 rekis1ation winch Will
make private monopoly Impossible.
it.~tts@Rsfsub!tc aIs-rt:tstita -s.tattt tr4szaf.
part OF the Legislative machInerY or
the government and refuse 10 JOIN in
the effort to make private monopoly
impossible, they are not In a position
to complain OF tariff legislation AIMED
AT trusts. IL they refuse TO assist us
In exterminating the principle Of pri-
vate monopoly, they cannot well OBJ
ject TO legislation necessary TO protect
the people from trust extortion.
Pays Respects TO burrows.
I Mr.. Taft did not refer TO the platform
demand that wood pulp. print paper,
lumber timber and logs be placed upon
the free list. Why? Because the pres
ident vainly besought congress To en-
act a law embodying part OF this de-
mand. II Is absurd To complain of the
exhaustion OF our forests while we en-
courage their destruction By a tariff
on the products OF foreign forests. But
such Legislation becomes not only a
folly. but crime when IL is rcmem-
bered tnat handful OF men monopoliZe
the benefits moving from the tariff on
these things. while the whole country
bears the burden OF the tax. Hon Il r.
Pettigrew, OF South Dakota, in a speech
made in the United States senate. re-
ferrcd TO an important statement,
which appeared I'm the Northwestern
Lumherman Feb. 81 1897 senator
Burrows. of Michigan. had referred to
Mr.. Winchester as man Of great
reTTIibility and truthfulness. and Sena-
tor PettiRrew- quoted Winchester
as saying In the Northwestern Lum-
herman:
"There were lot Of gentlemen fror,
the northwest, up Minnesota way. In
Washington the other day, and they
were sitting I'm senator BurrOvvs's room.
An interesting incident occurred there.
senator Burrows 1. chairman of the
committee. The committee had not had
acting longtime. 'fhCy bnp-
pcued TO be seUfed in rhut room nnd
one Of the gentlemen from Minnesota
had an envelope and lead pencil. He
walked around the room and ciphered
up "a little bit, and he saidi
"'Mr. burrows, do yeu-kaOv what 81
Thousand would mean Ia this crowd
of men In heref
There not as many in the
room as there are here. He said:
An advance ia Thousand GA
lumber would mean Sd,I2S,OOO ON lust
years product
Could more conclusive proof he de-
stredf And the senator Burrows mem
| toned II the same senator burrows
who acted as temporary chnirmaN of
the last Republican national conN en-
ton, and sounded the keynote Of the
How long will the Republican farm
ers, merchants nnd labOrtng men per-
NIT u few men tn make the tnrtH laws
for their own pecuninry advantage aud
at the expense Of the rest of the cOun-
try:
A burden ON the Poor.
The second step in the reduction OF
the tariff is a material reduction upon
the necessities OF life, especially NJ on
goods competing with such American
manufactures IA -Are-sold- abroad more
cheeply than at home" At present the
articles used by the poor bear a higher
rate, al valorem, than the articles used
by the rich This statement can be
verified by an examination OF any OF
-
ton even when laid with absolute I'M
Partially, bears heaviest upon the
poor. because our necessities are much
more Uniform than-nnr-po sAEsSili.s.
People do not eat in proportion To their
income; they do not wear clothing in
proportion to their income, they do not
use taxed goods In proportion to their
! income As all taxes must come oft of
ones income. no matter through what
system levied or collected, they are in
effect income taxes, and taxes on con-
sumption ar--r-atfv- graduated income
taxes, the largest per cent being col
lected from those with the smallest In
come and the smallest per cent from
/ those with the largest income IL il
only fair. therefore. that In an at
tempt to relieve the people from the
iniquities OF high tariff. the poor. VINO
are over-burdened, should be given first
consideration. Then. too. IA reduction
In the tarin on the necessities OF life
brings benefit TO all the people. while
reduction In the tax upon luNurles
people,.
Surely no one will object to a re-
duction being made upon articles which
come into competition with America n
manufactures which are sold abroad
more cheaply than at home. The Amer
lean manufacturer who sends mis- goods
10 foreign lands and there. without any
protection whatever. completes sue
cessfully with the manufacturers OF
all the world, does not need high tar
IN to meet competition in the home
market And there are enough articles
sold abroad at low price to assure a
large advantage to the American CON
sumers through the carrying oct OF
this ore plank.
Mr.. TAFT however. finds the greatest
alarm In the following clause In our
platform:
Gradual reductions should be made
in such other schedules as may be
necessary To restore the tariff to rev.
enue basis"
Party Difference ON Tariff.
lie regards TINS threatened departure
from the protective system As fatal.
We are here brought face TO face Win
the theoretical difference between the
positions OF the two parties on the sub
feet Oft tariff The democratic pHrty
regards IA tariff law as a revenue law
the protection IL gives being Incidental
the Republican party regards a tariff
law as framed primarily FOR prvtec-
ton, the revenue being Incidental. A.
the effect OF a given rate on paitlcu-
lar article is the same, whether levied
for the purpose of revenue or for the
purpose OF protection. il may be well
10 define the difference between a rev
nue. tariff and protective tariff "A
revenue tariff is framed as to col
lect a revenue and you stop whom you
get enough, protective tariff may be
so framed AS to collect but little reve-
nue.. and yet lay heavy burden upon
the people-and you never know wnen
to stop. To illustrates: a tariff may be
made so high az 10 absolutely prohibit
Importation IL. In sach a case. the
manufacturers yield TO the temptation
mentioned by Mr.. Taft and combine TO
a, II