The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1912-09-05
TARIFF ISSUE DEFINED.

Undoubtedly the leading issue In thu
present campaign will be the tariff
more especially il its bearing on thu
trusts. Each party adheres to its ira
diticnal policy, but both have modified
their position In a considerable degree
The republicans and the seceders from
that party now admit that many dut-
les are too high and have committed
themselves to a definite measure OF
protection and to the breaking OF that
vicious circle which has hitherto
thwarted all efforts at substantial re-
vision downwards. The democrats
through their candidate for president
! have abandoned their demand for i'm
mediate reduction to revenue basis
and have submitted the plan OF grad
ual reduction to that level. adopting
from their opponents the plan OF
schedule revision.
Each policy will be judged accord
ing to the Interpretation given 1t by
it's sponsors in the last two sessions OF
congress comments the Portland Ore
CONAN. The nation as whole with
the exception of the few beneficiaries
Of the present exorbitant tariff and
those who superstitiously repeat their
old shibboleth Of protection to Amer
lean labor, demands reduction-not a
mere pecking at duty here and there
but substantial reduction practically
all along the line. To meet this de-
mand President Taft has defined the
measure of protection as the difference
in cost of production IN the United
States and foreign countries plus
reasonable profit to the American, the
facts on which action should be based
to be ascertained by an impartial
board He has obtained reports on the
paper, wool and cotton schedules. Con-
gress has passed bill dealing with
paper, which he has approved. Ignor-
ing the tariff boards reports on wool
and cotton and without awaiting re-
ports on steel, sugar and chemicals,
the democrats have compromised with
the progressive republicans and re-
duced these schedules to a greater de-
gree than the republican policy would
justify, knowing full well that Taft
would veto their bills. In so doing,
the democrats and their republican al
lies have been actuated by desire to
put Taft In a hole" and to make
show of appeasing the clamor for re-
duction. Being compromises, their
bills were mere make-shifts. For
whichever party gains control of con-
gress and the presidency at the coming
election would almost surely have re-
yised these schedules again, had they
become law,
II Is, therefore, for the voters to de-
eide which policy they prefer and to
place the entire administration in the
hands of the party which will pursue
that policy. If they are resolved defin-
itely to abandon the protective policy,
let them place the presidency, senate
and house. all. in the hands Of the dem
ocrats If they prefer to retain the
protective policy as modified by Taft
and the republican platform, let them
give the republicans as complete con-
troll. If they are disposed to entrust
to the new party the execution Of the
same policy. accompanied by "a promise
in some way to insure that share of
the benefits of protection shall be pass
ed on by the employer to the work
men, they will place power in the
hands Of the man who during his seven
and half years as president persist
emily ignored the tariff.