New-York tribune., 1908-04-20
TARIFF REVISION.
Republican Party Told to Keep Promise of
1904 and Meet Public Demand

Tt the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: II needs no argument TO prove that the uses
OF tariff as interpreted by the Republican party
from its beginning 10 provide revenue and 10
protect our industries II does not, however, follow
that any particular tariff will do these things 10
the best advantage for all time.
The Morrill, tariff, passed in 1851. good for
more than twenty years It provided revenue for
the Civil War and also pay of hrAlrsds Of mill
ions OF its debt In process of time the Mckinley
tariff took its place for several years and when IT
was superseded by the mongrel Ntson-G German
tariff Of 1893 lhe business Of the country at It's
highest point Of prosperity up that time. OF the
next four years the Ieass said tarifwse the better
Then in 1897 came the Dingley tariff, under which
has been exoarienced the most prosperous era OF
all Each was except the Wilson-Corman in a
sense revision of its predecessor, along the same
lines of greatest revenue incident 10 the largest
measure of protection.
No commercial disaster attended the revision OF
any Of the Republican tariffs It was only when
the Wilson German tariff took the place OF the
Mckinley tariff being designed especially 10 elinn
nate the protection idea, that business was dis
turbed.
The Republican party. in its platform of 1904,
admitted that the rates of duty should be read
justed when conditions have so changed that the
public interest demands their alteration" insisting
that this work cannot safely be committed any
other than the Republican party and if there
one thing more than another that was promised, in
print and on the stump. in that campaign it
this very thing viz, revision Of the tariff by the
party which made it.
The condition alluded to that platform is here
and the public interest seems to demand that the
tariff be judiCiously altered, keeping in mind.
always the necessity of revenue and protection.
Now if there are commodities which pay little
revenue and have passed the stage where they need
protection. why not repeal them? The duties
wood pulp print paper from wood pulp. dressed
meats livestock. coal, wheat and lumber might be
repealed entirely. The revenue from these is small.
and If il protects all 1t protects the wrong fel
low The competition in all these is almost entirely
from Canada, and do eighty millions of people need
to protected from the inroads of less than
millions?
Does a country that exports two hundred million
dollars IN breadstuffs and two hundred millions
moro in meats in year besides supplying its
eighty millions of population need any further pro-
lection in those lines? Is il fair continue pro-
lection to manufacturers Of wood pulp and print
paDar when their production and sale are controlled
by a monopoly that keeps the price OF print paper
so high that it is possible for the Canadian manu-
facturer Of the same product pay the duty of IS
ton and meet the price of the home manufacturer
AT a profit? What then must be the Iatter's profit:
And isn't that duty protecting the wrong fellow?
The lumber interests have been protected until
the supply is growing small and isn't it time TO
give the people the benefit OF at least the amount
Of the present duty during the rest of the game?
There are doubtless many other articles in the
DIngley schedule which have Outlived their pro-
tective usefulness. Business Is already disturbed,
and when may we look Tor a more favorable time
for a revision?
Your correspondent Mr. Williams in a letter
published ir The Tribune of April 10, says:
IT the incessant agitation for revision would stop
confidence would be restored
This same line OF reasoning was used with refer
ence to the slavery question. It comes in handy in
the liquor question II wouldn't be bad for the
CRATER 'Inces5ant agitation is proof that the
public interest demands revision and the real way
to stop the tncessant agitation is listen TO its
demands.
The Morrill, tariff brought prosperity. Its revision
viz the SIcKtney-continued and increased pros
perttv A further revision which resulted In the
Dngley tariff still continued and increased pros
peritv and yet another revision should have the
same result.
The Congress should bear in mind that the people
have long memories 10 prediction promises and
when another election comes memories seemingly
dormant awake and party defeat sometimes fol-
lows Stand pet" is good enough as a bluff but
a bluff II followed up far, often ends in dis
ALBERT r. SHERWOOD.
Waterbury Conn. April Is. 1905.