Evening times-Republican., 1910-09-09
Sounds Like Iowa Again.
(New York Trihune>

(New York Tribune).
The American Economist" in it's last
issue strongly dissents from President
Tafts program of piecemeal tariff re-
vision in the light of information to be
furnished by tariff commission. 1t ar
CUES that any change in the method by
which the principle of protection is
applied must weaken that principle and
discredit the protective system.
The American Economist and the
American Protective Tariff League. for
which it speaks, accept the theory of
protection as stated in the last repub-
lican national platform, just as Presi-
dent Taft does and as all protectionists
do whether they call themselves insur-
gents or regulars. There is no dispute
as TO principle. But most projections
lists have become convinced that the
principle could be applied more exactly
and more effectively by experimenting
With what they consider an improved
method. They aim at strengthening
the principle by getting more satisfac-
tory results out of it and by meeting
all complaints, whether we'll founded or
i'll founded. that duties are laid more
in the interests of individuals pro-
tected than in the interest of the pub
lie We cannot understand how laying
one method aside and taking UP of an
other can weaken or endanger the pro-
tective principle itself. If the new
method IS a better one the principle
viii he more than ever virdcated and
popularized. Why not give it chance
and why condemn it as prejudicing a
theory which its advocates are just
as anxious 10 maintain as are the ad-
vocates Of the present methods?
Those who argue, as The American
Economist" does. that the present
crude rolling method Of framing
tariff bills is sacrosanct are themselves
largely 10 blame for the public demand
for a tariff commission. According to
the protective theory as Interpreted in
republican national platforms for the
past fifty wears the difference in cost
of production here and abroad with
reasonable profit to the American pro-
ducer ought to measure the protection
given The founders OF the protective
system wanted to diversity American
industry and were wfqfing1o guarantee
those who engaged IN industries sub
iect to dangerous foreign competition
an equality in the struggle py inn
posing duties offsettng the lower for
=
largely by the cost of labor But they
imposed such duties for public ends
alone making the protected industries
semi-public agencies for the develop
ment OF the nation. They expected a
fun accounting from those agencies, 50
;t,at the nation shoul9 know that the
protection given was fair and proper
and was not being turned merely to
70 nd, 90 no ny
ent system Of tariff legislation by spec
ial combinations and pooling of di
versifed local interests the primary
idea OF tariff duties has often been lost
sight of.
Congress IS too large and busy body
TO undertake the difficult task Of fixing
the dlrerentia n cost of production
here and abroad and the protected in
terests as 2 vfc;e have not given the
aid expected If hem in exposing and
reducing exec ssiye re- ss.sa 1t was not
in human nature that they should tes-
tify to their own disadvantage. Yet
congress has depended almost entirely
upon them for the little Information
which has been secured for guidance
in recent tariff revisions. The country
has become dissatisfied with a method
of investigator which produces in
sufficient light. II is ready to try the
alternative method long advocated by
the Tribune and NOW champoned by
President Taft and ex- President Roose-
welt and accepted by the great major
ity Of the republican voters. Instead
of injuring the cause Of protection that
method will make the country more
protectionist than ever, because it viii
correct INEQUALITIES and remove all suS-