The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1911-02-04
MUCH NOW AT STAKE
INTERESTS OF ALL BOUND UP IN
TARIFF.
Wisdom and Patriotism Must 6e Lib
orally Employed II the Country
10 Not to Be Called On to
Suffer Loss.

The tariff Is a subject in which the
workingman is as much interested as
Is the manufacturer, and he has q
double interest in the subject because
he Is a consumer as well as COM
petitor with foreign labor.
The first national tariff was levied
in 1888, soon after 1t was authorized
by the constitution. 1t was wholly
for revenue and imposed duty OF
about per cent ad valorem on all
imported goods. The entire country
depended on agriculture and most OF
the manufacturing was spinning and
weaving. done in the homes OF the
people.
Finally cotton and woolen mills
were established In New England, ana
In the war of 1924 with Great Brit
ain foreign trade was largely cut on
and dependence was had on home
manufactures. which were consider
ably increased. In 1916 the tarin was
raised to 25 per cent, the agricultural
south actively protesting. In 1928
tariff on raw material for the beneht
Of the manufacturers was levied, ana
in 1886 still other duties were laid on
metals and agricultural products. This
was the tariff that South Carolina null
lifted until she was repressed INTO
obedience by General then Presi-
denD Jackson.
The south from the first was the
most uncompromising protestant
against any tariff that possessed any
protective features until recent years,
when the manufacture Of cotton goods
has become a great industry in this
section, and several OF the southern
states ask for protection from the
sugar OF Germany and the tropics. and
from the rice OF China and Japan, and
from the free low-grade timber from
Canada.
Thus 1t Is seen that the south is no
longer the out-and-out free trade sec
ton 1t once was. Nevertheless, the
Democratic party. in which the south
predominates, comes very near being
a free trade party.
OF course, this is going to make
trouble, because just as soon as the
Democrats get possession of the pop
ular house Of congress they propose
to plunge right into tariff revision.
They threaten to rip the present tar1n
law right down the back and up again.
1t will unsettle business to serious
degree and may end by driving large
body Of the southern people into the
Republican party, as was the case
when tariff agitation over free sugar
did that for number Of our Louis
lana sugar planters.
1t will be useless to attempt to rea.
son with headstrong partisans, who
having been long out Of political pow
er and having finally got in. are de-
tsrmined to enforce their power to
the last extreme Of domination. But
there Is always a wise and prudent
element that has the public good at
heart.
Its members recognize that there
are vast and diverse interests at
stake, and therefore an effort of COM
promise is necessary that will con-
serve to a reasonable degree the in
terests of all The American pro-
ducer, manufacturer and wage-earner
must not be placed at the mercy of
foreign pauper laDOr, nor must the
consumer be forced to pay heavy
tribute to any protected interest The
Just rights of all must be regarded
and preserved.
The tariff is going to be a great
issue before the country when the
next congress shall take 1t up, and 1t
must be approached with extreme care
and all the wisdom and patriotism
possible.