New-York tribune., 1909-06-04
THE DEMOCRACY OUT OF 1T.

THE Philadelphia Record. which. though
published in the strongest protectionist city and
st3te in the Union. has for years ably advocated
q non-protective tariff policy and prayed for the
day 10 come when the Democratic party would
be able TO carry that policy into effect. says that
The Tribune is much mistaken in asserting
that the nation has now become Thoroughly
'protectionist in sentiment. and the tariff issue
is no longer a party issue" Our Philadelphia
,~ntemporarv seems 10 think that the protective
policy can be made a party issue in the cleo
lions of 1910 or 1912 But between what parties
can such an issue be Joined? Certainly not be
tween the Republican and Democratic parties
The Republican party stands now. as always
for protective duties on imports which VIII
measure the differential in cost of production
here and abroad Owing to an unfortunate lack
of accurate information Republicans differ
among themselves as TO the amount of protec-
ton needed on various articles imported To COM
pete with American products But these differ
ences are as to details. Were it possible to de
termine lust what the differential in cost Is.
Republican REPRESENTATIVES and Senators would
have no good excuse for disputing about tariff
rates As soon as a competent tariff commission
is established and data can be secured on which
to frame rates intellgently Republican dissen-
sions will disappear.
That fact has been established beyond dispute
in the debate on the Senates draft of the tariff
hill The so-caIIed insurgents who have been
voting for lower duties than the bill carries
assert that they are living more conscientiously
rp 10 the declara tons of the Republican ma
tional platform of 1905 than are the supporters
of the Finance Committees measure. Mr.. La
Toilette made an argument on Wednesday to
show that he was a sounder and more enlight-
ened protectionist than Mr., Aldrich. 1t Is IRA
tional TO say that the insurgents are not
orthodox protectionists. since the stand which
they have so far taken comedies almost exactly
with the stand taken by the Republican ma
jority in the House of Representatives.
The Democratic party, on the contrary. has
altogether abandoned its former position on the
tariff. Its leaders hardly know what they think.
Mr.. Bailey has denounced the tariff programme
of Mills Wilson. Cleveland and Watterson as
insincere and fraudulent. He has thrown over,
board the doctrine of free raw materials and
says that the ] emocracy must go back 10 Rob
ert J. Walker in order to find competent ex-
ponent of the jefferson theory of tariff taxa
ton There are to-day all sorts of protectionists
among the Democrats in Congress. They follow
no ineligible theory and do not recognize any
clear and simple principle Of action like the
Republican declaration that the duty ought in
every case to cover the cost differential. Some
of them are for protection regardless of any
question of compensation for differences in labor
cost and conditions. Nearly two-thirds Of the
Democrats in the Senate are ready TO vote for
the highest obtainable rate of duty on articles
competing with the products Of their own states.
Many of them try to hide behind the pretence
that they are more interested in raising revenue
than in securing protection. But a few have
the courage 10 say. with the courageous Senator
from Virginia, the Hon John W. Daniel:
want to protect American interests; that Is
my p,irz- HOf1T WI a II.
I am for it.
How can the Democratic party in the cam
paigns of 1910 and 1912 venture TO attack the
protective policy or ask to be restored to power
on the record which ID is making in Con
gress? Its representatives have repudated the
national platform of 1908 and all other Demo
cratic national platforms since the war They
have virtually reduced the Democratic organza-
ton to silence on the tariff issue. If the tariff
is to be a party issue in the near future, the
non-protecrive side Of the debate will hardly be
intrusted TO the facing -both-ways Democracy