The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-10-17
ROBBERY TO GO ON
REPUBLICANS HAVE NO IDEA OF
REDUCING TARIFF RATES.
That Plank in Platform Was intended
to Deceive Voters 10 Proved by
ExuItation Of the American
Economist.


the Republican tariff plank is a delu-
sion and snare. as far as the tariff
reformers are concerned, was the COM
mendation of the American Economist,
the high tariff organ. This 1t now has,
The Economist is fairly jubilant over
the victory won In behalf of extreme
protection. The Republican party"
1t says, 'in national convention assem-
bled, has declared anew for the policy
Of protection-protectio that shall be
adequate-and has rejected the de-
mands of the tariff agitators for re.
vision of the tariff downwards."
Which, of course, means that the party
has declared. either in favor of leav-
ing the tariff as 1t IL, or Of revising II
upward. We quote from the Econo-
mist, which, be it remembered, is the
incorporating champion of Dingley-
ISM
"The free traders and advocates Of
tariff revision downward will not find
q word or syllable in this tariff plank
that tends to furnish them the slight
est crumb of comfort There is no
promise in the platform of tariff re-
vision downward. After full
consideration of the whole subject the
Republican party in convention assem-
bled did not declare for revision of
the tariff downward, nor did it give
the slightest intimation that the belief
is entertained by the great body of
Republicans throughout the land that
the tariff rates of the Dingley law are
too high"
Even the maximum and minimum
tariff plan which is advocated contem-
plates, according to the Economist,
making the present rates-or other
adequately protective rates"-the
minimum, and the imposition of still
higher rates to force fair treatment
from other nations. We do not often
find ourselves in agreement with the
Economist. But it seems to us that
what it says about the amazing plank
adopted at Chicago is true. Every
one knows that there are hundreds of
thousands of Republicans all over the
country demanding tariff revision In
the direction of lower rates. When
the convention met 1t knew just what
this demand was, just what it meant.
1t knew that 1t could not be silent on
the tariff question, knew that 1t could
not refuse to pretend to promise real
revision.
And yet his convention put itself on
record as favoring sufficient protec-
ton to put our manufacturers abso-
lutely on level with those of other
lands, and then to give them "a rea-
sonable profit" besides This can
mean nothing else than what the
Economist says it means. 1t is no
promise of revision downward. The
proposition Is net to equalize condi-
lions here and abroad. not to make
up to our manufacturers the excess
of the wages they are supposed to pay
over those abroad, not to help them
out in the matter of raw material, but
after having done all these things. after
having removed every obstacle, and
taken on every handicap. we are to
tax ourselves to give the manufacture
ers-such as the steel trust-"a rea
sonable profit" So 1t is great vic
tory for the standpatters. The Econo
mist is quite right. For once 1t ID
absolutely right. The party has
thrown itself into the arms Of the
standpatters. Taking this plank in
connection with the refusal of the con
vention to demand publicity for cam
paign contributions, and also in con
nection with the great activity of the
agents Of the steel trust at Chicago, I,
Is hard to see how any tariff reformel
can get much hope from the tarif
plank of the Republican platform
There is less comfort than ever to be
got from it now that the American
Economist, a besotted high tariff or
gan. has commended it with such
touching enthusiasm.