The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-03
THE BOGUS "FRBE LIST"

The farmers free list, somewhat
amended from its terms as it passed
the House Of Representatives, has
passed the Senate 1t is curious to see
measure like this pass both branches
of Congress-; measure not founded
on any logical or economic basis what
ever, but simply on partisan soft
sawder' to court the vote of the farm
crs, under pretense that the Democratic
party is doing great things for them.
Doubtless the insurgents In the Senate
who Joined with the Democrats in pass
ing this farmers free list tariff meas
urc did so in revenge for the passage
of the Canadian reciprocity agreement
On their part, therefore, it was revenge
ful politics, while on the part of the
Democrats it was partisan wholly,
planned entirely on dcmagogic lines,
for prospective "vote-catching.
The principle of the bill is utterly il
logical and unsound. 1t makes the
basis Of the tariff, not the cost of Ia
Dor OF materials or investment used In
the production of that article, but the
use to which the article is to be put
That is, articles used by the farmers
are to be exempt from tax duty as de"
scribed and scheduled in the bill. But
articles of similar manufacture, of like
cost to make, and in every way on
the same basis so far as economics, pro
dnction, labor, and wages are con-
cerned, as these articles that 60 free
to the farmer, have to pay the full tar
iff schedule duty. 1t is new propo-
stion altogether introduced in the Gus
toms schedules of our country. 1t is
doubtful. indeed, if the U. S. Supreme
Court would ratify this form of levy
ing customs duties; for every logical
principle of economic production is vio-
lated in the terms of this bill, a manu-
featuring plant may turn out at one
door articles which the farmers use,
these articles not protected at all in
the way Of laborers' wages or In any
other form. provided they are declared
for the farmers use, Articles of
Identical cost to make and of a sim
liar nature, but designed to be used in
the mining industry, let us say, are
turned out at another of the doors,
protected from foreign competition,
and the workmen making these miners
articles of machinery are, by the pro-
tective tariff principle, guaranteed
wages highor than wages of workmen
abroad. But not so with the articles
produced for farmers use On these
the laborer must work in competition
with foreign underpaid labor, or the
factory must quit making these farm
ers' goods. The inevitable tendency of
this farmers free list. put in opera.
tion, would be to close down the MAX
ing of those farmer-used articles in this
country, and to- require all such goods
eventually to be imported
1t is stated that President Taft
must certainly veto this bill if it comes
to him. We should say most decidedly
that he will be obliged to veto it, be.
cause it is out of harmony with all leg
lslation that this country has ever
enacted with regard to customs and
protective duties. We do not see how
he could possibly sign such a bill as
this, and it is a marvel that men claim
ing adherence to the protective princi.
pie could, for one moment, think of vot-
ing for such an illogical measure.