The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1912-12-26
The South and the Tariff.

The South gave its solid elector-
al vote to Woodrow Wilson, there
by indorsing the platform upon
which he stood. To the South, as
in short. Justly distributed power.
to the rest of the country, one of
the most important planks in that
platform has to do with. tariff re-
vision. 1t is only pdoper to say
that southern Democrats. like all
other Democrats, are far more con-
sentative when in power than when
in opposition. The opportunity of
making a sweeping revision of the
tariff now presents itself to the
Democracy. 1t will soon have the
presidency, the House and the Sem
ate in its hands. 1t will will soon
be In virtual possession of the e.
economic as we'll as the political ma
chinery of the nation. 1t can cut
and slash the schedules. or 1t can
pare and trim them. 1t is interest
Ing t. note what conservative south
ern opinion, as represented by a
conservative southern newspaper
would have the Democratic party do.
The New Orleans Picayune is
Economically orthodox enough to
say: up to the civil war the tariff
on foreign goods furnished the
whole of the revenue for the sup
port of the government. OF course.
the national government at that
time was not extravagant, for the
country was under the political con-
troll of the Democratic party, and
the doctrine of the party at that
time was tariff for revenue only y
This fixes the Picayune's political
basic faith with sufficient clearness.
In a long and thoughtful editorial
1t goes over the situation as 1t
stands at present, and finds. among
other things. that the tariff Is on
" an incident in current affairs
and Is by no means responsible for
the high cost of living. Prices have
been going up all the world over,
in free trade as we'll as in protection
countries. There Is manifest pros
perity in the United States and the
burden of the high living cost is
not, therefore, felt here as it is
elsewhere. 1t is pointed out that
the manufacturing industries of the
United States represent total in
vestment of $16,OOO,0OO,OO0. that
they employ 100000 persons. and
that they distribute $3,5OO.O0O.0OO
in wages annually. These industries
the Picayune says, would have been
impossible but for the tariff. And
it adds: "These 100000 work
people have had employment and
been able to live in a certain degree
of comfort, If not contentment
through this employment. and 1t
would be a frightful calamity to
turn them all out of employment by
any sudden blow to the industries
in which they are employed.
The South has her industries.
They are growing in numbers and
in strength. 1t Is no longer New
England, or the East, or the mid
die West that is affected by tariff
changes, or threats of tariff changes
The South Is just rs sensitive to
tariff revision or tariff tinkering as
any other part of the Union. But
the Picayune makes no appeal on
sectional grounds. 1t says simply
that radical revision would be ruin
GUS to the industries and business
of the nation, and it concludes with
this admonition: Then let our
wise men study and understand the
situation before they plunge the
people of this great country and
their means of existence into sud
den and irreparable ruin." Pres
ident-elect Wilson has promised to
do his part to prevent any such
disastrous outcome, and the part he
can play will be a great one. He
will need. however, and he doubtless
will have. the support of the con
servative South. What is needed
all round Is a better understanding
of the tariff than that which the
people obtain from partizan poll
ticians in the heat OF political
campaign.-Christia Science Mon
itOr.