Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-07-13
OUR SENATORS AND THE TARIFF.

OUR SENATORS AND THE TARIFF.
Major ]. S. Murphy of Minot, IN
communication to the Grand Forks
Herald covering several columns, de-
tends the senators of the state for
not losing sight of the practical prin-
ciple in their attitude on the pend
ing tariff bill. Major Murphy points
out that the criticisms of those who
are politically opposed to our sena-
tors is premature, because the bill is
not yet enacted into law, and until it
is. enacted, criticism is premature.
But Major Murphy also reminds read
ers of the Herald that the people of
North Dakota have products for sale
and that upon the general prosperity
of the country the selling price
greatly depends. He says:
We, of North Dakota, have some
thing to sell as well as something to
buy, and the price at which we can
sell is really of more Importance to
us than the price at which we can
buy. Our interest is in the relation
of price to price. The figures of con-
sumption to all great staple7 show
that that relation is more favorable
to US here in the middle west in
American than anywhere else in the
world, and more favorable under the
protection policy of 1S96-19o9 than at
any other period in our history.
Our people get and use more OF
life's comforts and Injuries than
ever has been the case with any 9TH
er portion of the worlds population
at any time in all history.
The rise in the price of any single
article of manufacture, self binders
for instance, even if it were perman-
emit, would not be an important dis
traction from our good fortune since
ut must increase the numbers : Of
those who consume our product, The.
most common error found in the dis
cussion OF the. tariff at this time is
that our population is divided into
two distinct classes in its relation
to the question of import duties viz:
producers and consumers. On this
false classification is based argument
that duties are for the benefit u pro-
ducers and to the disadvantage of
consumers. No such classification
should or does exist. All the people
Of our country are con-umers. Most
of us are interested in production.
We of North Dakota produce great
quantities of cereals and live stock
and We. are fast getting into dairy
products and potatoes. We consume
the products of the manufacturing
industries.s Production and consump-
ton are tinterrelated-clear recipro'
cal s
The proposition to "revise the tar
i'll" was made by both parties in the
last general election. The Democrats
promised to reduce it to "a tariff for
revenue and the Republicans pledg-
ed themselves to revise it 50 as to
maintain the principle-of protection.
Under that pledge the Republicans
have no right to bring any duty low
er than they honestly believe to be
required for effective protection or to
leave any duty unraised which they
find to be too low for that purpose.
The platform promised neither an
upward nor downward revision,
but the inference was, and believe
President Taft is on record as saying
CHdCN Lu6 Cud1lScS SSuSA any WOuAu ~
downward, This is true of the bill
ali it passed the house and I believe
that, Notwithstanding the popular
opinion of the hour, it will be true
when the bill is finally enacted into
law
It is also pointed out the the Re-
publican party is the party Of pro-
lection and that If the tariffs finally
enacted are grounded upon that prin-
ciple the people of the state will
hardly follow OF the lead of DEM
ocarts and professed low-tarifhtes,
whose attitude has always been for
the destruction OF the system of pro-
lection under which the. industries 2of
the country have been built up and
maintained: = l.r.~r s..l
The point that 7 would like to i'm
press upon our people OF North Da.
kota who are prone to criticise and
condemn our senator's because they
wisely have no lost sight of the princi-
pie OF projections is that five times IN
our history the lowering of duties ON
imports have been followed by a
time of general sWretchedness and
prostration to business and farm pro-
!; ducts suffered most Five times this
wretchedness and prostration has
been sesh Ito spromptiy vanish on a
return to protection" ssssasz7as,e 49,, -
Now II there be no operation OF
cause and effect here, then the coinci-
dence is the most remarkable thing
I'M our economic history
iGermanygis the best example Z OF
modern times as showing the bene-
fits OF a system OF adequate protec-
ton. Germany is today the indus
trial master of Europe and sells her
goods In England and practically ey-
Va 0ss~.s u - e s3 ~ r