The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-11-27
TARIFF REFORMERS
G. F. ADAMS l.xPLAINs THEIR ABB
sENCE FROM HEARINGS.

He Says the Benefciaries of the
Tariff Laws as They Exist are
Either Thieves or Hogs.
Boston; Nov. 25.-The letter OF
Charles Francis Adams, Of Boston.
on the tariff, to Congressman .4e-
Call, of Massachusetts, is in full as
follows:
The Hon. Samuel w. Mccall.
Washington, D. C.-My Dear Mr..
Mccall: / see in the Boston Herald
of this morning that the President
elect is anxious that those who de-
sire a revision Of the tariff in the
direction of reduced schedules should
make themselves heard in Washing
ton. 1t is claimed those asking that
the tariff schedules should remain
as they are, or should be changed
only in the way of increase, are much
in evidence at the hearing now In
progress, and that the tariff reform
er, so-called, does not appear or is
silent.
You, my dear Mr.. Mccall, know
perfectly well the reason of this.
Those frs referred to are directly
and pecuniarily interested; and rs
such naturally divided into two class
es. Speaking after the fashion Of
men, they are either thieves or hogs.
I myself belong to the former class.
1 am a tariff thief, and have e
license to steal 1t bears the broad
seal Of the United States, and Is what
is known as the "Dingley tariff"
stole under it yesterday; I am steal
ing under 1t today. | propose to
steal under it tomorrow. The Gov
ernment has forced me into this
position, and I both do and shall
take full advantage Of it. am.
therefore, a tariff thief, with il
cense to steal! And-what are you
going to do about 1t?
The other class comes under the
hog category; that is, they rush
squealing and struggling to the
Washington protection trough, and,
with all four feet in it, they proceed
to gobble the swill. Well acquaint-
ed with those of this class, you know
their attitude and their utterance.
1t is useless for me to dilate upon
either To this class do no belong.
1 am simply a tariff thief, but, ,ls
I have said, with a license to steal.
But, on the other hand, I am also
tariff reformer. I would like to
see every protective schedule swept
out of existance, my own included
Meanwhile, what inducement have |
to go to Washington on a public mis-
sion of this sort? A mere citizen,
I represent no one; IL went would
receive from the committee secretly
a respectful hearing, if any hearing
at all; and I would have to go q;
considerable expense, both 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 they say we do not eX-
| ist! @
Meanwhile, do know this: On
every occasion when of late I have
had occasion to address an audi
ence any reference TO protection
run mad" or to the tariff as "the
mother of. trusts" has invariably
ELECTED more spontaneous response
than any other utterance / could
make. This feeling is abroad, be-
coming strongers and will certainly
soon or late, be in evidence at the
polls. Meanwhile, the tens Of thou
sands of persons who feel in that
way, like myself, cannot afford eth
er the time or, more frequently,
the money to go to Washington to
ask to be heard before committee
which they know in advance is both
preiudiced and packed against them
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. You are
welcome to make such use of it be-
fore the committee, or elsewhere,
as you see fit.
Meanwhile have it distinctly under
stood that my position is exactly
the position of tens Of thousands o.
Others scattered throughout the
country. To ask us to put aside
our business affairs. and at our oWr
expense go to Washington on a des-
perate mission is asking little too
much whether the demand comes
from the committee or from a
President-elect. l remain, etc.
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.
Mr.. Adams has for years been
interested in various railway and
| industrial concerns in New England.