The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-22
An Upward Revision.

eficiaries of the protective system?
An Upward Revision.
But let us suppose. for the sake of ar
gument, that the Republican party sin
cerely repents of its delay in beginning
tariff reform. ~repudiates its Civilizations
to the contributing manufacturers and
honestly begins a revision" What rule
Is TO govern the revision? The Republi-
can platform says:
"In all tariff legislation, the true prin-
ciple of protection is best maintained by
the imposition of such duties as will equal
the difference between the cost of produc-
ton at home and abroad, together with
a reasonable profit to American indus
tries"
Mr.. Taft indorses this rule and a Y that
"in a number of schedules the tariff now
exceeds this difference. and that the ex-
cess offers a temptation to those who
would mOnopOlize the production and sale
of such articles in this country" He adds,
however, that there are some few ar
ticles on which the tariff is not suffi-
ciently high to give them the measure Of
protection they should receive"
Will he explain upon what rule the
present tariff was framed? When ave
the Republicans claimed more protection
than enough 10 cover the difference in the
cost of production here and abroad? The
reasonable 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 reasonable profit?' 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 (Or a plan contemplating a
higher rate) that hope have we that the
new tariff will be lower than the present
one? Are the present leaders more hon
est than the ones who framed the
existing tariff? Are they not
i'm fact, the same men who are response
l l. I e.. --sEE @-fn@ tho lnG+ Inn-
ade? II this newborn zeal for revision
were a hundred times greater than his
notification speech indicates, what chance
would the Republican candidate have OF
securing any real tariff reform at the
hands of such Republicans as now repre-
sent that party in the senate and house,
the very men who represented it in the re
cent national convention? Speaker Can
non, who has suppressed tariff legislation
in the present congress was a dominating
factor in the convention and, if the Re
publicans retain control of the house, will
be the speaker of the next congress?
Does his prominence afford tariff reform
erS any assurance of a reduction OF the
tariff in the interest of the consumers?
In case of a Republican victory, Congress
man Sherman will become the presiding
officer of the senate. He has been the
confidential companion of Speaker can
non, and in the convention ii was Speaker
! Cannon who vouched for him. But as a
matter of fact. Mr.. Sherman's stand
patism needed no endorsement; his record
is a guaranty that no beneficiary of spe-
cial privileges will be disturbed. 1t was
Congl essman Sherman who, in a speech
in the house on the 18th of last April.
boastfully declared, I'VE recognize the
fact tina we have a Republican majority
in the senate. that we have a Republican
majority in this house. that is ready to
resort TO every legal. every proper con-
stitutional right TO enact such legislation
as it deems for the best interest for the
! greatest number of our people. and which
is willing and ready to accept fun respon-
I sibility for all those measures which are
introduced here and which are not en-
acted into law"