Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-10
Tariff Policies.

The republican tariff policy seems
to be based on the idea that the
friends of the trainers of the tariff
bill must be enriched by protection
at the expense of the taxpayers. The
republican leaders think that their
party was born to make men million
aires by placing a high tariff duty on
what they manufacture, thus prevent
ing serious competition from abroad,
and then through combinations and
trusts preventing competition at home.
A welcome string of trust officials
and millionaire manufacturers was
constantly in attendance at the rooms
of the ways and means committee
and of the finance committee of the
senate when the tariff bill was being
concocted and manipulated. But few,
if any, of the people who feel the real
burden of high prices were heard, and
when some of the democratic members
of the committee suggested that if
rates we're increased prices would go
higher they were virtually told that it
was not in their hands to make the
tariff bill; that it had been confided to
the republicans by the people electing
a majority of that party to represent
them; and the democratic members of
the finance committee of the senate
we're not even allowed to be present at
the meetings of the majority of the
committee.
AS foretold by the democrats, the prices
Of the protected commodities have
greatly advanced since the protection
lists have had control; so much so that
even the president has shifted his po-
sition on the tariff issue, and is trying
to discover-which he will never do
"the difference in the cost of produc-
ton here and abroad" so that he can
recommend to congress another revis-
ion of rates. Even if the foreign man
ufacturers are willing to tell the cost
of their products-which would also
disclose their trade secrets and expose
them to greater competition-and the
manufacturers, trusts and combines in
the United States were equally frank,
it would be necessary under the terms
of the republican platform to set the
reasonable profit" that should be
added to fix the tariff rates.
Under such a program Of investiga-
ton, who will say that the tariff would
not be further raised on many articles
that are undoubtedly produced cheaper
abroad than here, leaving a reason
able profit" out Of the question. Some
necessities are now imported on which
the tariff tax is over 100 per cent, and
on all manufactured articles the aver
age tariff is over 60 per cent
The democratic tariff program would
be more simple and would result in a
decrease in the price of many snecessi-
ties, which would reduce the cost of
living. The first matter to settle would
be how much revenue does the govern
ment need when honestly and econom-
ically administered, and then decide
upon the articles that should be taxed
to produce the estimated revenue
needed.
The republicans call that free trade !;
but it would be found necessary to tax
imports so that many millions would
be paid in tariff taxes although the tax
on food would undoubtedly be greatly
decreased, and many necessities would
be placed on the free list. From time
to time further reductions would be
made as economies and trade showed
that lower rates were possible.
Under the protection system we
have experienced "booms" which were
always followed by panics. Under the
democratic system trade would be
more even and panics would be- thing
of the past only to be remembered to
point to the mistakes of the past as
the result of a false system.