Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-03-09
ITS USEFULNESS GONE
CAUSE OF THE IMPENDING
DOWNFALL OF PROTECTION.
Demand for Downward Revision Of
the Tariff Has Foundation In Facts
Reciprocity With Canada
the First Step.

Originally the protective tariff In
the United States was based on the
theory that a moderate duty should
be maintained on imported goods I'M
til such time as home industries
could be thoroughly established, and
able to take care Of themselves in
competition with foreign manufac-
lures. The original protectionists were
willing to have the duties removed
when that time arrived. This may be
called the infant industry theory.
After becoming i~ntrenched behind
the barrier of a protective tariff and
enjoying the benefits of the special
privilege thus accorded, protected
manufacturers evolved the theory that
a permanent tariff should be main
tanned in the interest Of the American
laboring man, because of the higher
wages paid to him than to foreign Ia
borers. This was the wages theory
Of protection.
When by comparative statistics it
WOE 0hOWh LudI LhS Aob0A WV PNA
unit Of product was no higher in
America than in Europe, because Of
the superior ability Of the American
laboring man and the more effective
organization Of American industry,
another point Of view became neces-
sary to Justify the protective system,
and the theory was promulgated that
1t really made no difference how high
the tariff might be, ven to the point
Of the absolute exclusion Of foreign
goods, because competition between
the rapidly developing American
manufacturers would keep prices down
to a reasonable level.
There came the era OF trusts and
combinations to sustain prices, and
the purchasers Of American manufac-
tured products realized that they were
at the mercy Of the protected indus
tries.
This aspect Of the problem was the
real cause of the widespread demand
Tor a downward revision Of the tariff,
that, in recent years, has agitated
hose members of the Republican par
~ who are not direct beneficiaries OF
the tariff but who have been sincere
advocates Of protection because they
believe that 1t benefited the country
as a whole.
Outside of the ranks of direct bene
fciaries of protection, who are fight
Ing to maintain the special privileges
they enjoy, practically the entire Re
publican party has now settled bach
to the theory that the protective tar
lie should be only sufficient to make
up the difference between the cost o.
production abroad and at home.
Necessarily, a %corrollary Of this the
Dry Is that no protection is needed
against the products Of a country II
which conditions of production ar
similar to those of the United States.
On this ground President Taft is in
sisting that the reciprocity agreemen
between this country and Canada !
Just and should be adopted.
This marks an advance step whicl
means the ultimate downfall Of tn,
whole protective system, because I'm
prejudicial investigation will demon
strate that In most industries the vas
resources, the enormous home market
the inventive genius, and the capacit!
for organization in America make
possible to produce commoditieO
cheaper in this country than abroad
even with higher daily wages and
higher scale Of living for American la
borers than for those of Europe.
This view Of the problem Is iron
the standpoint Of the disinterested an,
sincere protectionist, and takes no ac
count of the broader view of the out
and-out free trader, whose contentio,
is that unrestricted commerce result
In each nation and each communit
devoting its energies to those indu!
tries for which 1t is best fitted, an
thus develops industries along naturs
!, lines, giving equal opportunities to al
and special privileges to none.-Kal
sas City Star.
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