The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-03
THE TARIFF PUDDING.

TimidIy. with voice scarcely above /
a whisper. AID with the apologize air
Of the venturesome in sacred precincts, /
a dispatch from Chicago announces that /
the Consumers League of America is /
going 70 hIe q protest against the /
Payne bill II the dispatch were not /
dated April 2, some cTedulous ones |
might take II seriously; but TO Payne |
and Cannon and AIdr;ch it must be too /
obviously a joke 20 be regarded with /
anything but amused contempt
The committees Of the house and the
senate have been hearing from every
interest in America that profits by a
high tariff. Some Of the sessions have
been open. most OF them have been in
secret. None Of them have afforded
the Democratic minority any oppor-
tunity 10 present its views. because the
minority IS committed TO Al honest re
vision OF the tariff duties. and an honest
revision might benefit the consumers
who pay all the duties.
There has been no complaint from the
trusts that they could not be heard; in
deed. il is understood, and has been from
the beginning. that the trusts would be
cared for whether they appeared before
the committees or not. The bare fact
that the Republicans controlled has
been assurance Of that, particularly
since Payne and Cannon and Aldrich
control the Republicans. From steel
down TO paper and back again, the
manufacturer and m0nOpOlist have been
represented by able men in both senate
and house. New England has been spe-
eiaHy favored in that Aldrich. Lodge
and Hale have been the dominant
members Of the committee on finance
which viii frame up the schedules to be
adopted in the end. To make certain
that no Consumer shall be heard, this
COMMITTEES has been holding its meet
ings in secret without even the courtesy
Of admitting Democratic senators. and
the result may be anticipated from the
names Of the Republican senators on
that committee.
The Consumers League may think it
- EUAAE 10 tAgAE1L dtaAlA1L AlAE new
tariff plan, but it really isn't It may
send some one 10 Washington to talk
but ne will have to address the Wash
ington monument OF some other out
door object, because he cant get q
hearing from the committee in either
house: and if he did he'd De wasting his
time.
IN the history OF tariff graft there has
never been such a frank exposition Of
the real purpose Of a Republican tariff
law. There is no talk now about in.
FAINT industries" or the foreigner pays
the tax or "Upbuilding American man
ufactures." That sort of thing has beer
exploded. Nowadays congressman AMI
senators and manufacturers say open
~ that the tariff is a nice, juicy pud
ding furnished by the consumer FOR tn,
benefit Of the favored industry. an,
each man who appears before a com
mittee. each congressman and senate
who discusses the subject says Their
VIII be trouble if he doesn't get hi
share Of the pudding in the final disti
button.
Even the Republican platform talk O
reducing the tariff until il covers tn
differences in wages at home an
abroad. plus comfortable profit 10
the manufacturer. has been abandone
as silly. What the trusts and monopo
lists and fairfield interests mean I
have is a tariff so high that they ca
charge a fair price. add an enormou
profit on watered securities. and la
aside a reserve 10 meet abnormal trad
conditions. What is worse, they wi
get exactly what they are after.
Meanwhile the consumer Is facing IN
problem Of paying trust prices from a
income that is fixed by the open marke
FOR labor and money. He has no repre-
sen;atives in the house or senate eN
cept the Democrats Of the minority. an
they are u have no voice whatever j
the game.