The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-22

| % tnat the employees would vote with
tneir employers to keep from having
| tneir wages reduced, and It was ex-
pected that the business men OF the
| town would also vote for the tarin be-
| cause OF the business brought to the
community by the protected industry
| Inose who are acquainted with the
tarin night know to what an extent the
pecuniary argument has been used
The recent Republican platform is q
bugle call to every beneficiary of spec
ial privilege. to enlist again under the
! Republican banner, and when the
election is over and the Republican
committee publishes the list OF con-
nation valuable-it viii be found
that the Republican party has again
| so obligated itself to the protected in
| terests as to be unable to make a re-
vision In the interests Of the consum-
ers.
Admitted by Roosevelt.
With a president who. toward the
close of his term. admitted the neces-
sity for tariff revision, with q two
| thirds majority in the senate and
| nearly sixty majority in the house, the
Republican party has refused to per-
NIT any revision whatever. Mr.. VIII
| liams. the leader of the minority in
the house. introduced a bill pro-
viding for a reduction Of the tariff
more than 100 per cent. 1t would look
like the Republican party might have
| taken this step toward tariff revision.
had it been deeply In earnest; but no.
the bill was not even reported from
the committee. Whenever attention
was called to an indefensible schedule,
the answer was that they could not at
ford to open the subject for debate
just before a campaign, but there is
no force in this objection because the
house rules are so framed that the
majority can cut Off debate. prevent
amendment and silence opposition.
The administration has claimed cred
1t for the fine against the Standard OIL
company in the case which was lately
reversed, but no effort has been made
to relieve the people from the fine
which is imposed upon them every day
by the Standard Oil company through
the operation Of the tariff law which
gives that company more than 100 per
cent protection against its chief rival
Russia. What faith can a real tariff
reformer, whether he be a Republican
or a Democrat. repose in the Repub-
ncan leaders. when they deliberately
put Off all reduction until after cleo
ton, and then call for contributions,
with the understanding that the public
shall not know the names of the con-
tributors until after the polls are
closed?
the tariff is intended for the American
manufacturers, farmers and producers.
and especially for the wage earners. II
the farmer and the wage Garner are
really the chief beneficiaries OF the pro-
tective system. will the Republican,
candidate explain why the farmer and
the wage Garner have contributed so
little to the Republican campaign
fund? Is he willing to publish list of
contributors on the 18th day of next
October and allow the relative ad-
vantage of protection to the manufac-
turer, the farmer and the wage Garner
to be measured by the contributions
received from each class? Why Is 1t
that the manufacturers are expected to
furnish so large a proportion OF the
money to run the campaign, II, as the
Republicans claim, the farmers and
laborers enjoy so large a proportion in
the benefits of the system? Is 1t not q
significant fact that the farmers and
wage earners who are always put in
the foreground when the blessings of
a high tariff are being enumerated are
in the background when the collections
are being made? Is 1t not significant
that the manufacturers, who furnish
the funds, are so little advertised as
beneficiaries? Is 1t not significant also
that the wage earners, instead of the
manufacturers. are always described
as the most direct benehciaries OF the
But let US suppose. for the sake of
argument. that the Republican party
sincerely repents Of its delay in begin
ming tariff reform, repudiates its obli-
cations to the contributing manufac-
turers and honestly begins re
vision" What rule is to govern the re-
vision7 The Republican platform says:
I'm all tariff legislation. the true
principle of protection is best main
tanned by the imposition of such
duties as will equal the difference be-
tween the cost of production at home
and abroad, together with a reasonable
profit to American industries"
Taft Endorses 1t.
Mr.. Taft endorses this rule and says
that '1n a number of schedules the
tariff now exceeds this difference, and
that the excess offers a temptation to
those who would monopolize the pro-
duction and sale of such articles In
there are some few articles on which
the tariff is not sufficiently high to give
them the measure Of protection they
should receive"
Will he explain upon what rule the
present tariff was framed? When have
the Republicans claimed more protec-
ton than enough to cover the differ
ence in the cost of production here and
abroad? The unreasonable profit to
American Industries" is an addition to
the rule, and is likely to be used as an
excuse for raising the tariff. And, by
the way, to what other business does
the government guarantee a reason
able prof1t?" To the farmer, or the
merchant or the laborer? To none Of
these. If in revising the tariff the Re-
publican party is to work upon exactly
the same plan Cor a plan contemplate
ing a higher rate) what hope have we
that the new tariff will be lower than
the present one? Are the present lead
ers more honest than the ones who
framed the existing tariff? Are they
not, in fact, the same men who are re-
sponsible for tariff extortion during the
last decade? If this newborn zeal for
revision were an hundred times great
err than his notification speech indi-
Gates. what chance would the Repub-
lican candidate have of securing any
real tariff reform at the hands of such
Republicans as now represent that