The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-29
He IS WITH TAFT.
Continued rom Page IL.

right to expect from their efforts VS.
may just as we'll make up our minds
that the fault lies, not in their person
alities but in the conditions. under which
they work. and profit comes, not from
denouncing them. but from seeing thai
the conditions are changed. This is
especially true of tariff making.
. 1t has been conclusively shown, by
experiments repeated again and again
that the methods of tariff making by
congress which have now obtained for
30 many years, cannot, from the very
nature of the case bring really salts
factory results With the present tariff
made by the same methods as its pre-
deceSsor and as that predecessor
predecessor there is grave disSattSfEc-
ton. The people know that there are
some things in it which are not rigl6,
and therefore they tend to suspect
the, as 1 think, more numerous things
in it which are right. They know that
the system on which it was made en-
courages a scramble of selfish interests.
to which che all-iDportant general in
terest of the public is necessarily more
or less subordinate.
- There was a time when this scram-
bic was regarded rs the natural course
in tariff making and was not resent
ed. The people demand and rightly,
that the profit of the special interests
shall be subordinated to the general
welfare in every case.
Change the Methods.
Very little improvement, indeed.
will follow any attempt to revise the
tariff by methods hitherto used. The
thing to do is to change the methods.
1 believe that this country is fully
committed to the pNnciple of protec-
ton; but 1t is to protection as d prir-
ciple; to protection primarily in the in
terest of the standard of living of the
American working man. 1 believe that
when protection becomes, not a princi-
~
rather, a tumble of privileges and pre-
ferences-then the American people dis
approve OF it. Now to correct the trou-
bic it is necessary in the first place
10 get in mind clearly what We want.
What we want is what 1 have already
saba square deal in the tariff as in
everything else; square deal for the
wage Garner; a square deal for the
employer, and d square deal for the
general public. To obtain it, We must
have a thol oughly efficient and we'll
equipped tariff commission. The tariff
ought to be a material issue and no
a moral issue; but if, instead of
square deal, we get crooked deal, then
il becomes very emphatically moral
issue.
What we desire in a tariff is such
a measure of protection as will equal
ize the cost of production here and
broad; and as the cost of production
is primarily labor cost, this means prI-
marily a tariff sufficient to make up
for the difference in labor cost here
and abroad. The American puOnc wants
the American laboring man put on an
equality with other citizens so that ne
shall have the ability to achieve the
American standard of living and the
capacity to enjoy it; and to Go this
we must see that his wages are not
lowered by improper competition with
inferior wage workers abroad But the
American public does not wish to see
the tariff so arranged as to benefit prl-
marily few wealthy men.
For a Tariff Commission.
AS a means toward the attainment
of the end in view. We have as yet
devised nothing in any way so effec-
tive as a tariff commission There
should be a commission of well-paid
experts, men who should not repre-
sent any special interest or industry,
who should be masters of their sub
jects, men of the very highest char
acter who should approach the matter
with absolute disregard of every out
side consideration.
1 don't want to see these men of
one party or of one trade or another,
but experts, single-minded in finding
out and telling, the truth. These men
should take up in succession each sub
ject with which the tariff deals and
Investigate the conditions of produc-
ton here and abroad; they should
find out the facts and report to con-
greSS on each subject as soon as the
subject has been covered.
BY these means log-rolling would
be avoided, and each subject treated
on it's merits, while there would be
no such shock to general industry as
is implied in the present custom of
making sweeping changes in the
whole tariff at once. Finally, it should
be the duty of some governmental de-
partment or bureau to investigate the
condition in the various protected in
lab
really are getting the benefit of the
tariff supposed to be enacted in their
interest. Moreover, to secure good
treatment abroad, we. should keep the
maximum and minimum provision.
Protect the Farmer.
There is but little to add to what
I have thus said. We believe this
country is committed to the principle
of the protective tariff, treated hon
estly as a principle and not as bum
die of preferences.
ssThe prime need in any future re
vision of the schedules is to protect
the interest of the farmer and the
wageworker. There must be no al
teration of the tariff which compels
the farmer to bear the whole burden.
The welfare of the man who lives
by tilling the soil is vital to the vel
fare of the nation and everything
that can strengthen him in his social
and industrial life should be done.
I'm any manufacturing or mining
or similar interest the welfare of the
wageworkers should be the prime
test of the working of the tariff.
While the Wageworker is glad to have
the employer get his full share of the
prosperity, vet in return the wage
worker has the right to insist, and we
insist for him, that fair share of
the prosperity gets down past the Of
flee to be distributed among the men
who work with their hands"