Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1911-02-16
MUCH NOW AT STAKE
INTERESTS OF ALL BOUND UP IN
TARIFF.
Wisdom and Patriotism Must BE Lib
orally Employed II the Country
Is 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 a
double interest in the subject because
he is a consumer as well as a COM
petitor with foreign labor.
The first national tariff was levied
In 1889, soon after it was authorized
by the constitution. 1t was wholly
for revenue and imposed duty of
about 8 per cent. ad valorem on all
imported goods. The entire country
depended on agriculture and most OIL
the manufacturing was spinning ana
weaving, done in the homes of the
people.
Finally cotton and woolen mills
were established in New England, and
in the war of 1924 with Great Brit
ain foreign trade was largely cut OH
and dependence was had on home
manufactures, which we're consider
ably increased. In 1916 the tariff was
raised to 25 per cent, the agricultural
south actively protesting. In 1873
tariff on raw material for the benefit
VI lu6 Nho iN'iNNb NNi'@
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-
dent) 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 it is seen that the south is no
longer the out-and-out free trade sec
tion it 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 tariff
law right down the back and up again.
1t will unsettle business to a 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.
It 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-
termined 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
It's 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 labor, 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 it up, and it
must be approached with extreme care
and all the wisdom and patriotism
| possible.