The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1911-11-02

Of high proteCii ion less than half OF
the wool used in this country is rails
ed at home. Most land can be put
to more profitable use.
AS a consequence pure wool fabrics
have gone out Of reach Of the average
family. Most Of the clothing, under
and outer, Of moderate price, is adul-
terated with cotton.
The same conditions obtained in
other lines Of industry. The tendency
everywhere was for the tariff bene.
ficiaries to combine, take advantage
Of freedom from foreign competition.
and put up prices.
There was widespread feeling Of
unrest against these exactions when
Congress met in special Session in
1909. People looked forward with
confidence to a revision that should
have an effect on the high cost Of liv
ing.
What happened?
''There was a great human cause, :"
says Miss Tarbell easing the bur
den of our vast laboring cIass-knock.
ing at the door of congress. and it was
not heeded--if. indeed, it was heard.
Mr.. Taft seems no more to have
understood his great chance than did
congress. Leadership was
his business. It was for him to make
clear the great need. to inspire the
great action, to create the atmosphere
for high endeavor. ~. 1t was
the spirit Of tariff reform. the zeal for
honest schedules. the determination
that discrimination should be done
away with. Indignation at the wretc,i-
ed and shameless alksnces behind
these bills. that 1t was for Mr.. Taft
to feel and foster He had the oppor.
tunity to lead in great moral awak-
ening. He did not understand the
issue. He saw merely the chance to
do some tinkering, which be did man
fully and effectively"
The truth is that congress was
afraid-afraid Of the money and the
influence Of the men who sought fav-
ors. The worsted men must be Civ
en- what they asked for, whether they
deserved it or not, because they had
been contributing for years to the
campaign funds in New England SO
with the cotton fanufactuers. So with
others.
Only two Of the schedules does Miss
Tarbell take up for detailed discus
sion These two. however. are typi.
cal Of the rest.
The duty on wool and woolens she
shows from printed testimony was
left undisturbed with all its injustice
not because Of any assumption
that it should not be changed. but be-
cause the wooden manufacturers of
New England notified the congression-
al leaders that they would not permit
alterations.
On the cotton schedule the trickery
was even more gross, for a whole se'
Of higher duties was sneaked in un
der solemn protest from Senator Al
drich that the duties were not to be
advanced.
The manner in which the trick was
worked is set forth once more by Miss
Tarbell. It is difficult to write Of it
with moderation. The deception at
tempted was so deliberate and so pet
~
Wool and cotton constituted the
backbone Of the Aldrich trading sys-
TEN. The Rhode Island senator con
fessed on the floor Of the Senate that
II the combination we're broken the
whole system would go 10 pieces. For
bear in mind this fact:
The present tariff las was built on
fayoritism and trades: not on the pro-
tective principle as the country un-
derstands it.
After all. as Miss Tarbell points out
the tariff is moral question.
It Is now. and has been since the
war. based on the purchase Of gov
ernment favors with influence or with
money Pennsylvania virtually trades
support for the Union for high duties
FOR its manufactures. Rhode Island
manufacturers raise money for Re
publican candidates and in return are
permitted to levy tax on the people
Of the whole country.