The San Francisco call., 1908-08-22

tatives Of the interests which demand
protection
In ordinary affairs there is no differ
ence between q tariff reformer and
protectionist They meet together IN
business. in society, in the lodgeroom
ana IN the church In their daily life
they apply the same rules and are
guided By the same business rules.
IhiS similarity manifests itself all
through life and up 10 the very hour of
csath. II protecuonlst makes VIII,
ne makes IL upon the same plan that
the tariff refOrmer follows. He does
not give all his property TO one child
ana say that he trusts the child 10 deal
fairly with the rest OF the family. But
when a protectionist comes 70 make a
tariff law, he acts on an entirely differ
ent plan; he votes millions, YES. hun
ureos OF millions Of dollars, TO manu-
1acturers whom he has never seen, and
trusts them 70 be Just in the distribu-
employees And what has been the re-
sultE Just what might have been ex-
pecteo-the manufacturers have appro-
prlated the trust fund 10 their own use
and have paid their employees only such
wages as trade conditions compelled.
We would not expect a jury to do
justice 10 The defendant il il was COM
posed entirely Of the relatives OF the
plaintiff neither can We expect a con-
gress 10 DO justice 10 the masses II II
Is composed OF men who are in SYM
pathy with. and obligated TO. the cor
pOratiOns which have for generation
been enjoying special privileges.
There Is no prospect OF relief from a
republican president and congress The
democratic party, II intrusted with
power, can and VIII reduce the tariff.
The democratic platform not only
demands reduction Of the tariff. but
II plainly outlines the course TO be pur-
sued In securing the reduction II be-
gins bv proposing that articles which
come into competition with articles
controlled by z trust be placed on the
free list What better place 10 begin2
What would be the effect OF the
plaEform5 Simply this: law goes
into effect al some fixed date in the
future. and If the democrats pass a
law. putting upon the free list articles
coming into competition with those
controlled by trust, the trust viii
have until that date TO dissolve II
the trust considers the law too drastic
II can avoid IL by giving up its mo-
uOpoly-
Secretary Taft calls this remedy
utterly destructive and in his anxiety
10 prevent II oTerlool1s the fact that
The democratic party has other rene
dies for the trusts If we can succeed
in dissolving existing trusts and in pre-
venting the organization OF new ones,
there viii be no trusts against which
10 use the remedy of which he COM
plains There is now law against
trusts but il has not been sufficiently
enforced 10 prevent trusts The demo-
Gratis demand its enforcement, If its
enforcement rios the country Of trusts.
then this policy which Mr. Taft so
much fears viii become perfectly harm
less II the democrats secure control
Of both the house and the senate they
are. pledged 10 legislation which VIII
make a private monopoly impossible.
II tho republicans retain control Of
part Of the legislative machinery Of
the government and refuse to iOin in
the effort 10 make private monopoly
Impossible they are not in q position to
complain OF tsrin legislation aimed at
trusts
The second step in the reduction Of
the tariff Is 4 material reduction upon
the necessities Of life especially upon
goods competing with such American
manufactures as are sold abroad more
cheaply than AT home. AT present
the articles used by the poor bear a
higher rate. ad valorem, than the ar
ticles used by the rich
Surely no one viii object to a reduc-
ton being made upon articles which
come into competition with American
manufactures which are sold abroad
more cheaply than at home The Amer
fcan manufacturer who sends his goods
10 foreign lands and there without any
protection whatever. competes success
fullv with the manufacturers of all the
world. does not need q high tariff to
meet competition IN the home market
And there are enough articles sold
abroad 81 a low price 10 assure a large
advantage to the American onsunners
through the carrying out Of this one
Nr, Taft. however finds the greatest
alarm In the following clause in our
platform
in such other schedules as may be nee
essarv to restore the tariff to a reve-
nue. basis.
Fe regards this threatened departure
from the protective system as fatal
We are here brought face TO face with
the theoretical difference between the
positions Of two parties on the subject
Of tariff The democratic party regards
4 tariff law as a revenue law. the pro-
lection il gives being incidental. the
republican party regards tariff law as
framed prima rfly for protection, the
revenue being incidental.
Is x right 10 tax all Of the people for
the benefit Of few Where a COM
u7uuftv has attempted TO collect taxes
fo- the aid Of an industry. even when
the Industry was 10 be located in the
community. the highest court in the
ceny in the form OF law II city
government cannot rightfuily tax all
the people 70 bring an industry into
the city. where such benefits as are
conferred are more easily seen and
more universally enjoyed. who will say
,shst a farmer in the Missouri valley
can be rfghtfuily taxed 10 support an
industry in a distant stateZ
business should not be built upon
fegfsIation: Il should stand upon its
own merit. and when II does stand
,,ie-1 its own merit we shall not only
I've purer politics. but we shall have
TeSe fl1cfuatfon IN business conditions
md = more equitable distribution of
the Trocee6s OF toll
The third proposition which the pro-
+.c+5or5st must tablish. namely, that
re fsrfff asked for is necessary. is
S,-s ~ higher wages per day than are
r.sf5 Elsewhere. but that does not
-ecessar-iiv mean that the actual labor
cost of an article Is higher here than
.S-oad on the contrary, the rule is
-tef high priced labor produces q
eresDer article than low priced labor.
-,,s- ras been told that he receives
LfoFer wages than the English work
nan solely because Of protection. sbut
--- ,.-a<-. earners now know that this
- rof he due TO protection. because
fl-e English workman receives higher
--s,vee Fhan the German workman, al
though the German tarin IS nigher than
80 <a-fH OF Great Britain
Ni-S = tset5o~, does not make good wages.