Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-09-08

things in it which are not right and
therefore. they tend TO suspect the, e.
| think. more numerous things in IL
which are right.
"Thcy know that the system on
which it was made, the same systcrx. or
which its predecessors were made IN
coUrcges g. scramble of selfish interest
to which the all important general in
terest of the public is necessarily NOR.
or loss subordinated. There Wa ~
time when this scramble was REGARDED
a. the natural course In tariff making
and was not resented Now the poo-
pie demand. ana rightly. that the profit
Of tho special interests shall Re suhor-
dlnated to the general welfare in every
case.
at is this attitude of the people
which must be met in dealing with tho
present tariff and with proposals 70
attend the present tariff. Very little
improvement indeed will follow any
attempt TO revise the tariff hv methods
hitherto used. The thing to do Is TO
change the methods.
COMMITTED To PROTECTION.
Il believe this country is fully com
mitted to the principle of protection:
but II Is 10 protection as n principle; TO
protection primarily In the interests Of
the standard of living Of the Arcorican
worklngman. believe that when pro
lection becomes, not a principle bur
privilege and a preference, or. rather
a tumble Of privileges and preferences,
then the American people disapprove
OF It.
The tariff ought 10 be a material
issue and not moral Issue; but !,
Instead of square deal We get "a
crooked dea then it becomes very
enphatlcally a moral issue. What VIZ
desire In tariff Is such 4 measure of
protection as viii elualize the cost Of
production here and abroad; and as the
cost OF production is mainly labor cost.
Mis- means primarily q tariff sufficie,.
90 make up for the differences in labor
cost here and abroad.
AS means toward the attainment OF
its end In view We have as ye. devised
nothing In any way as effective as u
tariff commission. rh.re should be o
commission Of well paid experts: mon
who should be masters Of their sub
iect*; of the very highest character;
and who should approach the matter
with absolute disregard OF every out
side cUpstdera ton.
These men should take up N success
sion each subject with which the -arlf.
deals and investigate the conditions #
productions here and abroad: they should
accept the statements OF Interested par
ties; and they should report to Congress
on each subject Us soon as MAT subject
has been covered. Then action can 90
taken at once on the particular subject
concerned, while the commission imme-
datoly proceeds 20 Investigate another
Finally. It should he the duty of soma
gov rnnent department or bureau TO in
vestigAte the conditions In the var.ous
protected Industries. and see that tho
laborers really are getting the benefit
OF the tariff supposed TO be enacted in
their interest. Moreover. 70 insure good
treatment abroad We should keep The
maximum ana minimum provision.
BAY STATE SETS EXAMPLE.
Tho same principle Of first-class out
side commission should be applied 10
liver ana harbor legislation. At present
river Hrd harhor bill Ike tariff bill.
tends to be settled by \ squabble amon.;
Il lot Of big selfish interests, with scant
u
that Of the general public
an this matter the national ler,isla-
turo would do vol t. profit 10y the
example OF Massachusetts Formerly
Massachusetts, dealt with It's land and
hnrbor LEGISLATION just as AZ Washing
ton tariff ana river and harbor laws
have been dealt with. and there was
just the same pulling and hauling the
Same hnrRaininE and log rolling. tho
same differentiation of the general in
terost to various special interests
Last year Governor Draper took up
the matter, ana on his recommended
ton the LEGISLATURE turned the whola
business over to Il commission OF en-
ports. and all trouble and scandal
forthwith disappeared. Incidentally
this seems TO me to he n first class in
stance Of progressive legislation.
BARNES PERFECTLY DELICIOUS,
Sioux city, Ia. Sept 4-Colonel
Roosevelt read with interest yesterday
the statement ISSUED 10y William
Barnes. Jr.. of Albany criticislng him
for his western speeches. which. Mr..
Barnes said have startled all thought
full men ana impressed them with tho
danger which lies in his political as
tendency"
Il think there IS something perfect
" delicious said the colonel "in The
idea Of Mr. Barnes diving to this de.
fence OF the supreme court and right
eousnoss."
You may form mental Impressions ~