The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-09-03

Improvement, lnueeu, Viii lOllOW any
attempt to revise the tariff by meth
DDS hitherto used The thing to do is
to change the methods.
81 believe this country is fully COM
mitted to the principle of protection;
but it is to protection as principle; to
protection primarily in the interest of
the standard Of living of the Ameri-
can workingman. believe that when
protection becomes, not principle,
but privilege and preference-or,
rather. tumble of privileges and
preferences-then the American peo-
pie disapprove Of it. Now, to correct
the trouble, it is necessary. in the first
place, to get in mind clearly what we
want and, in the next place, to get in
mind clearly the method by which we
hope to obtain what we want. What
we want is square deal in the tariff
as in everything else; square deal
for the wage-earner; square deal for
the employer; and square deal for
the general public. To obtain it we
must have thoroughly efficient and
well-eqnipped tariff commission.
THE tariff ought to be a material
issue and not a moral issue; but If
instead of a square deal we get a
crooked deal. then it becomes very en-
phaticaIly moral issue. What we de-
sire in a tariff is such a measure of
protection as will equalize the cost
|of production here and abroad; and
as the cost Of production is mainly
labor cost. this means primarily a
tariff sdfficient to make up the differ
ence in labor cost here and abroad.
The American public wants the Ameri-
can laboring man put on an equality
with other citizens, so that he shall
have the ability to achieve the Ameri.
can standard Of living and the ca
pacity to enjoy IT. and to do this we
must see that his wages are not low
cred by improper competition with
inferior wage-workers abroad-with
wage-workers who are paid poorly
and who live as no Americans are
willing to live. But the American
public does not wish to see the tariff
so arranged as to benefit primarily a
| few wealthy men,
''As a means toward the attainment
of its end in view we have as yet de
vised nothing in any way as effective
as tariff commission. There should
be commission of well paid experts;
men who should not represent any
industry; who should be masters oi
their subjects; of the very highest
character; and who should approach
the matter with absolute disregard ol
every outside consideration. These
men should take up in succession each
subject with which the tariff deals
| and investigate the conditions of pro
duction here and abroad; they should
find out the fact and not merely ac
ieept the statements of interested par
ties; and they should report to con
gress on the subject as soon as thai
subject has been covered. Then actor
can be t2Ken at once on the particu
lar subject concerned, while the com
mission Immediately proceeds to in
vestigate another BY these means
log-rolling would be avoided and eacI
subject treated on its merits, while
there would be no such shock to gen
eral industry as is implied in the pres
ent custom of making sweeping
changes in the whole tariff at once
Finally. it should be the duty of som,
to Investigate the conditions In th,
various protected industries, and SCI
that the laborers really are getting th'
benefit of the tariff supposed to be en-
acted in their interests. Moreover, I,
insure good treatment abroad WI
Ishould keep the maximum and mini
lmum provision.
The same principle Of tirst-clasi
Ioutside commission should be applied
to river and harbor legislation. A
present river and harbor bill, like I
tariff bill, tends to be settled by I
IsquabbIe among lot of big, selfish in
lterests, with scant regard to the on
Ireally vital interest, that of the genera
lpublic. In this matter the national lee
Iislature would do well to profit by th
Example Of Massachusetts, Formerl,
Massachusetts dealt with its land an,
lharbor legislation just as at Washing
ton tariff and rivers and harbors law