Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-03-03
The Jusxlery Of Figures.

4 Some; members OF the, congressional
why's and means committee still cling
to the theory that the American tariff
should 5be revised In the interests OF
suppliant protectionlsts. instead Of In
the interests of the great body Of con,
sumers. 81;
This Is clearly shown by the com
imittee's virtual acceptance, in most
cases, Of the figures offered by highly
protected industrial chiefs. Instead OF
verifying these figures by independent
experts, the mere word OF the tariff
beneflciaries seems enough. And, as
Carnegie remarked the other day. you
can prove almost anything you want to
prove by juggling maze of figures.
Schedules properly made" says one
member Of the ways and means com.
mittee, twill give the amount Of pro.
lection necessary to the producer In
each of the stages from the beginning
to the finished product. and to know
what the necessary amount OF protec-
ton is, under the general declaration
Of principles In our platform, there
must be accurate Information. y
One would Imagine from this that
the Republican platform was silent on
the question of tariff burdens borne by
American consumers and dealt only
With the necessary continuance OF "pro.
lection" On the contrary, the Repub.
lican party is directly pledged, In Its
last platform, to revise the tariff with
the direct purpose of removing unjust
tariff taxes on the people, Its pledge
to continue the policy of protection Is
expressly modified by the pledge to
strike down unequal tariff schedules.
In other words, the people are led
to expect from the incoming Taft adj
ministratiof policy Of tariff revision
that will consider the interests of
American consumers first The ways
and means committee Is merely ignor.
Ing the spirit OF the Republican plat.
form. Il 1t is going ahead. MS usual, on
the assumption that tariff revision by
the tariffs friends. means con.
tinuance Of artificial prices to consum.
ers under the gulse; OF protection.
1t all depends .on the point Of view
Tariff revision may be an economic
blessing to the American people. Or ii
may be a mere jugglery of schedules
leaving the robber trusts In undisputetl
possession of the field.
f. 49, -
Mr.. Roosevelrs appropriately.
The growing, working west, which
welcomed Theodore Roosevelt four
years ago with open arms, is severe
In disapproval Of him to-day.
The west voted for him because he
had been an active supporter Of tariff
revision, believing that he would smite
all those eastern tariff barons who
fatten on western industry ana thrift
Mr. Roosevelt was not merely tariff
reyisionist-he was vehement free
trader. He went further in his Trades
against tariff robbery than such Demo.
Gratis as Horizontal Bllln Morrison
himself. Mr.. Roosevelt was member
Of the New York Free Trade Club.
May 20, 1884, the Free Trade Club
delegated committee to attend the
Republican convention in Chicago June
{, and demand that the national plat
form declare for reduction Of taxation
to necessities OF government for free
raw materials and for lower tariff
that should not tax unfinished goods
more than finished products.
Theodore Roosevelt headed that com
mittee, yet during the seven years that
Mr.. Roosevelt has been IN the White
House his rich Eastern friends have
plundered the toiling West as never
before. Tariff barons have literally
wallowed in wealth created here ii
the West during the reign OF Roose
welt. -
Mr.. Roosevelt has flooded Congress
with an infinite variety Of tiresome