New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-02
FARMING OUT THE FREE LIST.

'
The Republican insurgents who voted
| yesterday in the Senate for the Farmers
| Free List bill. as amended on MI kern's
motion. after voting against the measure
as it came from the House of Repre-
sentativeS. again disclosed their utter
lack Of political consistency. When the
Canadian reciprocity agreement was be
fore the SeIiate they complained that it
did not provide for the free admission
from Canada of -four and dressed meats.
They said that the administration had
tried TO retain protection for the miller
and packer while surrendering protec-
ton for the grower Of cereals and the
raiser Of cattle. Mr.. la Toilette wrote
report opposing the reciprocity agree
ment on the ground that IL failed 10 put
-four and meats on the same basis with
grain and cattle. and he and other insur-
gents tried to graft upon it an amend
ment transferring Canadian -four and
meats TO the free list.
Yesterday when the SO-called Farmers
Free List bill came before the Senate
Z
free flour and meats. They would not
vote for the House measure until ii had
been altered 50 as TO admit those articles
fee only from countries which give free
admission to American cotton, wheat,
OATS. horses. cattle and hogs. That pro-
yiso shuts out Canadian -four aud meats,
and will probably shut ont those Of most
other countries. But yesterday was not
the insurgents day for ''lnSurSlng
arninst all food duties. They had made
tleir bargain with Senator Bailey, who
wants TO keep food and raw materials
faxed. and were carrying out their
rromise to help him strike meats out OF
the free list schedule as framed by the
House Of Representatives. Loyalty to
the Texas statesman counted with them
much more than loyalty to their profess
siops when the Canadian reciprocity bill
was under consideration.
Moreover in supporting such freak
measure as the Farmers Free LAST OH
the Insurgents departed from every prlh-
cinlc Of tariff revision which they have
ever announced. \ free list bill aVOW-
,dlv for the benefit of Il single class OF
consumer, cannot be justified under any
tpoWn theory of tariff taXation-insur-
cent Republican or Democratic. 1t com
norts neither with the idea Of leyying
mties for protection nor with the idea Of
ievyiue them for revenue only IT sets
.,,r new vocational standard of priv
iiere which no philosophy of taxation
can Justify. If duties are to be abolished
or retained on articles simply because
tiey are used by one class of workers or
another all our hitherto accepted notions
Of tariff taxation must 20 10 tho scrap
heap.
If the Democrats and the Insurgents
believe that tariff taxes should he taken
off the tools and supplies Of the farmers
simply because they are farmers. they
ought 10 20 ahead and tax or untaX the
miner because he Is a miner, the long
,roreman because hc il 4 lungshoreman
and the factory hand because he Is a
factory hand. After we get an artisans
free list. medical practitioners free list
and "A cab drivers free list we may pos
sibly see the craftsmanship of the Dem
cratjc-nsnrgent combination flower in a
politicians free list Buncombe and
hluco are already free. But Congress
can take the duties off the praying