Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-09
The Tariff.


cided by another judge than the one Is
suing the injunction
The Tariff.
1.-The President and his party declare
that a prediction general revision of the
tariff would be unwise.
''This assertion has been repeated in adj
vance of every election since the enact
rnent of the Dingley law and surely the
country will not again be deceived by re-
publican promises to revise the tariff after
the election Theft appeal to the people Is
this-g.ve US another chance to make you
promise and the promise Will be made.
There must be a revision and grad
uaI reduction of the tariff by the friends
of tariff reduction for the common good
and not by the beneficiarfes of its abuses
who justify use of the impost taxing
power for the chief purpose of comforting
privilege and profit upon the few at the
expense of the many.
THE President himself has said:
81 am of the opinion that one change
In the tariff could with advantage be made
forthwith, Our forests need every pro-
lection and one method of protecting
them would be to put upon the free list
wood pulp. with corresponding reduction
upon paper made from wood pulp, when
they come from any country that does NOT
put an export duty upon them.
What was the fruit of this recommen-
dation? In the House committee was
appointed to investigate the subject. This
was scheme to muddy the waters, 10
placate the newspapers and excuse non.
action. The republican majority decided
to do nothing. In fact. my countrymen,
as recall it. the only work done by the
great ways and means committee OF the
republican House in the matter of the
revision or reduction of the admittedly
unjustifiable tariff was to report out
bill to put upon the free list tea sweepingS
and tea dust. This is the sum total of the
result of the ante-election tariff revision
promises made and repeated in several
campaigns.
Trusts.
1T is the shortest of steps from the
tariff to the trusts. Let it be denied. If
they care to deny 1t, that the tariff is the
real mother of the trusts.
1.-The President has made great pre-
tense of destroying trusts. Let him tell
of the result. In a message delivered to
Congress. he said:
1.-The Department of Justice has for
the last four years devoted more atten-
ton to the enforcement of antitrust leg
isiation than anything else. Much has
been accomplished: particularly marked
has been the moral effect of the prosecu-
lions. but it is increasingly evident that
there will be a very insuff1ciently bene
fetal result In the way of economic
change. The successful prosecution OF
one device to evade the law Immediately
develops another device to accomplish the
same purpose. What Is needed is not
weeping prohibition of every arrange
uent, good or bad, which may tend to re-
strict competition. but such adequate su-
pervision and regulation as will prevent
any restriction Of competition from being
to the detriment OF the public-as well as
such supervision and regulation DIS will
prevent other abuses in no way connected
with restriction or competition
This is an admi: sion of failure, and
one does not need to dwell on this adj
mission further than to say that the inn
prisonment of those who violated the law
would not have had more salutary eff
feet than all that has been done or might
have been done in this direction during
his entire administration.
The Recent Panic.
Proceeding at once to a mention OF
the republican party's dealing with the
disturbed finances of the country. We are
brought before that curious legislative
compound. the Northumberland bill. The
republican party boasts of its knowledge
of finance. What have they given us in
this law?
THE republican party has attempted to
prevent the recurrence of depos itors'
panics by an emergency bank note bill,
in the provisions of which they have de-
creased the security that the depositor
had in twofold way. first by reducing
the amount of re: erve required by law
to be held, and secondly, by making the
new emergency notes pr or lien upon
, the assets Of the bauk. decreasing the
security that the bank had TO keep for tho
deposition and increasing the bank liza
bilties that might be charged against de-
posits.
Republican Failures.
Thus. my countrymen, In this review
ve have the spectacle of a President urg-
ing a refractory Congress to pass needed
reforms and appealing in vain. or We have
another spectacle. that of a President.
for the sake of his own popularity or for
The sake of the popularity Of his own
candidate, making political play BY urg-