The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-27
SHERMAN ON THE TARIFF.

We notice that ViccPrcsidcnt Shcr'
man has delivered n speech In st. Louis
ostensibly in defense of the new tarin
extent OF claiming it 10 be the best
tariff measure ever enacted. OD inc
contrary, he admits its defects, and that
| it is in need Of revision even In the
first year Of its operation. MI Shcr'
man stands for the protective policy,
of course; and vet it seems singular
that this policy should now be urged in
behalf of Industries which have passed
far beyond the need of any fostering
care by the Government, When an
industry, such as the steel industry IN
this country now is shows up greater
than the steel industry of the two
greatest stcelmaking countries in tho
world besides our own, Germany and
Great Britain. il would seem as though
The idea of protecting il was a good
deal of farce. When that industry,
moreover. eau compete with the world,
can build tremendous viadncts IN In
dia and huge bridges in Africa in com.
petition with the world, the idea of
treating it as an "ipfapt industry -
is grotcsque, As Mr. Carnegie pointed
out last year. there is no need of pro
lection for stccl.makiug in this coun-
try. We make more steel than any
other two nations in the world, we
use more ourselves than any other two
nations; and we can compete with the
world in most forms of steelmaking
and steel structures.
In cotton making also we have the
best and most extensive machinery IN
the world We raise tho best and the
greatest quantity of cotton of any other
nation-far and away beyond any com
petition. We can keep our own cotton
AT home and make cotton goods from
it, and the world will simply have TO
buy what we produce. SO il is III a
number of other industries. These two
arc conspicuous beyond any need of pro.
lection.
The protective policy is good SO long
as II is needed on any article OF any
species OF manufacture or production
The protective policy demands that
American labor should be protected
against the pcou labor of Mexico or
the uuderpaid labor Of other countries
in the world; and this indicates the
line that protection ought to take. Pro
tective duties should be laid so as to
cqualizc the difference in labor scales
in this country and in other countries
that come into competition with us.
But where our own production is so
enormous as to beat the world. ii needs
no protection. When it is far and
away superior to all others, as is steel
and cotton, protection is not only need |
less, but an INJURY TO our own people,
fostering trusts, combines, and monopo-
listic cxactious.
We are glad 10 see that the plea
in defense as made by Mr.. Sherman,
abandons thcsproposition that the new
tariff law is the best ever enacted, and
that 1t fulfiIls the party pledges. No
such humbug Pretense should ever
have been offered aud President Taft
himself especially ought 10 be ashamed
10 offer it. Mr.. Sherman comes out
in opposition to that idea,
admitting that the law needs revision
right away, and that the agitation for
better tariff schedules, so far from be-
ing quoted by the passag. of the new
tariff law. as President Taft and his
begulliug stand patter' friends pro
claim, is stimulated; the new law
simply stirs up the agitation worse
than ever, and embitters 1t through
false pretenses and dishonest claims