The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-11-26

Their Little Game is Expos
ed. {
,harlOtte Observer.
The text of Mr.. Andrew Car
Jarnegie's contribution to the
December Century, which is just
put, MY Experience With, and
Views Upon, the Tariff" fully
the Associated Press
summary of it in the Monday
morning papers. 1t is writtenin
simple style and is thor
oughly readable. He says
he first became interested IN the
tariff after 1875 and makes the
surprising statement that My
views upon this important sub
iect, which l still hold as firmly |
as ever and have never changed,
had been formed by Adam Smith,
who was not the bigoted free
trader he is generally supposed
to have been, and by John Stuart
Mills celebrated paragraphWhich
sums up the matter. This par
agraph he quotes as a foot note,
for which there is not space here.
1t is enough to remark that Mr..
Carnegie will present himself to
the public in a novel role as a
disciple of Smith and Mill. The
gist Of his argument. as has been
made to appear by the Associ-
ated Press story, is that the pro-
tective policy is correct for a
country struggling to establish
enterprises producing manufac-
lures for the country's uses but
that when these secure a footing
the measure of protection should
be reduced and in most cases en-
tirely withdrawn. President
Mckinley" he says, belonged
to our school of protectionists,
strong when protection is need
ed, but equally strong in abolish
ing unnecessary duties. If alive
to-day, | am certain he would
approve the policy recommended
in these pages. We labored long
together to develop and guard our
own resources and now the time
has come when most of these can
and should stand upon their own
feet and conquer. Referring to
the Dingley tariff, enacted elev-
en- years ago, he says: Much
water has run under the bridges
since then. Many changes have
occurred, and hence many
changes can be judiciously made
in the tariff" He is strong upon
the point that tariff taxes should
fall most heavily upon the luxu-
ries and this, he insists. is the
case now. He conveys the inter
esting information, to US rather
surprising, that exactly half Of
the public revenue for 1907,
which amounted to 1858, 600, 600,
was derived from imports, the
other half, of course, from the
other domestic taxes on liquors
and tobacco. These taxes, he
thinks, should be raised if high
er taxes can be collected without
leading to illicit distillation. Il
is believed" he remarks that
we can now safely increase the
tax upon domestic liquors and to.
bacco. By all means let the ex
pertinent be made, for these are
articles hurtful to the people,"
1.-THE New York Evening Post
which is nearer a free trade
journal than any other in the
country, is gleeful on account oil
the Carnegie contribution, which,
> it says, has carried CONSERVATION
into the ranks of the ''hidebounC
protectionists" to whom it il
a body blow" We copy from
it's Enthusiastically able edi
: torial:
They have been asking fol
men who can speak with author
ity, and here they have got one
who throws his authority square
ly against them. They have
= wanted practical witnesses, anc
in Mr.. Carnegie they find one
without a single trait of the de
spised college professor or closet
= philosopher. Of course, they
: will abuse him as a renegade.
Indeed, they are already begin
, ming to do so.
They have talked glibIy, bu
insincerely, of tariff duties de
signed to equalize the cost O:
production, at home and abroad
8 In especial, they have pointed t.
> high wages in the United States
l as making it absolutely necessary
7 to protect the dear workingmal
: But Mr.. Carnegie blows then
/ out OF the water with his as
l sertion that steel can be mad,
, in this country cheaper thar
anywhere else, notwithstanding
. the higher wages paid per man.
2 He goes on: Not a ton of stee
! is produced in the world at a.
: small an outlay for labor as il
our own country This is heart
rending. But worse is to come
= for Mr.. Carnegie, in defiance O
! the high-priori protectionists wht
1 point to the danger of an in
S undation of cheap goods from
: Germany, declares that in Ger
, many. To-day the cost pc
: ton for labor is greater thai
2 with US, unusually high as oul
-; wages are at present.
His articleswill do more to opel
mems minds to the real element
? going into the question of tn,
! cost of production than all tn,
arguments of all the college pro
fessors. It is a kind of snr0ica