Mexico weekly ledger., 1910-04-21

ceit which 1t contained by saying,
"The idea which runs through the
Statute is well known TO be that of
protection to our manufactures"
Were the question to assume the
form of a tax levied to create a
bounty for the manufactures, or in
order to assist some individual in
his enterprise at the expense of the
tax payers, the principle being the
same, there would be little doubt of
the jurisdiction of the courts to en-
join the collection of the tax, or to
give remedy in damages Il property
were seized.
We have had n short respite
from high tariff conditions since the
Morrill, tariff of 1861. That was un-
der the Wilson German bill of 1894,
the beneficial results of which were
never tested nor realized because
about the time that law wnt into eff
feet the panic, resuling from vicious
financial legislation of the Repub-
hcan party before that, had come up
on the country.
The Republican party, returning to
power in 1896, fastened to repeal
any law looking to the reduction of
the tariff, claiming that the panic
was tn eresult of the WilsonIGorman
bill when in reality the prosperity
following the repeal Of that bill came
as the result. of Democratic Legisla-
ton repeating the unsound -~financia
measures of the Republican party
| which had brought distress upon the
country before the enactment Of that
highly unsatisfactory, to the Demo
Gratis, low tariff measure.
There is now a strenuous and grol
ing disposition on the part of the
people to reduce the tariff and limit
the evenue Of the Government to
the necessities of a Government eco
nomically administered. Though this
was promised in a measure by the
platform of the Republican party and
the candidate for president of that
party in 1908, they have signally fail
| ed to keep the promise, and it Is
/ quite apparent that the party Of tar
if reform and reduction has an OPP
~portunity to appeal to the country
again with a reasonable degree of
chances for success.
There Is an extensive and grow
1 ing conviction among the people that
our present tariff laws are vicious, in
equitable and are an Illogical source
of unnecessary taxation, and ought at
the first opportunity obtainable to be
thoroughly revised and amended,
They know from experience and
broken promises this cannot now be
expected from the Republican par
ty.
The conditions r present, ever
in a worse form than as depicted by
a Democratic president in his an
nual message to Congress, IN Decem
Der of 1888, when he said;
; "Tnstead of limiting the tribute
drawn from our citizens to the neces
stiles of its economical administratio
the Government persists in exact
ing from the substances Of the pee
/. pie millions . :. -. =. b. i. o.. !.
Under the same laws by whicI
these results are produced the GOV
) eminent permits many millions NOR
to be added to the cost OF living o
our people and to betaken from gu
consumers, which u~nreasonapiy sWeI
the profits of a small but powertu
minority.
"The people must still be take
for the support of the Government
under the operation of tariff laws
But to the extent that the mass Q
our citizens are Unfortunately burden
ed beyond any useful public purpos
and for the benefit of a favored few
the Government, under p~retext of a
exercise of its taxing power. enter