The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-19
A DIFFICULT TASK.

gagged in the consideration of the most complicated and troublesome question that any legislative body is ever call ed on to settle. It has always been so since we had a government which was compelled to obtain revenue from im- ports, and 1t will always be so as long as we have a government needing rev. enue.
 No question that can come up for legislation is SO full of complications and so beset with differences of opinion as this. and that has always been the case and will continue to be. There have always been those who believed in absolutely free trade and there have been others who contended for protec- tion for protection's sake.
 Both these contentious were wrong. Free trade may be very pretty in the- ory but is impossible in practice. Our government Is an expensive one and grows more so with each passing year. The annual expense account is enor- nous and growing. and must be met. Under absolute free trade the govern ment would get no money from im- ports and the indispensable and per- petua1ly needed revenue would have to come from domestic and internal taxes. That would impose such a burden on the people that they would rise in re- volt, and perhaps revolutionizs the government.
 And those who advocate protection for its own sake are equally wrong. They would put a high duty on every thing produced or manufactured at home. in order that our producers and manufacturers might fix their own prices and enforce them. This builds up trusts and vast corporations at the expense of the people. Such tariff is l solely for the benefit of one class, and | takes no thought of the vast army of consumers who are forced to pay high prices in order that the favored class may grow fat and flourish.
 This also is wrong in theory and unjust and oppressive in rzactice. It is class legislation o. the most pro- knounced type. and lsss defensible than the free trade theory. Between these two widely separated theories there ought to be a golden mean, but how to reach and agree on 1t Is the problem that seems insoluble. The old Democratic theory of-"a tariff for rev enue only is a sound one. but it also has its complications. Its two main features are that the government shall only collect such amount of revenues on imports of foreign goods as are needed to pay the expenses of a gov ernment economically administered" and that these duties shall be levied In such manner and on such articles as will be least oppressive to the people l at large.
 | Here, again, complications and diff ferences of opinion constantly obtrude and perplex. To decide when the gov ernment Is economically administered is not such an easy matter as some might think. The party that has been { in power fer some years under Rooss- welt apparently has little idea of econ omy. To study the acts of the late administration one would come to the conclusion that its only object has been to spend money. High as the tarin has been in many particulars 1t has not raised enough revenue to keep up with the reckless extravaganza of Roosevelt ism. It ought to be plain that govern ment cannot be economically adminis- tered while the Republicans are in full control, so that as long as they rule the duties must be high.
 And even if a change should come about and the affairs of government should be conducted in the most eco- nomical manner possible there would still come up differences of opinion as to what imports should bear the bur den and how that burden could be most fairly placed SO as to be least oppres- sive to the people at large and not have the fault of favoritism, or be the means of building up favored inter- ests as the present system does. What imports shall be taxed. how much du- ty shall be imposed on them, and what shall come in free of duty are the questions that perplex and cause wide differences of opinion.
 1 Congress is now assembled in spe- cial session for the express purpose of revising the tariff, for the Republicans themselves have become convinced that some revision is needed and that they cannot postpone 1t longer, but with so many divergent interests and demands to consider what hope Is there that a 1 fair and equitable tariff measure can be agreed on? When General Hancock. in 1880. as the Democratic Presiden- tiaf candidate. declared that the tariff Is local issue there was much dis sent, dissatisfaction and criticism on the part of Democrats, but was he far ] controlled by mere local interests but | every discussion of the subject shows do not agree on all the points. What suits the East does not always suit tho ! kk