Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-05-20
TARIrr REVISION DOWNWARD.

TARIFF REVISION DOWNWARD.
If United States Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge OF Massachusetts Is correctly
quoted as taking the position that
while ne committed himself during tho
national campaign to tariff revision he
never promised to favor tariff revision
downward. he is presuming dangerous
" on the Intelligence Of the American
people
Anybody acquainted with BAY state
politics knows that a low tariff has
been the plea of no small portion OF
the republicans as we'll as OF other par
ties in that commonwealth. II proof
OF that fact is wanted it is necessary
simply to refer to the files Of the
Home Market publications edited so
formerly of different papers in YER
mont, Col. Albert Clarke. secretary OF
that organization. II Colonel Clarke
has not been endeavorinG to counter
act sentiment in Massachusetts in fav-
or of lower custom duties. then the
English language as taught and prac-
tised in the Bay state, needs revision
upward.
If Senator Lodge were to tell his
constituents of Massachusetts that
when he Joined with President william
| r. Taft during the last national CAM
| paign in promising tariff revision. he
did not expect to be understood as
| meaning revision downward, then they
| would unqucstionably retort that he
was playing with public sentiment in
his own State.
Vermont long has been counted
staunch supporter of the Dingley tar
III. and whenever any newspaper or
public man in the Green Mountain
state has championed tariff revision,
the manner in which, until within n
short time, such advocacy was resent
ed. shows conclusively that tariff re-
vision was generally accepted by our
| people as n movement downward rath
err than upward. The same thing IS
true in still a larger degree of less
protective States than Vermont.
As matter of fact tariff revision"
as used during the past few years has
come to he generally accepted as
meaning revision downward. Common
usage is what gives language its
meaning, and wherever sentiment in
favor of lower duties on imported pro-
ducts has found special favor during
the past decade at least there "tarirf
revision" has been most discussed and
advocated.
| Under these circumstances it is not
strange that when President Taft Us
the candidate of his party In the last
campaign for his present high ONCE
boldly championed tariff revision and
promised to call an extraordinary ses-
sion Of Congress to carry out the re-
publican pledges. the whole country
|
was promised.
Imagine what the result would have
been at that time had Senator Lod se
or any other republican member u
either branch of Congress proclaimed
to the country that the republican
candidate for the presidency did not
mean the lowering of duties, particu-
larly on the products of the so-called
trusts. To thus state the proposition
is to furnish a vivid idea of the out
come of such a step.
1t is too late in the day to attempt
to recall the promises made by thf
republican candidate ard platform
We can not now retrace our steps
The party was taken at the word o.
its great leader. The popular man
date went forth, and we must now
keep faith with the people.
Uncertainty and not any lowerins
business, stopping the wheels of indus
try and making stagnant the arterie!
of commerce.
II republican senators will stop talk
ing and send the tariff bill with re
duced duties on trust products to thu
conference committee as soon as pos
sble, the people can be trusted to taxi
care of the political effects as we'll a
the business results.