New-York tribune., 1912-03-01

sneakers and writer's sometimes FOR cause
and with a fair motive and sometimes TOT
the mere purpose of stirring up the people
by showing them only half the facts. NOW,
let us suppose that three years ago instead
of having to depend wholly on newspaper
abstracts Of the tariff hearing, a few pub
lshed speeches i'll Congress and editorial
comments which necessarily reflected the
political or personal feeling of each com
mentator. the people at large had had with
in easy reach "A non-partlsan bureau OF III
formation from whose files they could as
certain just what the condition or the lro"
and steel trades, the wool and wooHeH
trades and all the rest had been at the
time of the passage of the Dingley tarlt
act in 1897. and what changes had occurred
in them, in any part Of the world, since
then. They had put the Republican party
in power for four years more, and had n
right 10 hold ii to account for carrying out
as well AS was humanity possible the
promises Of its platform OF 1908, lnciuolhs
the clause demanding revision OF the
tariff: with the obvious intent that the re-
vision should he downward.
isn't it plain that instead Of seeing a
law turned out by Congress in the way
that the Payne law was turned out, ana
having the air rent afterward by accusa-
tions and recriminations for thirty months
continuously. we should have witnessed
cool-headed. direct and orderly procedure
leading up to the passage and promuiga-
tion ~ the act. and then either a general
popular acquiescence in the result or an
opposition based on facts which could ne
proved from original sources II chal-
lenged? can there be any difference OF IN
teIligent opinion on the question which OF
these pictures makes the pleasantcr I'M
nression on the mind and which presents
our institutions Of self government III the
more dignifed aspect? AS 1t was' neither
Congress nor the American public had the
first-hand knowledge needed for the proper
perrormanCe Of its part-Congress 10 en-
able il 10 frame a bill most responsive 10
tho demands of the platform. or the peo-
pie 10 crticise justly an act Which con-
gross had evolved with such poverty oi
eouipment for the task.
"Rut Won are aware that good many
nrotoctionists object on prudential grounds
70 the sort of tariff you have set up for
your ideal?"
No, UnmindfuI OF Critics Arguments.
81 am not unmiudful Of tho argument
made by some timorous critics, that the
effect of reducing our t1riff TO what they
call the competitive basis will he that II
will really drop below that and cause our
markets 10 be flooded with cheaply made
foreign goods, so that our producers viii
be driven out Of business by insufficient
oil 81 answers 10
that The first is tha' the platform whose
promises We are trying 10 fuldl does not
contemplate such q cut in rates as would
cripple any American industry. II taxes
account of the right Of the American pro-
ducer To Il reasonable profit. The diner
eucc between the foreign producers figures
and those Of the American producer, which
| want to see used as the measure of pro-
lection for the American, is the dlf"renc"
between what each expects to get for his
goods. allowing for a fair competitive proht
for himself ! have already said this in
another form, but 1t will bear repeating,
rs it is a point on which so many people
speak apparently without understanding,
or. at least, without consideration.
THE second answer is that Congress is
never 50 Indifferent u the will or the well
fare of our people as to cut to the quick i'll
such matters. We are as far from the
bald ideal of free trade as from that Of the
Chinese wall Each has had its day and
gone it's way 1t is everywhere recognized
now that the foreigner IS not going to be
turned loose on our market. His only
function is that Of a restraining influence.
We consider what II" might do if We let
him nave his way, i'm order 10 keep the
demands OF our manufacturers for prOtec-
lion down within bounds which will be
Just to tho consuming public as we'll as TO
themselves
"Doubtless YOU AZ" still hearing echoes
of the criticism called forth by your action
on the wool and woolleu committing
Yourself 10 reduction. and then votoing
tho first bin which offered you subslan-
tiaI our2"