Evening star., 1908-12-21
Protection and Revision.

Bourke Cochran. as a member of the
ways and means committee of the present
House, is participating in the tariff hear
ings now in progress. but as he was not
reelected will not have vote on the bill
the next House will consider. Speaking
in New York yesterday on the tariff ques-
ton he said:
II have always said that 1 favored wip-
ing every protective tariff from the
statute books.
In the recent election the people de-
cided that tariff revision must be carried
out, but it must be done gradually and
not violently. In this good judgment pre-
walls. as 1t always has. when great ques-
tiops are left to the American people.
I'VE have witnessed the phenomenon Of
both parties divided for twenty years on
the tarin issue now united on a common
object. The party which has preached
protection has recently elected candf-
date who declares that there shall be
tariff revision. and that the revision shall
be downward
One might easily get wrong idea from
this. The two parties have not been
brought together at all. They are just as
far apart today as they have been any time
the past twenty years on the tariff ques-
ton. The revision the republicans voted
for last month and will make next year
Is not the revision the democrats desire.
Far from 1t. The two horses are not of
the same color.
AS an illustration, let us consider the
cases of Mr.. Cochran and Judge Taft.
Mr.. Cochran is an avowed free trader.
He frankly says he favors ''wiping every
protective tariff from the statute books -
And had he the power he would do this
p of cfv In
believes the principle Of protection wrong,
and injurious to trade. He halls our
great business growth as something
that has come In spite Of, rather than with
the aid of. the protective tariff According
to Mr.. Cochran, 1t would have been even
greater under free trade.
Judge Taft. on the other hand, is an
avowed protectionist. He expressly stipu.
lates that the coming revision must keep
protection in view. and preserve it wher-
ever necessary. His objection, as is tina,
OF the republicans who agree with him
relates to the abuses Of protection. He
would keep the principle popular and ef-
fective by preventing abuses of it. To
him the principle of protection explains
the extraordinary success OF the Ding ley
law. So that the new law, by the recon-
mendation Of Judge Taft, will differ from
the present law only in the application
Of protection. The conditions of today
demand different treatment from those OF
1897.
Here, as may be seen, Is still ground
for conflict between the two parties or
the tariff question. And the conflict will
continue. We shall see the democrats
of the House ana of the Senate endeavor
to change the republican bill, no matter
what its terms. to conform to their prom
ises and professions. 1t is certain not
to suit them. Mr.. Cochran will not be
present to assist, but the work will go
on without him. Mr.. Clark, the new
democratic leader Of the House. is in
substantial agreement with the New York.
er on that matter, and in his amendments
and speeches will hew as closely to the
revenue-only line as practicable.
The congressional campaigns of 1910 will
turn In large part, If not wholly, upon
the tariff as affected by the new law
Shall 1t stand? The republicans will take
the Affirmative. and the democrats the
negative. In other words, shall protec-
tion continue to be indOrsed and en-
couraged, as Judge Taft recommends, OF
wiped of the statute books as Mr.
Cochran recommends?