The pioneer express., 1912-08-16


the meaning that the editor of the Pink
Paper accepts, we do not know; but the
natural conclusion would be that il be
did, then he is demagogue, and we
hardly want to say that.
In our humble opinion we have never
seen more nonsense mixed up with d
little misleading truth than is contained
in the quoted paragraph. Not only that
but the statements made are contradic.
tory and illogical in themselves.
Taken as whole, the g;st Of Candi
date Wilson talk amounts to just this
sit (protection) isn't scientific doctrine,
neither is the doctrine of free trade
Which is to say that protection and free
trade are not principles at all but just a
"pious' humbug.
Since government was establlsed a.
mong men the question Of revenue fol
the support of government has been one
Of the principal political problems. Tax.
alton direct sand taxation by tariff on
Imports and exports have been the meth.
DDS Of supporting governments since
governments were. Naturally, very early
in history came the questions whether it
is best to tax merely Injuries, for reve.
nue. only or whether the native products
Of the farmer and manufacturer should
be incidentally "protected;' For many
centuries and particularly during the
eighteenth and nineteenth, these oppos.
principles have. been the subject Of
much discussion and the printed litera-
ture written by many of the brightest
philosophers on protection or free trade
would now make q large library in it.
self. and yet Candidate Wilson says
that it is not scientific question and
Editor Wilson agrees with him. He
says that it is "only q question of that
which it is necessary to do for the pros.
iperity of the United States. That is all. -
Which is to say that the principles Of
tariff have nothing to do with that
prosperity.
Candidate Wilson also says he cannot
see any difference between the man who
believes in protection but wants the tar
id revised, and himself; describing him
self as having no belief on tariff matters
except in the administration of methods.
Instead of being "pious" he is an agnos-
ti,, or an atheist, on tariff ISSUES not
withstanding the political church to
which he still belongs, does believe in
free-trade as . principle.
That is, SO acute q scholar as Can.
didate Wilson cannot see any difference
between man who wants to repair a
building and another who wants to tear
it entirely down. We cannot believe
that Candidate Wilson meant just that,
though that ls what his words say.
Personally we do not believe that
Candidate Wilson or Editor Wilson be.
lieve any such absurdities. The diff.
Guilty is that Candidate Wilson has mig
ed two distinct ideas and made one
stand for the other as happened to suit
him. Protection" and .Free-trade'
are two distinct opposed principles
which have been recognized in every
party platform almost since the institu-
tion q this government and in the ma
jority Of presidential campaigns they
have been the principal issues. Candi-
date Wilson has mixed the principlt
with the methods Of carrying out tha,.
principle. The methods may occasion.
ally g wrong but the principle is eter.
nal. s;1
Instead Ot common sense'' % Editor
Wilson calls it. it is most uncommon
nonsense fer ! manswho ID : presidential
candidate e thas speak o. wsite- and
this = is true from either ! .protectiye'' or
s'free.trade'' stand dpoint ass msy IS