The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1910-09-03

iarlH maxine ft Has heen cnhglu
Hvss shown hg experiments repeat-
81 sEain and again that the methods
~ laulf-maRus bt congress which
have now obtained for 80 many
years. cauuoJ from the very nature /
af the ease. bring really satisfactory
results think that tho preSeu. !
tariff IS better than the last. and eon-
sIdsrabit better than tho one befor, |
the last but it has certainly failed i1I
give general satisfaction believe I
this country rs fully committed ~
the principle of protection; bur il ~
to protection ae a principle. tn pro- /
lection primarily in the interest a
the standard OF living of the Ameri /
can vorkingman believe that
when protection becomes, not rriE- |
ciple but a privilege and prefer
enee-or, rather, tumble of priv /
ileges and preferences then TIN /
American people disapproyc of H.
Now. to correct the trouble. ii i%I
necessary In the first place, TO st in
mind clearly what We want. and, il
the next place 10 get in mind clearly
the method by which we hope to OBJ
tain what we want What we want
is a square deal in the tariff as III
everything else; a square deal for the
wage-earner; a square deal for the
employer, a square deal for the
general public. To obtain it wei
must have thoroughly efficient AMI
well-equipped tariff commission.
The tariff ought to be a material
issue and not a moral issue; but if
instead of a square deal we get .
crooked deal, then it becomes very
emphatically a moral issue. What
We desire in a tariff is such measure
of protection as will equalize the
cost of production here and abroad
and as the cost of production is
mainly labor cost, this means primar-
the difference in labor cost here
and abroad. The American public
wants the American laboring man
put on an equality with other citi-
zens so that he shall have the abil-
ity TO achieve the American standard
of living and the capacity to enjoy
it, and to do this we must see that
his wages are not lowered by i'm
proper competition with inferior
wage-workers abroad--with wage-
workers who are paid poorly and
who live as no Americans are will
ing to live. But the American pun
lie does not wish to see the tariff SO
arranged as to benefit primarily al
few wealthy men.
AS means toward the attainment
OF its end in view we have as yet
devised nothing In any way as affec-
should be commission of well-paid
experts; men who should not repre-
sent any industry; who should be
masters of their subjects; OF the very
highest character, and who should |
approach the matter with absolute
disregard of every outside considera-
ton. These men should take up In |
succession each subject with which |
the tariff deals and investigate the |
conditions of production here ana |
abroad, they should find out the |
facts and not merely accept the |
statements Of interested parties; and
they should report to congress on
each subject as soon as that sub
ject has been covered Then action
can be taken at once on the partic-
ular subject concerned, while the |
commission Immediately proceeds to
investigate another. BY these means
1og-rollng would be avoided and
each subject treated on it's merits,
while there would be no such shock |
to general industry as Is implied |
In the present custom of making |
sweeping changes in the whole tariff |
at once. Finally, 1t should be the
duty of some governmental depart
ment or bureau to investigate the |
conditions In the various protected |
industries, and see that the laborers
really are getting the benefit Of the
tariff supposed to be enacted in their
interest Moreover, to insure good
treatment abroad We should keep
the maximum and minimum pro-
vision.
The same principle OF first-class
outside commission should be ap-
piled to river and harbor legislation