The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-13
THE TARIFF QUESTION

Those wlco expect to see the tariif question left out of the campaign budget this. year are plainly in for disappointment. No matter who the candidate for President is it is acknowledged that he will among other stands stand upon 8 revision of the tariff schedules at the first cppor- tunity It Is likely that the Republi- cars will be forced to take notice of the growing demand. especially as all fear of a panic resulting from re- vision has been eliminated Having had panic of a distressing character at a moment when the sacred sched- ules were in full force it is no longer possible to assert that panics follow closely in the wake of tariff legislation. |
 A Pittsburg dispatch to New York | newspaper states that if the presiden- tial election gives positive assurance that there will be "no radical disturb ance in the tariff representatives of the large steel interests declare there will undoubtedly be complete restor- alton of confidence" The Springfield Republican makes this keen comment upon that statement of the steel bar ons: Here is revealed the attitude to be expected of such infant industries as the United States Steel corporation with it's s1,500, ,OOO,0o0 of capitaliza- ton, The tariff was not to be disturb ed during flush times, because it would disturb confidence, and now that con fidence and prosperity have broken down, the tariff must not be touched. because that would prevent restora- l ton of confidence and prosperity. It is heads I win. tails you lose with
 this tariff as viewed by the stand-pat
 benefciaries. As long as prosperity ex-
 ists it is due to the tariff, and when
 prosperity disappears with the tariff
 in full operation, why then the tariff
 must be maintained in order to bring
 prosperity back. Never could heathen
 idol desire greater faith than this"
 This is admirably put and it is time
 S significance was appreciated. Ii is
 easy to understand why Congress
 should be unwilling to undertake a
 revision of the blessed tariff on the eve
 of presidential election. The Dem
 ocrats charge their old enemies with
 eowardice for not doing promptly
 what should be done at once. but ev-
 eryone knows that if the Democrats
 were In power they would make the
 same delay rather than run the risk
 ways easy for the outs to make naugh
 ty faces at the ins, but the game Is
 well understood by the spectators. SC
 that now no particular interest need
 be attached to the immediate post
 ponement Permanent postponement
 which is what the manufacturers oi
 steel want, is. however, a horse of q different color Such grave abuses o'
 the popular confidence have followed
 the prolonged enforcement of tn, principle of protection that the infan industry has justly come to be regard ed with the liveliest suspicion. A l last, however. the thing Is understood and while we have no idea whateve, { that the public wishes 10 see a radi ] cal policy undertaken, there .s the bes 7 of reasons for believing that it does in r sist upon the revision of the tariff } schedules as a consequence of whicl l that aid shall he withdrawn which SC ] cures to the few a monopoly at tn : sacrifice of the Independence of th
 many, and which enables the hom [ producer to sell abroad cheaper tha, [ he sells at home.
 ] It has been forgotten probably, bu Q we may be sure the fact will be re , vived that one of the things secretar { Taft wanted to do when he too l. charge of the Panama canal eaterpris
 was to buy the tools needed where h 2 could buy them the cheapest and tha Y he declined to yield to the greedy in e fsnt industries until directed to do s - by Congress He was willing to do g . ordered, but if he was to be left to ex
 eroise his own judgment he would re
 fuse to be bilked The manufacturers C
 New England are in no mood 10 sub stitute the views Of Congress for th r views which practical experience
 forcing upon them in their fight fo
 their manufacturing supremacy. The
 are entirely weaned from the extrava
 gant protective policy Many of ther s still claim that it was the protectiv = tariff which gave them their nowe f but that in outlivine its usefulness : has become force for positive evi g Ii would suit them to have ii know, ,, as an election would determine, whetf n CT the policy of standing pat is to | q continued CT not