The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-02-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 5, 1912. -
Il will be we'll for the people Of the
country to study carefully the attitude
of the Democratic party as it is now
making up its tariff record. The so called /
Steel bill or the revision of the Metal |
schedule which was recently passed !
proves conclusively that the Democratic |
party has no concern Whatever for the |
labors and industries of this country.
| They have no concern either for the
| revenues of the country, their one pre-
text for passing such measure is that
IT will reduce the price of certain arti
cles to the consumer, but in this they
are as much mistaken as they are in the
calculation that lower duties and no
duties will increase the revenue.
There should be fresh in the minds of
all voters the recent restoration of free
hides. There was no reason whatever
/ for taking the duty entirely off from
hides and lowering the duty on boots
and shoes, except to give the consumer
the benefit, and yet what benefit has
any consumer had from free hides and
lower duty on boots and shoes not one
cent. On the contrary the prices of
boots and shoes are to go higher and
revenue by the transaction. 1t would
be the same with the metal schedule
| should the bill which passed the House
become a law in its present shape
| There would be no advantage whatever
to the consumer, there would be no gam
| but loss. and worst of all the result
would be that many industries now
| iourishng in this country would be
| transpIanted abroad, there would be
| many idle mills and many unemployed
worRmen and a reduction Of wages all
along the line.
And right here it may be well to call
attention to the sincerity or lack of sin
cerity shown by the Democrats in the
| House Of Representatives. Last sum-
mer during the extra session this ma
| ioritv pretended great concern over the
wool and wooden schedule. They pre-
| tended that it was their duty to revise
| this schedule in order that the people
might have cheaper garments and
cheaper blankets, and so they brought
in the bill which finally reached the
| President and which was vetoed by him
because the bill had not been drawn in
accordance with any facts in the pos
session of the people as to whether it
would be destructive or advantageous
to American industry. The Tariff Board
has since brought in most exhaustive
report on this industry, giving us an
array of figures that cannot be ques-
toned and a compilation that has won
the praise of even the enemies of the
Tariff Board. 1t would now seem that
the Democratic majority which pre-
tended such deep concern for the con-
sumers Of wooden products should give
US bill revising Schedule X, but this
has been laid entirely aside for the in
definite future and with the statement
that bills will follow the steel bill re-
lating to sugar, cotton and other pro-
ducts.
There must be some reason for this
action on the part of the present Demo-
cratic majority, and when it is fully
analyzed it viii be found that the reason
is this: The report of the Tariff Board
fully indicated what Republicans have
been saying for many years. 1t proved
conclusively that the present rates are
not as whole too high, though it may
be found that some adjustment would
be warranted. It proved false the con-
tentiOn of the Democrats, that although
waga s are higher at home than abroad
that labor is more efficient. 1t showed
that if there is any difference whatever,
labor in the wooden mills abroad is more
efficient than here and that our wages,
which are two or three times as high as
abroad, measure difference that must
be compensated for by sufficient duties.
The Democrats therefore found them
selves in a hole and instead of cour-
ageously meeting the situation they
simply sidetracked it and tried to con-
fuse the issue
| 1t seems that there will be little pros
pect Of any tariff legislation at this ses-
sion because President Taft will not
sign any bill reducing the duties in any
schedule that is not in harmony with
the report of the Tariff Board and that
would tend to destroy any American in
dustry or put out of employment Amer
lean workmen or tend to reduce their
wages to the foreign level
The President has recently sent to
Congress message covering the recent
Investigations and recommendations Of
his socalled Economy and Efficiency
Board but this message the Democratic
majority has entirely ignored, as it has
the report of the Tariff Board. In fact,
the Democratic House of Representa-
tives is proving itself again, as it has in
the past, absolutely incapable Of legis-
lating in the interests of the people of
the whole country. Their purpose is to
betog every issue with one preteXt or
another and with the exception of the
regular appropriation bills the whole
session will be spent with view to
playing politics for whatever advantage
|, can be gained in the election of next
November. 1t will be well then for the