Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-07-16
NO USE FOR TARIFF,
Ex-Governor w. L. DouuIas
Scores Protection.
THINKS IT CAUSED PANIC.
RidicuIes Republican Tariff Plank.
Says Republicans viii Not Hurt
Trusts-TelIs How Tariff Injuries
Shoe Industry and Taxes People.

Reduction"
As 1 am not selfish enough to ask
for lower tariff duties solely on my
own account or foolish enough to i'm
agine that the tariff law will be
| changed for my especial benefit, l
| will write a few words under both
| heads.
Ny business is injuriously affected
| by the tariff. The duties on hides,
leather, thread, machinery, coal and
making shoes in this country an aver
age of something like 10 cents a pair
or $3O,OO00O0 a year for the entire
country.
OF course we manufacturers do not
finally pay all of this tariff tax on foot
wear. We collect fully nine-tenths of
it from those who wear shoes. But
| we cannot collect the tax on shoes
sold for export. This comes out of
| our own pockets. This tax, by forcing
us to pay 10 per cent more for leather
|
| tors, increases the cost of making
shoes In this country about 5 per cent
and thus greatly handicaps US in for
eign markets. With free leather and
other materials and supplies we would
perhaps soon be exporting 500, 100000
| worth of shoes a year instead Of the
100000 or $8,OOOOO0 worth now ex-
| ported.
| 1t is, then, mainly in the export bust
ness that the tariff shoe pinches us
manufacturers. 1t pinches us very
much also because of the fewer pairs
of shoes worn by an overtaxed people.
II, as I believe, tariff trust taxes in
crease the cost of living by 10 per cent,
| It Is probable that these taxes diminish
per cent.
| l favor tariff reduction, then, both
for selfish and for humanitarian rea-
sons BY stopping the tariff graft OF
the protected trusts-the greatest Of all
| graft would increase the purchas
ing power Of the wage and salary earn
ers' dollar and thus virtually increase
wages 10 per cent. I am not certain
that, had the trusts been curbed by the
removal Of unnecessary tariff duties In
1904 or 1905, we would have had the
severe industrial depression through
which we are now passing. I have
never been Il believer in the now ex-
ploded theory that a nation could tax
itself into prosperity. Protection and
prosperity are not, in my vocabulary,
Synonymous words. To me "protec-
ton" as we know 1t means unnecessa-
ry and unjust taxation, and this means
frequent periods of business depres-
sion, reduced wages, idle workingmen,
adversely, disease and crime, such as
we are now experiencing.
1 have no faith in the Republican
tariff expert committee plan of revis-
ing the tariff. In my opinion 1t is po-
litical maneuver to hOOdWink the peo-
pie and tide the Republicans over the
scheme to have the tariff experts in the
various departments provide campaign
material for the high tariff party.
These experts are now compiling sta
ttstics of cost of production in different
countries and of export taxes and
bounties levied by foreign countries on
goods going abroad. We may be GER
tain that If any material Is found that
will aid the protectionists and stand
patters it will be put into the hands Of
all Republican speakers next fall. 9th
er material will be kept under cover.
The New York Journal of Commerce
of May 20 made an even more serious
charge against the tariff revision plans
of the senate and house committees. 1t
said that these plans were merely in
tended as a basis for political capital
arI that "the whole tariff investigation
now pending has a direct relation to
scampaign funds"
That the Republicans do not serious
ly intend to revise the tariff down
ward where such revision would hurt
their friends, the trusts, Is evident
from the preliminary report of the spe-
ci2I committee which has been inves-
tigating the tariff on paper and wood
pulp. After taking 1000 pages OF
printed testimony" the majority report
grayeIy informs us that the "entire re-
mova1 Of the present tariff would not
have any great immediate effect" on
the prices of paper. Thus has the Re
publican mountain labored and brought
forth ridiculous tariff mouse. This is
all the satisfaction given TO the thou
sands of newspaper publishers who
asked congress to free them from the
paper trusts by the removal Of the du-
lies on paper and pulp.
The tariff plank in the Republican
platform just adopted at Chicago is as
shifty as expert political jugglers could
make It. 1t gives stone to those who
asked for bread. Instead of promis-
ing plainly to reduce oppressive tariff
duties it discusses maximum and mini
mum rates and fayors such duties as
Will equal the difference between the
cost OF production ar home and abroad.