New-York tribune., 1909-07-30
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Il WORKN4N ON TARIFF.
Thinks Re1lSiOn Should Be Up5card,
Rather Than DO5Cnwdrd.
To the Editor Of the Tribune.


progressive march Of the nations It is also a
well known fact that Of law has ever
been passed by legislative body that has been so
productive Of good results as the Dlngley tariff,
And it is equally true that the country has never
prospered under low tariff rates.
Knowing the destructive effect OF a downward
revision. the Democracy have double interest to
serve in forcing this policy a Republican ad-
minstraton. namely, immediate benefit to
their foreign constituents-Englsh. French and
German manufacturers opening market to
their products and by destruction Of confidence in
Republican administration by state of business
depression and poverty OF the working people that
has always followed and must inevitably follow a
downward revision or the tariff They want to
peat the action OF the Nullihe~s in 1893 by coercng
n Republican administration to follow the course
Of the Wings by an act Of seif-convicton to abol-
ish protective duties rob home industry and
labor OF profits and wages, bring on a state OF
business depression and poverty that would call
for a change Of administration that would smooth
the path for another Van Buren-a Democratic vic
tory and progressive free trade in 1912.
What coming when the minority in
Congress, encouraged by the weakness Of few
defective members the side OF the majority Will
undertake TO interpret the platform pledges Of
their candidate in favor policy which the peo-
pie struck down at the ballot box? When after a
struggle of months the and faithful repre-
sentatives of the people succeeded In passing
measure in strict compliance with the demand Of
the majority # is UP TO the President to carry
the pledges Of revision-not downward in the in
teTest OF foreign manufacturers and the workmen
of other countries, but a revision upward in the
interest Of the industries and the working people
America.
Who is looking for downward revision? Not the
useful or beneficial members OF the community;
the producers OF the nations wealth, the pillars OF
the state whose brains and capital keep the wheels
OF industry moving and the hands OF labor
ployed: not intelligent American work men y wom-
en-. who 1--we by honest and useful labor. They know
that downward revision viii Rlut this market with
foreign goods at cheap prices, II WIFI result IN loss
OF trade and loss in price Of goods to their en-
ployers. They know their employment and wages.
their only means to honest and respectable life,
must of necessity depend the demand for and
the price which their employers get for the goods
they produce. and therefore this large and useful
class opposed TO downward revision.
II is the industrial masses; 1t IS not the great
and useful majority, who clamoring Tor cheap
goods; but the rich and well provided. the uon-pro-
ducinR class, men and women who Will not work or
do need 10 work for their living; some public
officals-men with full time and fixed salaries,
whose employment income viii not be shortened
by depression In business decline IN prices. to-
5ether with iGIers gamblers, politicians and their
dependents ballot box suffers. crooks and crlnl-
nails This combination OF worthless. the represent
atves Of ideness. prcaigacy and crime. are AT the
front hnd rear Of every movement engineered by
enemies of American industry and labor foi re-
duction abolition Of protective duties.
What is their contention? They charge tAat the
rates Of duty have been raised Well that WAS
the chief object OF revision. Our low price friends
did not thst increased shipments Of competing
foreign goods steadily coming in over the
DinEley tariff. They did Zee that American
industry and labor being robbed of employ
and wages 20 the amount OF increase. They
that while millions Of good Americans.
ruen and women. citizens and taxpayer trauped
our streets In a frutless search for work. sc had
sent over tsgo CO., 600 Of the country 20 pay
foreign labor for goods made abroad which our
people could have produced No our Demo
cratic friends did not see II Neither did the
La FoIlettes nor the DoIl!yers II. but he Al
driches and their followers and faithful rep
resentatives OF The American people. had Il.
They had that the Dingey tariff was not high
enough secure TO American worknlen the Work
OF producing goods for the home market They
pledged the party TO revision OF the tariff and
took the necessary steps remedy the evil By an
increase over the Dlngley rates.
The claim made BY the tarin smashers that
the President IS obligated by prediction pledges
to q downward revision IS absurd, and has no bot
tom but the ina ag1nation the claimants They
think they can bulidoze the President 10 reverse
the policy Of his party to betray the interests OF
American industry and labor TO serve foreigners.
II is against reason and the best Judgment OF the
people that President is bound by any pledge
to undo the work OF Congress, to destroy bust
ness confidence am increase the fears Of cheap
foreign competition which Is now keeping capital
out OF business and millions Of useful ana worthy
people OF employment
Protection or trade in trust made goods was
the issue Of the campaign. With the low tariff
record OF the Democratic party and its candidate
the people could nave downward revision II they
wanted II. After our protective system had been
reyIled ana berated through length and breadth
of the and the charms Of low tarin had been
painted by the matchless eloquence Of Bryan they
could not shake the confidence otz1he people in our
system of protection. The Ion tariff candidates
were given q back seat by the Industrial interests,
by the moral worth and intelligent labor OF the
country.
Judged from the standpoint OF intelligent labor,
any reduction Of duties competing foreign prod
rcts such as hosiery and gloves, cotton and wool,
raw and manufactured; iron iron and steel.
tin tinware hardware, household utensils. crock
cry, glassware, any product or competing for
eign labor that be dumped into our market and
sold below cost Of production by the high priced
labor OF this country must be considered as a
stroke aimed direct at American labor because 1t
win lead to increased importation of cheap foreign
goods destroy business confidence. lessen the de
rnand for labor, Unemployment of our work
ing people by thousands and bring on the condi-
tfons of poverty that have prevailed during every
reriod OF downward revision from 1876 10 Grover
Cleveland
The Dingiey tariff is the best measure of law for
the advancement of American progress. for the in
dugtries and labor of this country that has ever
been placed the statutes II Is a well known
fact that until such rates of duty will secure
for American work and women the work or
nroducng all competing supplies for their own
market can placed in the statutes Intelligent
labor win demand the maintenance of the Dingiey
tariff uninpalred by any concession that would
taLe one dollars worth of trade from their en-
rlo,ere that would take one days work from their |
,,,,o,,rnent or one cent from their wages. They /
are not clannoring low priced goods but demand
the maintenance Of high priced market that Will