The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1910-11-25
The Leopard and the Lamb.

NO pOlltlCS III Tie new CdrlII
board" is the way that President Taft
says he will run it. The president
may be entirely honest in thus trying
to eliminate the tariff from politics,
but such Utopian idea is as unattain-
able as foretelling the way the wind
will blow. The fact that President
Taft signed the tariff bill because his
party had passed it, although it did
not redeem the promises that he :made
previous to his election, shows how
partisan matter the tariff is and
always will be.
Taxation is over a partisan political
matter as long as the many tax payers
are plundered for the benefit of the
few, which is the design and intent of
protection. Our civilization, advanced
as it is, has not. yet evolved plan of
taxation that would. be equitable to all
Ieitizens. If the president believes that
he can make the tariff leopard lie
down with the bleating and taxed lamb
while the principle of protection pre-
walls, he will soon be undeceived. The
lambs are, of course, helpless as long
as the Republican party is in power,
but they will never stop bleating until
the leopard is muzzled and his claws
are cut.
In this matter of the tariff we must
be practical, Mr.. Taft, and you will
find it not possible to eliminate poll
tics from your new tariff board.
Doubtless you can appoint men who
will do your bidding, but, with all due
Difference, that would only bring them
to your level which is of necessity
quite partisan.
The tariff cam OF be revised very far
| downward by these who declare that
protection is cardinal principle of the
Republican party, and that is what
even the insurgents say they stand
for. If the tariff taxes end with the
collection of duties at the custom
houses there would be a possibility of
finding enough competent men to act
as the tariff board and to agree on fair
rates. Any tariff tax is protection to
the home producer, even on articles
that are on the free list. The trans
portation and other charges for ship
ment from one country to another
protect the home producer from COM
petition to just the extent of such
charges.
But very small proportion of the
articles consumed in the United States
is imported, yet the. price of the :hume
products keeps closely to the price OF
the imported goods on which the tariff
tax has been paid. Competition be-
tween the home producers has been
eliminated on many products by trusts,
combines .Or "gentiemen's agree
ments" to keep up prices, so THAT the
price of the home product almost
reaches that of similar imported ar
ticles. That is what the people are
complaining about, Mr.. President, and
from which they seek relief.
For fifty years. with only very
short interim, these high protection
tariff taxes Ehave been imposed, and
the amount collected last year was
1924, 667, 054. How much the indirect
tariff tax was on home products in
consequence of protection is a matter
of intricate computation Experts
estimate that each family in the Unit
ed States pays directly and indirectly
in consequence of the tariff an average
of 500 per annum. of which SIG per
family goes to the government while
$50 goes to the trusts, etc.
How can there be no politics in the
tariff issue as long as this .plundering
of the many for the benefit of the few
continues? Before the collection near
| ly every member Of 1.-The cabinet was
on the stump defending the Payne
Aldrich law in the most partisan man.
ner; surely. that hardly indicates mo
politics in the tariff board