The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-01-01
THE COUNTRY NEEDS REST.

tariff matters before the ways and
means com mittee that any measure
looking to radical changes in the
tariff at this time will lead only to
confusion worse confounded and
bring serious disaster to the thous
ands of industries and to the millions
of workingmen that have lived and
prospered SO far under the protective
system which saves them from com
petition with the cheap labor of
foreign countries.
1t may be true that some changes
in the present tariff rates would be
beneficial to some people and to
certain industries. But the testl-
mony taken by the committee shows
a wide divergence of opinion, even
among the best experts, as to what
changes should be made aud, more
important still, as to the effect that
the changes would have upon the
industries that are most concerned
in them. When such life long lead
ers in the steel industry, for example,
as Carnegie, Gary and Schwsb can.
not agree as to the effect reduction
in the tariff wou!d have upon that
industry, how can it be expected
that outsiders congressman, poll
ticiaAs and bureaucratic officials,
will arrive at an intelligent decisioD2
The same differences of opinion
have been developed by the testi-
moay of expert witnesses, disinter
ested and otherwise, in regard to
every other industry in which tariff
changes are contemplated.
For instance the manufacturers
Of boots and shoes want the tariff
taken off hides. 1t would mean
serious losses to the cattle rsisers OF
the West. The sugar refneries
argve for free raw sugar-the beet
sugar raissrG of the West and cane
sugar producers ot the So&th declare
it would be fatal to their industries.
The builders are asking for free
lumber from Canada-tke lumber
mea swear it would spell ruin to
than. Aud so on down the list.
The only intelligent conclusion
open to the general publie-which
will in the long run have to bear the
bQrdens and pay the cost of oil the
blundere-is, when results are In
doubt it is best to let we'll enough
alone.
The vital point for the people,
and for the new federal Idministra-
tiOn in particular, to consider is,
whether it is wise to disturb existing
conditions at a time when public
confdsnce has just been restored
aad q new era of prosperity is
gathering strength for ats permanent
security in the future. No class .ot
people, capitalists or workers, are
demanding a change. 1t is true
that a revision of the tariff was
promised in the Republican plat
form. But that assuredly did not
imply that changes shoHld be made
arbitrarily and Unfortunately. 1t
meant only that wheie evils are
found to exist they wiz be
renedied; that where complaints are
made and an impartial iRvestigation
shows them to be well founded, the
/ changes necessary to do justice TO
all classes Of people shall be made
without fear or favor. But so far
no serious evils have been uLearthed
and no complaints Of any character
have been filed with the committee
| Only the loud-mouthed theorists aie
arguing for tariff changes. TIE
practical business men, who have
everything to lose, and who under
stand conditions affecting their busi-
ness affairs better than any outsider
possibly could, are nearly all of the
one mind. They say, let us alone
any general or radical change will
be for the worse.-Kansas City