The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-01-28
Especial Cor. of The yirginian. )

& LONDON, Jan. 2 The phrase Tar
IN Reform" in English politics means
exactly the opposite of what II means
tariff reformers'' are those who pro-
pose to establish protection as the
guiding principle of the British Gus
toms system instead of free trade,
The principle of free trade, for which
the Anti-Corn Laws League. under the
leadership of Golden and Bright.
made such a memorable Eight, has
been accepted for many decades as the
act<led policy OF the United Kingdom.
81 America the tariff reformers' are
Nose who believe ina reduction of the
tariff duties from a protective princi-
DE to a merely revenue scale. or TO
tree trade; although they have been
almost entirely swallowed up by the
.tariff revisfonists'' who believe in a
reduction of the tariff duties, but in
maintaining the protective principle.
Customs duties In England are laid
cn spirits, tobacco, sugar. tea and 9TH
er non-competing articles. 1t Is the
dearest approach to free trade exist
Ing In any great nation. The first note
OF dissatisfaction with the system was
Or eight years ago. and In 1903 Mr.
Joseph Chamberlain organized theTar-
: u Reform League. THIS EXPERIMENTATION,
working Independently of party be-
cause neither conservatives nor hber-
. tls would have ANYTHING to do with II,
has succeeded in creating "a great pub
lie sentiment in favor of protection
The result Of the -pr@sesa. -sieets@H "a NJ
not -propAxlp lie construed he the
verdict Of the people on this question,
since GO many, other issues were IN
rolved, But 1t Ia not to be disputed
that Mr.. Chamberlain and his TariU
Reform League were successful In
forcing the conservative party To
adopt tariff reform as its chief slogan
In the battle against the budget. --
Tariff a Live Issue.
Hands off the Peoples Food!
TAX land. not fss,aees.s These and
Aimilar cries from the radicals We're
met BY tory arguments. Tax the For
&igner." Tariff Reform means bet
: ter tisaea Protection means high
Or wages and more work" Every
where and all the time during tue
campaign the tariff was a live qurs~
ton When the liberal speakers de-
nounced the house OF lords. almost me
only hostile remarks from the sud-
&nce would be from some enthusiastic
believer In protection
sFAff In not the int ntinn Ia discuss IN
this article the relative merits OF tar
m reform and free trade In England,
but the American on-loeker could no'
fail 20 he amused bv the campaign
Conducted for and AGAINST protection
II was Hike Il moving picture review
Of all that has been said and done
about the tariff in America from the
time Of the Walker tariff to the day
OF The Payne Aidrich act.
The tariff reformers, which ineaus
practically all the Conservatives,
advanced two reasons and ona excuse
for their new faith In protection.
They declared II necessary 10 proiet
british ma niifacturers from the com
p<litinrs of products of cheap factories
1 and poorly prid labor OF other
countries. they declared II the part
an wisdom Ia tax the foreigner in.
stead III Ire E.i.git<ilman: and theg
rnld II var 4 Substitute fer the land
taxes and other objectionable fea-
lures of the budget, In support 81
these doctrines. With amusing tncon-
sistency but not without distinguish
cd precedent. they appealed To III.
voters by speeches, BY posters nF ieal
let's. and by songs, te support the cen
asrvatives because the liberal gov
5crnmeHt had taxed tobacco and beer
Campaign With Posters
The liberals. in opposing the pro-
tertive idea. made the most of the
nrapAs@i taxes on bFeAa-htNtIt Abn
devoted most Of their argument Il
the cost of bread. Tax lard. moi
leaves" was TIE burden of thss'
4 song. Tariff reform viii make hap
uter dukes srYea1ed the nositsry
developing the -ctargc that the dukes
ohtecting tn the tax on their lands
Nsanted -prateetien la eftseF Ia ttti'
tlie tax on the poor mans loaf, IN.
Nhcrals shouted that England hat
Clown to be the greateEt nanufaf'
firing nation and the richest natiof
Z a. earth under free trade. and then
With that delightful inconsistenc,
which seems to attend both sides 81
4 tariff fight, they declared thas Eng
!, land was already ground Into reters,
~ fhe landlords and could not affors
to bear another penny of TAXATION
The liberal speakers could tustif,
8 ta&.4f demand, fer relief 81 the ftftttf
t.Hd maintain that English iannrer'
u N'cre til. best paid in the world, al
4 tn tfsa sHine si1eor'1. wtthnut any
apparent effort The conservative
esseakrrs. cttitafiy rcsrttrcefui. fuuns
m difficulty whatever In explainin;
~ t,fat a tariff duty Oh wheat coul'
mt possibly increase the price OF
bread, since the tax Is paid 10y th'
fnraigrer. and in the same speech
tfenralnclng the government for in
crpasfng the cost of the paor man