Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-13
Editorial Comment.
The Tariff Issue Next Fall.
New York Press.)

'.NC" Ioih 1857
With his usual good sense, president
Taft does not wish the leaders OF ms
party to try to avoid the tariff issue II
the Democrats are willing to go before
the voters of the United States upon
that question in the fall elections.
There arc only two things, as Mr..
Taft's judicial judgment readily appre-
ciates. to be said about this matter.
one is that scarcely anything IN an
important campaign could DE easier
than the demonstration of the fact tiiat
the American tariff system, as 'nIa
paper has 50 often shown with Specilic
examples of prices for meats. potatoes'
breadstuffs. cotton, coal ana othei
commodities, cannot be proved 10 De
responsible for the high cost OF llVihs'
or for any considerable part OF the
high cost of living, which has been so
much discussed throughout the coun-
try, and which cannot fail to be OF the
greatest Importance to the CONSUMER
of the United States.
A tariff of x cents a pound upon
meats declared to be eager to come
across the line from Canada at low
yalues) cannot possibly account lor
advances in the price of beef, mutton,
pork, etc, running all the way from
to IL cents a pound. Potatoes that inc
farmer delivers to the railroad at 81
cents i'm this state, but which reach
the consumers in this city at anything
from Sl.25 to $50. cannot have their
selling nricc determined or Influenced
by a tariff that is a negligible quaint
ity. compared with the huge advance
from the producer to the consumer
The tariff cannot be blamed for price
of cotton with no tariff at all upon
that raw materially which is so hlgn
that manufacturers who pay that price
cannot sell their finished product at d
figure which will cover their cost ana
a reasonable profit. There are m
numera BILE instances like this, as we
have submitted and resubmitted TO
those who indulge in ignorant and
loose talk about the responsibility OF
the tariff for high prices which are
caused by acts and influences whlch
work out the results of excessive costs
to the consumer whether duty Is
high or whether it is low. whether
there is a tariff. whether there is no
tariff at all.
The other thing to be said is that II
the Democratic party. or the pubic, or
any section of the country wants 10
make an issue Of the tariff. it could not
be lodged wherever the issue is re-
garded as the chief thing in the cleo
ton. if Congress leaders or party lead
ers or anybody else, wishes to dodge
it. The voters will cast their ballots
upon this question whenever they
please to do so.
The thing for Republican news
papers and for other representatives
of the Republican party to do is not 10
declare or to imagine this is qucs-
ton to be sidetracked or run full
speed by campaign managers. as they
deem eXpedient, but is one that VIII
have to undergo the test of the ballot
box whenever a Congress district or
the nation 50 desires. And. s we
have said the easiest way to answer
the unprovable arguments of the agi-
totors is to submit to the public the
specific facts about tariff rates and
commodity prices. If. after they have
those facts clearly presented for their
understanding. the voters nevertheless
want to elect members of Congress
who will greatly modify, or even wipe
out the tariff nobody can stop them:
nobody can ward off the consequences
until the voters themselves. suffering
from their mistake hasten. as they
have done before, to correct 1t.