The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-08-28
VOL. XXXIII
"The Tariff Revision" Fraud.

The "revision" fraud has been con-
sumated; the bargain with the tariff
barons has been fulfilled; 1.-The goods
have been delivered" in return for
campaign funds furnished by the pro-
tected interests. The tariff plank OF
the last republican national platform
was written with the deliberate pur-
bose of deceiving the voters. The
word REVISE was used instead OF
the word reduce, but the words ''un-
equivocaIly" aud ''inmediatrly' were
added in order to conceal the pur-
pose, then entertained by the repub-
lican leaders, to prevent any materi-
al reduction.
MIR. Sherman, the candidate for
vice president, was known to be Al
..standpatter" and against reduc-
ton. President Taft spent the cam
paign in DODGlNG the question.
No one can read his speeches without
noting the evasion and the effort to
avoid DIRECT PROMISE OF RE-
DUCTION. At one time be said the
revision would PROBABLY be down.
ward, aud ut another time he said
some OF the schedules ought To be
raised and Others lowered. When
congress convened he refused to take
any part in the revision and allowed
it to go out from the White House
that he did not think it proper for
the executive to interfere in the prep
aration of tariff bill. While the
progressive republicans were fighting
for reductions ne appeared indiffer-
ent. The only time me awakened was
when the progressives formed a coal
ition with the democrats and were
about to add an income tax amend
meut tn the tariff bill. Then, at
Senator Aldrich's request, he took
a hand in the matter aud forced the
acceptance Of n substitute plan EN-
bodying the adoption of II corpora
ton tax aud the submission of an
income tax amendment to the con-
stitution. After the house had
RAISED the tariff and tl,esenate had
raised it STILL MORE, then. and
not until then. he entered the fight
and then not for general reduction,
hut for a compromise between the
house bill and the senate bill.
The bill as it becomes law does
not reduce the tariff-it leaves the
average rs tie higher than in the Ding
lev bill. The few reductions are over
Swallowed by the increases and the
consumers are in worse position
than they were a year ago. But
something has been accomplished:
First, Tariff revision by "the frieuds
of the tariff is an exploded theory.
Ii can not be used to fool the peopl.
any more.
Second, The republicans OF the rank
and file have learned that promises
made in secret to those who furnish
campaign funds are more binding
than platform pledges.
Third. The public has seen how q
tariff bill is made when protection
is taken as a basis. 1t is matter
of barter and trade.
Fourth, The consumer now knows
that his interests will nut be cODsid
cred until he makes his vote r0eal
what he wants.
Fifth, The reduction Of the tariff OF
leather, harness aud shoes, as n re
suit of putting hi,ies on the free lis
shows that free raw material is th'
stepping stone toward lower tarii
rates.
There are several other lesson
which have been learned but thes
are enough to mention now. If tn
republican voters do not resent tn
gume that has been PLAYED upol
them it viii be difficult to shake thei
faith in the tariff ridden, trust-eon
trolled leaders Of their party.-Th
Commoner.