The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-27


that the two big economic questions
before this country concern the tariff
and the trusts. That makes them the
predominant issues in the national po-
liticaI campaign And there is close
relation between them. For it has
come to be admitted ON all sides that
many of the trusts have developed tc
their inimical proportions through the
protection. that has been accorded their
products by the tariff This being true,
! the tariff is really the most important
issue that is before the people today.
| Furthermore it will always hold that
position until at least a start has been
made to revise it on a sure and GER
| tain basis.
Until President Taft brought about
the creation of the tariff board, most
of the prominent tariff reformers the
country over, had been urging for
many years that the only right way tc
revise the tariff was through COM
mission that had the time and the
means to make the necessary invest1-
cations and report the results to con-
gress. The tariff board, at present in
existence, is not what might be called
a bona-fide tariff commission. But I'M
der the direction of President Taft 1t
has practically assumed the functions
of such commission, and has already
done excellent work in its investga-
lions of various of the tariff schedules.
So far, this work has gone for naught.
AS soon as the tariff board was in
position to be of real assistance 10
congress in the matter of revising the
tariff. congress-, which was controlled
nv the Democrats as far as the mousse
was concerned and by coalition De
tween the Democrats and the Insurgent
Republicans in the senate, turned
deaf ear to its opportunities 10 revise
the tariff in accordance with the tarlh
commission plan. Congress went aheau
in haphazard fashion at the last SEES
sion. the house especially, and passed
q number of tariff revision bills that
were loosely drawn without any refer-
ence TO the sure facts that had oeel
duo IN nv the tariff board. These
bills were promptly and properly vetoed
nv President Taft, who demonstrated
clearly their ineffectiveness and the
further fact that many of the pro-
nosed tariff productions would not give
even the reasonable protection to some
If this country's industries. to when
they are entitled under the protective
tariff system that has played such an
inoportant part in the rapid develop
ment of the United States and the
prosperity of it's people. Every sensl-
ble man knows that these tariff biis
were merely CONCEIVED by the Demo-
Gratis in the house for the purpose OF
making as much political capital as
was possible
President Tafts stand today on the
tariff is the same as it has been all
along. He is for it's revision and re
duction downward along scientific llnes
and in accord with painstaking ana
complete Investigations by a tariff
board. such as is now in existence, OF
nv a full-fedged tariff commission
with even larger powers. This sort OF
a revision can not be brought about
in a minute. But the material that
has already teen gathered by the
tariff board is sufficient so that big
start in the right direction could be
made if the president were reelected
and provided with a Republican con-
zress that would work with him.
Incidentally, the tariff revision ideas
of Colonel Roosevelt, who has assum-
ed nossession of all the wisdom extant
concerning the proper settlement of all
of the big questions that are pressing
these days for a solution, are almost
identical with those held by President
Taft