The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-07-16
SOUND TARIFF PRINCIPLES.
American People should Confirm
Platform by Their Votes.

llcdn PLATFORM, as pam as plke-sldu
and as honest as Government coin. is
the tariff plank:
The Republican party declares unequiv-
ocally for revision of the tariff by
special session of Congress Immediately
following the inauguration of the next
President. and cOmmends the steps al
ready taken to this end in the work as
signed TO the appropriate committees or
Congress which are now investigating the
operation and effect of existing schedules.
In all tariff legislation the true prin-
ciple of protection is best malntained D.
the imposition of such duties will equal
the difference betweenl the cost of pro-
duction at home and abroad, together
with a reasonable profit to American in
dustries
We favor the establishment of maxi
mum and minimum rates to be admins
tered by the President under limitations
fixed in the law. the maximum to be
available to meet discrimiaa ions BY for
eign countries against American goods
entering their markets, and the minimum
to represent the normal measure OF pro-
lection at home, the aim and purpose OF
the Republican policy being not only to
preserve without excessive daties, that
security against foreign competition to
which American manufactures, farmers
and producers are entitled, but also to
maintain the high standard of living OF
the wage earners of this country, who are
the most direct beneiciaries of the Pro
tective system.
- aI Sfotp
Philippines we believe in a free inter
change of products with such limitations
as to sugar and tobacco as will afford
adequate protection to domestic interests.
Here is declaration that means
something. and always the same some
thing to everybody. We shall have re-
vision, whether rates are so high that
they permit abuses in the matter of ex-
tortionate prices by monopolies which
are immune from rivalry at home
through agreement and combination,
and from competition by foreigners
through their exclusion from the Amer
lean market under any and all cir
cumstances, or whether rates are too
low to enable home industries to main-
tain themselves against the attacks
here of alien capital and labor. And
the most ardent Protectionist who IS
sincere in his support of the American
Tariff System in its true lines cannot
object to provision for freeing the pub
lie from the clutches Of greed and ex-
tortion which are exercised under the
shelter of the tariff or of anything
else The whole theory of that system
is that ii must benefit the people at
large-first by giving them work and
wages which otherwise would go TO for
eign labor. and. secondly, by building
up vigorous industries which, under
natural laws and conditions, will COM
pete vigorously among themselves for
the trade of the home market, thus
assuring fair prices in the rivalry to
gain and hold customers. Under this
tariff policy of the Republican party.
not only have the greatest industries
in the world been established, but prices
to consumers have fallen below the
levels which obtained before there was
such production by home mills and
factories.
But if there is no revision the Re
publican party does not propose any
thing that will sacrifice the employ
ment of American labor or the legiti-
mate profits of American capital. No
language could be clearer and stronger
than this: I'm all tariff legislation
the true principle of protection is best
maintained 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"
Undoubtedly this is the conviction of
the American people. They know what
wealth and blessings they have enjoyed
under tariff which has enabled Amer
leans to earn their livings-and better
livings by far than any foreigner has
ever earned-by making for themselves
whatever they consume when 1t is pos
sible for them TO make it. They must
appreciate that the worst disaster
which could fall upon this country
Nculu Dt lOI II VI ga COul-
merce to come flooding over our mar
ket. wiping out American industries,
destroying the material wealth in the
factories and mills and the potential
wealth of the employment of the Aneri-
can wage-earners. No war ever de-
yastated a country or wrought the
havoc to a people that would be suf-
fered in the United States if COM
mercial invasion by foreigners should
be allowed to exterminate our home
industries and strip our wage-earners.
The whole or any part Of such in
vasion that could overwhelm our produc-
ing agencies would be absolutely pro-
hlbited by the continued enforcement Of
the policy which is reiterated in that
tariff plank.
This will never satisfy those who
have made the loudest noise over the
tariff revision, which always means
with them reduction, whatever tie re-
suit to our labor and investments. But
1t cannot fail to be confirmed by the
votes of the nation.-New York Press.
The Main Question.
"Just this way, SIR" said the courte-
Gus clerk in the railroad office LET