Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1908-07-11
THE REAL DEMAND
REPUBLICAN JOURNAL FOR WISE
TARIFF REVISION.
Situation as II Really Exists Is Plainly
Stated-Free Trade Not Con-
sistent with Needs of
the Country.

possibility, has long been dismissed
from consideration by sober minds, es-
pecially in the United States, 1t Is still
cherished as a semi-religious fetish by
many otherwise amiable idealists, who
like to declare that the protective prin-
ciple is both an unconstitutional
theory and an immoral practice.
This economic school is one without
weight or significance in political af-
fairs; and 1t is not now so dangerous
to Republican councils, perhaps, as is
its equally misguided antithesis, the
extreme high-tariff party, who bring to
the tariff the same sort Of ecstatic ven-
Grafton which free trade inspires in it's
enraptured devotees.
What the country needs to-day is to
get the tariff adjusted to the business
needs OF the nation, Invested alike of
the high tariff worship and the free
trade frenzy. And when We say that
the greatest danger appears to lie
from the high tariff than from the free
trade side of the argument We base
that conclusion upon the persistence of
the idea that there is a certain con-
slant difference in labor cost of similar
products at home and abroad. which
the tariff is supposed to equaliZe as n
differential; and also upon the COM
paratively small stress that is laid in
current discussion upon the revenue
aspects Of the new tariff law about to
be framed.
The labor cost of articles produced
in the United States is an inappropri-
ate basis of tariff rates, for the obvi-
Gus reason that in many cases produc-
ton is cheaper here than abroad on
articles which nobody would seriously
propose should for that reason be put
upon the free list. The importation of
foreign articles in any considerable
volume affords sufficient evidence of
demand in excess of the home supply
at the time at least, and there is no
reason why such articles should not
yield just and moderate revenue for
the support of the government. 1t is
the American custom to lay these
revenue duties upon articles that are
in competition with our home pro-
ducers, rather than upon things that
we do not produce at home except in
the case of pure Injuries. whose vol
untary use by the people justifies the
levy of the tax. We admit tea and
coffee free, for example, because they
are necessities of universal use; but
on silks, diamonds. works of art,
gloves, laces and jewelry, we levy
duties because those who import these
things are abundantly able to pay
duty upon them.
In the tariff bill that is to be framed
this winter, the increasing revenue
needs of the treasury will play a lead
ing part; and it would be the part of
wisdom and honesty for the revenue
aspects Of the tariff to be emphasized
in the tariff plank that is about to be
adopted at Chicago. They who are
disposed to ignore or subordinate the
revenue aspect of the tariff should re-
fresh their memories by study of
the Dingley laws construction. 1t was
made necessary by the failure of the
Wilson law from the revenue stand
point. That Democratic measure was
the first tariff that the free trade
party in the United States had been
able to construct in many years, and
1t proved TO be, not only the most
viciously discriminatory and iniquitous
Of all our protective ventures, but
from the revenue point of view was a
fiat failure. What Mr.. Dingley aimed
at in the house and what the senate
amendments still more noteworthy
achieved, was an increase in revenues,
to be obtained by extending the list of
taxable articles and in some instances
by increasing the rate of taxation on
articles already taxed.
The new tariff will have to be
framed with a view to the revenues it
will produce; and this fact should be
honestly faced and set forth. 1t will
not be honest, and it can only result in
disappointment and discredit, to pre-
tend that the guiding principle Of a
customs act. whose end and aim is an
annual revenue of $250000,000 to
$500, O00.0 900, is an effort to prevent or
to punish the predatory trusts which
operate by the same methods whether
their products are taxed or not by the
customs revenue, or by the internal
revenue, or whether they are trusts
like railroads or gas or telephones
which do not deal in merchandise at
all. There is no tariff on kerosene or
on copper-two trusts whose opera
lions are notorious. The tariff on an.
thracite coal has been abolished with.
out perceptible effect upon the for
tunes of the anthracite trust. 1t is
worse than folly to encourage the idea
that articles properly dutiable and en-
titled to contribute their share to the
national revenues should be put on
the free list and the taxes they pro-
duce should be turned back to them,
in the expectation that in this way H.
legal combinations, industrial or other.
wise, may be broken up.-Washington