Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-07-21
Cur System.

nave D0aSted OF 1t as if it were an in
ventlon of their own and as if no other
country in the world had the key to its
virtues. 1t has been boosted of as a
system peculiarly the heritage of the
American peop and we have been
warned that if we disturb it our reward
will be conditions such as prevail in the
unhappy countries of Europe. Men
with Iusty lungs and editors with faciIe
pens have long urged us to stand vigil
over it lest we might lose it and find
ourselves nation of paupers. 1t is as
If our system of tariff protection
works one way and China'g system of
tariff protection works quite another
1t is as if 80 per cent duty on goods
imported into the United States assures
us boundless prosperity and 80 per
cent tariff on goods imported into
Russia spells utter ruin. That, undeni-
ably, is the republican logic. For forty
years we have been accustomed to the
claim that our system is the only one
which will work" That it is not
working just now, and has not worked
since last October, is not its fault, if we
are to accept the testimony of our
republican friends. Something else has
brought evil times upon us. Which
reminds US of a vulgar but popular
saloon song: Never Blame it on the
Booze"
Let US for the moment accept the
assurance of the republican party that
"our" system II protection has the
system of all other countries faded.
Let us assume that "our" system guar
antees open mills, open mines, full
dinner pals, piano in every parlor
and living wages for our workingmen.
Would it not then become us as nation
OF Christian people to present "our"
system to the distressed countries of
Europe? Would it not be wiser for US
to give our system of protection in
stead OF charity to the poor countries
1t was not so long since that we sent
from San Francisco on government
transports 4,000,0 900 pounds of flour to
the famine stricken of China, affording
but temporary relief We have sent
succor to Turkey, to Russia and to Afri-
ca. Every day in the year, home mis-
sionary societies are sending food,
clothing and money to foreign lands
where poverty stalks. Would it not be
far more humane, if our system of
tariff protection is such an unmixed
blessing, if we should dispense with this
charity and give to the paupers OF
Europe a plain statement of how we
grow rich and strong by taxing our
selves p? If "our" system works so we'll
that pauperism is abolished and pros
perity reigns, would it not be immeas-
ureably to our interest to invite other
countries to adopt it and thus relieve us
of the necessity of doing our charity to
them Let as go little farther If
our system of protection is so bene-
ficient why should we not send it in
stead of flour to China? And if China
ohO0lQ nOb WANT W dQOpb III anu illus
relieve us from the expense of charity
and place her people in the advantage
Gus position we enjoy under it, why
should we not send our army and navy
there and force her to adopt it for the
sake of humanity? Or are we so sordid
that we would see millions in China
and other countries suffer for the want
of plenty before we would give them
our blessed formula? IN fact, if not
from Humanitarian point of view,
should we not force all low wage, and
therefore poor, countries to adopt
"our" system of protection for business
reasons
For if by so doing we could make
them rich like ourselves would we not
be spared the necessity of wasting much
of our wealth in charity? And would
it not be a great thing for this country
if it could gain the blessing of the
Divine Greater by carrying the light of
its protection system to the unhappy
lands? Or were we in possession of
such good thing that we would see
would give them hint as to how they
might, like we do, tariff tax themselves
into prosperity?
To ask these questions is only to ex-
pose the utter falsity of the claims of
the party of protection. If "our"
system really afforded US all the good
things we are told it does, it is incon-
that we would be so selfish as
to keep it wholly to ourselves. If it
were cure for industrial and CONNER
cial depression we would at least be as
as the physician who,
a cure for disease, would
freely give IL to the world. The truth
of the matter is our system simply is
a fraud. A 80 per cent tariff tax is 80
per cent tariff tax on consumers no
matter where it may obtain. If 80
per cent tariff duty works i'll in China it
cannot assure comfort in America.
The only difference between an ounce
of laudanum in China and an ounce of
laudanum in the United States is the
distance. The only difference in the
effect of a so per cent tariff in China
and 90 per cent tariff in this country
is the distance. Each produces the
same result. Each is so per cent rob-
berry. All tariffs are schemes of rob-
berry. Low tariffs permit petty larceny.
The present high tariffs mean worse
than highway robbery High tariffs are
the mothers of the trusts.