Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-06-03
THE POSTAL SURPLUS.

lDeS MONIES Register and LeaderJ.
The postoffice department is making
a glad noise because a long standing
deficit has this year been turned into
a small surplus. Whereas the deficit
ran up close to $1s.oo0,00o a few years
ago NOW the surplus promises To
reach 100000. The postoffice de-
partment has right to feel good about
it.
These facts give new strength to the
claim that has been made for years
that with sensible business manage
ment the postoffice might be made an
asset for the government. not LA
bility They give the semblance OF
sound sense to the statements made
by business men that they would want
nothing better than to take the postof-
fee off the governm ent's hands and
operate it for private profit a few
years.
These facts give strength to the
claim Of the publishers Of the country
that II the postoffice authorities would
run their department on a business
basis there would be no need OF pro-
posing an enormous raise In the rates
Of postage on second class mall mat
ter. The 100000 surplus Of the past
year indicates that internal economies
OF mana cement are the Arst essentials
in reforming the department and its
affairs. II sound business We're ap-
piled to the building OF postoffices, for
instance, the payment OF postmasters'
salaries. and the letting Of mail carry
ing contracts to railroads, a good many
additional millions might be saved
every year and the surplus still fur
increased beyond this years $1,000. 900
mark.
CONSISTENCY vs. ExPEDIENCY.
fSiou1 City Journal.
Bryan is consistent In standing out
for free wool in a tariff bill which is
not intended to pass. but is designed
to stand as an advertisement OF what
the democratic party would do Il It
could. Traditionally the democratic
party is committed against the prfnci-
pie Of tariff on wool. SO much can
be said for him. On principle, however.
Bryan Is no more heartily opposed to
a duty on wool than is Champ Clark.
who has engineered the compromise
by which the existing duty Is to be cut
in two as a starter. Speaker Clark has
compromised in the interest Of exped-
fency. And of the political expediency
of the compromise there can be no
question. Merely in the matter of get
ting votes in the house Mr.. Clark
found that he could mobilize more
democrats in support Of q moderate
duty on wool than in support Of free
wool. But there Is better political
reason than this for the compromise.
It is better even than the revenue ar
gument offered by Messrs. Clark and
Underwood in OFFICIAL explanation of
their plans. 1t relates to what military
men would call grand strategy"
The country is firmly committed to
the principle of protection. The big
industries in democratic as well as re-
publican states have profited by this
artificial stimulus. Free traders may
Of today Il the st;i1uiaat had never
been used. but they can not deny that
a sudden complete suspension OF its
use would produce physical collapse
The election of 1868 demonstrated that
the pubic was then a. strongly as
ever for the protective principle. but
that ii wanted the republican party TO
modify it's application Of the principle.
After the republicans had revised the
tariff, the elections Of 1910 indicated
that the public was displeased with the
republican revision. The tendency now
is to look to the democratic party for
a better revision. But rot one man in
a hundred who Is dissatisfied with the
present tariff wants free trade. No
body wants new tariff policy that
would cause even temporary paralysis
in q single great American industry.
All that is really wanted - a revision
that will trim of superhuous duties
without disturbing the long established
protective prlaciple. II the democrats
were to go before the people next year
with pledge Of absolute free trade
they would not carry single north
ern state and would disrupt tine solid
south.
II the democrats are to be entrusted
With tariff revision commission next
year It must be with the popular un-
Outstanding that IT is to be neither .
free trade nor tariff for revenue reyis-
ion. Speaker Clark and Chairman
Underwood are willing to bid for the
commission with this understanding.
For the present they wish to present
an object lesson in the shape u tar
1T bill that will demonstrate their
readiness to deal with the issue az II
actually exists. To do otherwise would
be to invite party defeat.
Colonel Bryan's sticking for con-
sistency in preference to expediency
may be magnificent but It isn't poll
tics. It is calculated to convince an
already wary public that the demo-
cratic party can not he Trusted 10 DO