The Washington times., 1909-03-24
THE TRUE POLICY IN TARIFF
LEGISLATION.

LEGISLATION.
Alexander Hamilton's greatest state
paper was that in which he outlined
financial scheme for this country, IN
GLIDING a protective tariff system
which should encourage manufactures.
lie showed the need OF attaining, so
soon as possible, a measurable indie
pcndence of the mother country in
commercial and Industrial way.
That policy is the couhtry's policy
today; but with every revision OF the
tariff, with every succeeding era OF de
yelopment on this continent, it has
needed modification TO conform 1t to
:. conditions.
Congress is snow entering on one of
these great periodical tasks of modif-
cation and accommodation.
In the beginnings of the Hamiltonian
system there was no manufacturing IN
this country, and the problem was TO
induce development of it. Today this
Is a great manufacturing country, and
the tariff problem is to maintain what
we have, to develop it further in lines
where there Is vet need OF development,
and, perhaps most important of all, to
maintain the American scale of living
conditions.
The tariff was once for encourage
ment; now it is distinctly for protec-
L II
ed. the whole system of American so
eiety. 1t enables the workingman to
live better than he can live anywhere
else. 1t saves to him the best market
in the world It assures him employ
ment and high wages.
The perfect tariff, then, would be
that which would accurately measure
the difference between American wages
and foreign wages; between American
living conditions and living conditions
abroad. The perfect tariff viii never
he written or enacted; human wisdom
will not attain that But the closest
approximation TO perfection will be Sc
cured by keeping ever In mind this
guiding principle.
The tariff is TO be likened TO a lock
IL a canal, which lifts up the traffic
Of one level to the plane of another. 1t
Is an economic canal lock, which holds
back the waters and sustains American
economic conditions at a higher level
than is attained by other countries, yet
frooIcr,, ,.c
a desirable exchange of products, nee
essary touch with the outside world. 1t
j. not Chinese wall, fatuously con
ccived with the view Of isolating this
country; rather, it is a tide lock, IN
tended TO permit commerce TO flow at
all times, bat to prevent flood of i'm
pcrtations from cheap-labor countries
which might drown ont American in
dustry, and certainly would reduce it
10 the common level
This figure of the tide and the lock
j. the perfect illustration of the real
purpose Of the tariff IN this generation.
British tariff policy has been aimed
10 give the working population the nee
esssries of life at the cheapest possible
prices. American policy has been to
keep American labor working at the
highest possible wages, and thus to en-
able it to enjoy more than could be
given from small wages at low prices.
The American policy has been marvel
orsly successful because this country
has a great diversity of production. 1t
can raise its own food and it can also
produce its own manufactures Few
other countries can do both these
things. To continue this happy condi-
lion, and yet 10 preserve the country's
share in the markets of the world, is
tho difficult problem which always con-
fronts the makers of customs revenue
measure
A tariff for isolation would be com
paratively simple But that is not what
we want. The period of isolation has
long since ended. This country must
maintain its superior economic condi-
tioEs. and to do that it must keep open
a foreign market. It must preserve It's
own market to the utmost possible ex-
tent for its own producers, and yet il
must maintain such amicable relations
with the rest of the commercial world
as viii make possible to sell surplus
abroad.
Remembering that this country sells
vastly more than it buys, and is there