Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-01-07
THE TARIFF GRAFT
The PROTECTIVE! TARIFF The
MOTHER OF ALL GRAFT.
a Notable Addre SIS by Dr.. Orion, in
Which tie ShCwS congressman
lnfeTe Sled in PrOte { IL d Industries.
The Tariff d Grab Game Al
Around.

The fundamental vice of leyying
taxes for other purposes than the
support of the Government is that the
use of the Legislative power for the
benefit of individuals in one direc-
tion is certain to inspire its use for
private benefit in other directions
A protective tariff becomes the moeh-
er of all seate and municipal CRATE
because lie cultivaees che belief that
political power is to be used for
other than public purposes; it is to
he used for making money. Con-
Sless enacts duties to suit the steel
manufacturers anden collects a
campaign fund from them. A city
council opens boulevard to enhance
the value of the land of a certain
person, or so acts as to throw a big
contract into the hands of politi-
cal boss who provides Il good part
of the campaign fund No sharp
line of distinction can be drawn be-
tween the two, though one is COM
monty called statesmanship and the
other corruption
In addressing the American Ac-
ademy for the Advancement of ST.
cience Dr. Orton pointed out that
members of Congress legisate not
only in the interest of private per-
sons, but they legislate in their own
interests. He named several mem
bers of the Ways and Means Com
mittee who are interested in steel or
| lumber or other commodities for the
they impose duties. This has always
been the case, and he is justified in
saying that, 80 far as moral quail
| ity is concerned, Senator Burton's
act in representing private interests
before one of the Government de-
partments, for which he was sent
to prison, was mild and harmless as
compared with the acts which are
openly committed by members of
Congress in tariff legislation
An English writer in a review four
or five years ago quoted the follow
ing from an American whom he des-
cribed as a leading lawyer and fl
nancier who had been president of IA
great railroad company. Charles
Francis Adams recent letter on
tariff hogs and tariff robbers"
suggests that he may have been the
writer:
If Chamberlain opponents would
! only study the American results of
/ protection, and the inevitable conse-
quences of creating an artificial pro-
fit by misuse of taxation. bringing a
feverish desire in the business :"c. ri
TO get by legislation an advantage
over other trades, they could present
such picture as would save Eng
land from following him
You must win or civilization take IA
backward step. No body of legis-
latOrs from Parliament down to City
Councils and boards of selectmen in
towns, can be safely trusted to use
the power of taxation for any other
purpose than that of merely raising
money to cover the expenses of gov
ernment. Throughout the political
structure of America today shrewd
people everywhere struggle to leg
islate in some way money out of
their neighbOrs pockets into their
own, and this feversh desire is the
real source of the municipal corrup-
ton which prevades all our civic
| organizations. Protection
in America is the mother of corrup-
ton; and to fight Chamberlain is
simply to fight for common honesty.