The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-17
GOVERNOR WILSON'S TALK

/ Governor Wilson s talk TO the farm
ers in Mex Jersey followed the lines OF
/ the novice or amateur in politics very
closely. He took up the usual cry that
the farmer GETS no benefit from the
! tariff, and that he is the one who uses
( to the largest extent the tarff-pro
duced manufactures. Those wno are
experienced in politics and public life
avoid this mistake. because the reply
is absolutely crushing. That reply is,
if we Withdraw the manufactures, OF if
we fail 10 build up manufactures, there
is 10 home market for the farmers
products; if everybody is farming, if
everybody raises his own food, there
is no diversity OF occupations, and the
markets arc practically non-existent,
1t is a good while since any candi'
date for the Pres idency has given such
primitive and fallacious turn 10 the
tariff discussion as Governor Wilson
gave it in this address to the farmers.
While insisting, in conformity with
the declaration of the Baltimore plat
AolHu, tual ~ 10 upI paiI u
the Government activities to foster
manufactures by protective tariffs,
Governor Wilson would have the Gov
ernment establish schools for farmers
on the university extension plan, sup
ported practically, as we take it, di-
rect from the National resources and
through administrative management OH
the part Of the Nation. extending free
educational facilities TO the farmer.
He would not, so far as known. extend
these ia the stockraiser, to the manu-
tactureI, to the merchant. and distinct
ly not the woolerower. This form OF
Government aid would be extended by
Governor Wilson's programme only TO
the tillers of the soil, Why it should
be so unconstitutional and objection
able to extend help to the manufac@
turer and the woolgrower and so per-
fectly constitutional and so thoroughly
admirable to have the National Gov
eminent aid the plough-mep by prac-
tieal schools of instruction and exem-
plification, does not appear.
The speech appears TO have been
chiefly addressed to the discomfort Of
the farmers wherever such discomfort
appears. and its purpose evidently was
TO array the farmers as a class against
the manufacturers as class. 1T was
therefore a thoroughly mischievous
speech, as one which was calculated
to array one portion Of the citizenship
of the country against another, and to
separate the common industries of the
people into mutually antagonistic di-
visions. The true view, the statesman
like view, is to consider the American
industries as whole, with a view of
each to the other In the
most perfect form, and to the common
advantage of all, Mr..-Wilson shows
himself in this speech to be a bad
American .and vicious publcist.
He is equally amateurish in his treat
ment of the merchant marine. He
thinks that the. Panama Canal ought to
give the American merchant marine
great opportunity. And yet he is not
in favor Of anything that would espe-
cially help that marine. He is opposed
to ship subsidies; he believes that the
treaty forbids the
United States TO give any preference
to American vessels, and thus he would
refrain from stimulating the American
marine by any advantage as compared
with other nations IN tolls or other
wise in the use of the Canal. Such an
nor Wilson is absolutely futile for all
practical purposes. 1t amounts to
nothing to say that he is in favor Of
the extension of the American mer-
chant marine while he Is opposed to
every means for that extension. The
sole proposition in this respect that
comes from the Democratic side is that
Americans shall be allowed to purchase
foreign built ships and sail them under
American registry. This would, OF
course. drive the ship building industry
altogether out of this country, save
only for coastwise ships. And why it
should be supposed to be an aid TO the
American mercantile marine when the
ship. building industry would be entire
ly destroyed by it, is hard to under
stand.
1T appears TO be reasonably clear
from this speech of Governor Wilson S
that his original programme not to
make any speeches during the progress
OF this campaign was the best possible
for him, and that he would
do well to adhere to it,
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