Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-09-06
VII SON LAYS BARE
ROOSEVELT,S EALLACY

In addressing farmers rally at Williams Grove,
Penn, yesterday. Woodrow Wilson, with one keen
question cut straight to the heart OF hOosevelt's
sophistry on the tariff issue. Mr. Roosevelt con-
tends in substance that on the whole the protective
policy pursued by Republican administrations has
been the right one and that the prize money as
he terms it, received under that system by certain
industrial interests is legitimate bOoty.
-This analogy is rery ",,crcsting one ..
said GOrcT1l9r Wilson. Prize money is ge1scr-
arlp ccquircd 81 capture and not OF any process
OF earnings, bWt ~. Roosevelt says that his
only objection to the system is that too much
Of the prize money remains ia the hands u the
officers and too little Of IL is distributed to the
crcto His oioH object he GUoTs, is to zee ia IL
that more Of the prise money gets into the pay
cnreiopes Of those tChom the free hooters
pIoy. The interesting point tCish to raise nOto
.s-tchO supplies plumber, from D0hOHl is the
prize money takeHy'
That is a question which the Third Termer
utterly ignores and yet it lies at the bottom of the
entire tariff problem and enforces the necessity Of
tariff reform. Mr.. Roosevelt would allow the spe-
ciaI interests TO 30 receiving the gains, or the
prize money" which they enjoy under government
patronage but would compel them-by just what
means he does not indicate-to divide their spells
with the men who work for them
What would such scheme, could it be car
ried out profit the rank and OF the people from
whom this prize money is extorted under system
OF high protective duties? 1t is the people as a
whole that must suffer long as the tariff is per
mitted to stihe competition and TO maintain those
artificial conditions which largely accountable
for the high cost of living 1t is tine people who de-
lland remedy and who ,.,4ed to relief; But
this idea seems never to have occurred the Third
Termer Instead of striking straight to the root Of
the evil instead OF declaring tnat tariff piracy must
cease, he would merely. order the jolly Rogers to
divide their booty with the particular group Of work
ers who happen to be in their employ
lie takes no account whatsoever of the farmers
OF the country whose implements and supplies now
bear weIInigh intolerable burden of tarin tax
The American interests that control the manufacture
Of agricultural implements sell them much more
cheaply in Europe than they the farmers Of
this country This is an unjust and unnatural cir
cumstance. The Democrats would remedy it by
placing farm tools ana machinery a free list; the
House passed bill this effect and President Taft
vetoed it, Mr. Roosevelt would not exempt such
articles from the tariff tax. He would simply say
to the manufacturer Keep on taking your prize
money as much as you please, but give a little
more Of 4 to the your payroll"
Where does the farmer come in under such
scheme? Where do the rank and file Of American
consumers come in?
Surely, Mr.. Roosevelt cannot take himself the
public seriously when he proposes such narrow
and ehimericsl device for settling the great
question OF the presidential campaign.