The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-05-25
THE PRESIDENTS
OPPORTUNITY.

President Taft said recently, he was
not in favor of a $500 tariff on lum-
Der for any purpose, protection or
revenue. The President doesn't
say much but If he sticks to that
It'll the world grows old
The stars grow cold
And the leaves Of the
Judgment book unfold"
he will win a great victory for the
people. How do we know? Well,
we know BY the way thoughtful, in
telligent men talk. Take our leading
longheaded farmers, lawyers, judges,
physicians, clergymen, artists, work
.ngmen and interview them and what
do they say? We have been trying
them for some time and they almost
to a man, want and will vote for a
reasonable tariff but not for these 100
ana $50 and 200 per cent. schedules,
as they come into the Office we ask
them what they think, and they say
such schedules are extortionate and
indefensible. SO far we nave not
found amongst this independent class
which has no axe to grind a single
exception. The only people who
continue to talk in generalities for a
protective tariff ito keep up our in
dustries and pay American wages to
our operatives, &c" are manufacturers
of certain kinds Of goods and ma
chine politicians who never learn
anything nor forget anything until
they are hit on the head with an axe.
But the great Independent element
which carries the country at all elec.
tlons will stand for a reduction OF
these excessive duties and will vote
their elimination when they can do
80 without imperiling business.
Hence, the smart thing in our judg-
ment, is for the President to demand
that all these high, excessive and un-
reasonable Iariffs shall be reduced to
a fair and Just basis. And If he does
so when this Aldrich-Payne bill
reaches him--if he tells them plainly
he will sign no bill until they cut,
these abominable schedules out OF II
cut them down to what they ought
to be-most Republicans and Demo-
Gratis alike will hail him as the right
man in the right place and he will
become the champion Of the people.
By some one may say that
these people who come into newspa-
per Offices and discuss tariffs do not
represent public opinion. 1t is our
opinion that such men come nearer
II than some man who has sneaked
through Congress special duties on
reshipping tin-plate after 1t is manu-
factured into oil cans, or on rolls, or
on steel products, or on thread, or
on textiles, or on leather, OF on re-
fined sugar, whereby they can coin
millions of dollars at the expense OF
the general consumer. It is to be
hoped President Taft will go over the
new tariff bill and cut every tariff
above so per cent unless some very
good reason can be shown for its ex-
istence. Were we President we would
be Missouran and would have
to be onf before such PROPOSE
tion as 165 per cent, on cheap woolen
blankets could go through. or the diff
ferential OF 81 of one cent per pound
on refined sugar over raw sugar
could be reenacted, or steel rails could
sell in Europe for $40 per ton while
they sold here for s2s, or thread
which should be sold at or 4 cents
per spool, at retail, here. would be sold
at 5 OF cents, or woolen goods that
can be made for s1,OO per yard. are
sold at s1.75 or $500 per yard
YiIl somebody answer? Was the
in made for the people or were
people made for the tarift7