Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-10-29
THE DANGER THAT
WAS ESCAPED
WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED
IF DEMOCRATIC TARIFF BILLS
HAD NOT BEEN VETOED.
The Disaster Which Threatened One
County in Connecticut Would
Have Been Experienced in
Almost Every County in
the United States.

Congressman e. ]. Hill is one of the
greatest, if not the greatest, tariff eX-
perts in the United States. He rep
resents Fairfield county, Connecticut,
in congress, and he has recently pub
lished startling document in which
he shows the effect the Democratic
tariff bills passed during the recent
session of congress and vetoed by
President Taft, would have had upon
these industries if enacted into law.
He lists the factories in alphabetical
order and shows in connection with
each one just the percentage of re-
which it manufactures. The showing
fills four pages of a newspaper and it
has not only awakened Connecticut to
shuddering realization of the dan
ger it has escaped, but it has aroused
all New England to the menace of
Democratic victory.
Mr.. Hill shows beyond question that
If these Democratic bills had passed
practically every industry in his dis
trict and in the entire state of Con-
necticut would have been put upon
free trade basis and a very large
proportion of them would have been
obliged to close their doors. Manu-
facturers from all over the country
who have seen this exhibit are writ
ing to Mr.. Hill to thank him for max
ing it and to tell him that they had
no idea how near to extinction they
had been. They had not realized the
which was hidden in the Democratic
tariff bills and they had not realized
the immeasurable debt they owe to
President Taft for vetoing them. One
correspondent from Delaware writes
that Congressman Hills disclosures
had "set the state on fire." and that
is hardly too strong a term to use to
describe the intense interest aroused.
Another article which has recently
appeared and which has produced al
most as startling an effect upon those
to whom it was Immediately address
ed as that of Congressman Hill, is an
editorial in the American Sheep
Breeder" This editorial calls atten-
tion to the fact that neither Colonel
Roosevelt nor Professor Wilson made
any reply whatever when asked what
their attitude would be on the ques-
ton of protection to the wool indus
try, while President Taft answered by
wire, calling attention to his veto OF
the wool bill and the expression Of
opinion which he gave in that veto.
The editorial very properly draws
the inference from the silence Of the
Bull Moose and Democratic candidates
that the wool industry need not hope
for any consideration at their hands,
and 1t quotes the message of President
Taft to show that he realizes the alb
solute necessity OF protection in order
that the industry may prosper. and
that so long as he is in the White
House no free wool bill can become a
law.
The American Sheep Breeder"
goes to many thousand men engaged
in the sheep industry and it is not in
any sense a political newspaper. II
is devoted to the interests Of the
sheep industry, however. and its ex-
preston OF editorial opinion that
President Taft and the Republican
party alone can be trusted to safe
guard that industry. can hardly fail
to concentrate upon the Republican
ticket the vote Of all those vitality in
terested in that industry.
The Democratic managers realize
the deep-seated distrust toward their
party which exists on account OF its
attitude on the tariff question and are
trying desperately to make Il appear
that the tariff plank in their platform
does not really mean 50 very much
They plead that the Democratic pro
gram would be 70 reduce the tariff
gradually 50 as not 70 disturb husf