Fergus County Democrat., 1909-04-06
NEW TARIFF BILL.

been given the tariff revision bill
framed by Serene E. Payne and his
colleagues, and approved by Presi
dent Taft. Do l understand the tariff
bill? | do not. Does anyone under
stand the measure? No! About al.
that is indisputably clear is the facl
that Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan's col
lection Of antique art, now held in
| London, is to be admitted free. This
will be of some benefit to the dear
people, but it will save Mr.. Morgan
some several hundred thousand dol
lars. I believe in free art, but it
seems to me that free tea would be
greater boon to the people. Or
free hosiery!
Some of the tariff revision revises
I'D and some down What's the odds
if by new systems Of valuation on
imports the net result remains the
same to the public?
Then the tariff bill makes a quce,
political situation. The democrats
have been talking tariff reform for
years and years. Now the republ-
cans come in and steal the democ-
racy's thunder The revision may be
largely bogus, a false presense, anc
all that. but it will be long time
before the public finds this out. There
will be a debate in Congress on tho
details of the bill but who Of til,
masses be read the debare? No
body. We are all more interested l.
the Newlyweds, the Little Memo. tbs
Yens. the Yantor, in the comic sup
plements Yet there's nothing NOR
comic than a republican revision Q.
the tariff by its friends
The stand-patters are in charge OF
the revision, They won't revise very
vigorously OF course, all the
special interests affected by the pro
posed revision are already at work
among the congressman and senator's.
There are not many congressman o.
senators who haven't some big tariff
beneficiary in their district, whom
they would like to deal lightly with,
having an eye upon reelection The
special interests will ovrlool moth
ing. The general interest is likely
to be lost sight and sound of 1t Is
not visible nor vocal, with so many
, people hustling to- make it appear
that their private interests are the
public's interest.
The Payne bill is revenue measure
we are told. We need rvenue. The
deficit is likely to range from $780,
100000 to $l6O,OOOOOC. But no one
cares for this particularly. We can
put off our troubles by issuing more
paper. What's a deficit of Sl6O.OOO,-
600 anyhow? This is billion dolla,
country. If we need money--there
are the people. They ought to be
willing to pay for the glory of being
a billion dollar country-though n.
chief beneficiaries of that glory are
, the protected few
We are running beyond revenues a,
glorious rate. But does anyone
hear any still small voice crying on,
: that 1t is time to reduce expenses
Not at all We are not a backward
nation like Japan, that finds its world
{ power IS expensive and immediately
II curtails its plans. That is the act oil
Weakllng. We are not afraid Of !
y big, bigger. bi ggest debt Why should
d we be: We have people who are
the greatest producers on earth. Wha-
do they produce for, if not to wax ia
and not kick when taxes are wrune
y out OF them, not only for revenue
!. but as tribute TO the captains of in
dustry that can capture the ear ant
the votes of the conercsso
+ How was this tariff revision bill
+ framed? Why, the committee me
IN long and solemn session and ha,
hearings Whom did it hear? Every
body who had tale to tell the bur
is den OF which was that his specia
NJ interest should be helped by the gov
ernment, should be given rieht +
y tax the people. Everybody who ha
of scheme to tax foreign imports t
e keep them out of the country an
then add the import tax to the good
ne manufactured at home. | read man
n brief dispatches about the hearing b,
tv tore. the tariff committee from tim
= to time. l do not remember to ha,
ay read that anyobdy appeared. repr
no senting the consumer, the great pu
nv chasing masses. The peoDle werer
" paying any attention. They we
ess reading the epistolary exchanges b
i'll tween Mr.. BRYAN and Preside
20 Roosevelt. while the Big Smile
~ radiated all the land. The congres
ITS men and senator's may have thoug
ng they represented the people. TIL
-, have another thought coming
ia them. The men who were interest
its enough in what was going on to
lly tend the meetings and furnish info
nation from their own point of vi,
~ y, were not the people.
uy don't saw that this is the wo,
od possible tariff reform in the worst
all possible words. In fact l thi