Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-08-07
Tariff Legislation Has Had Denoralzing Influence on
Politics and Has Made country's Business Men Timid

But we shall lot on that account act with timidiy. as if we did not
know u W minds, for We ARE certain of ground and of our object.
There should be a n immediate revision, and it should be downward, uu-
hesiathngly and steadily downward.
at should begin with the schedules which have been most obviously
used TO kill competition and to raise prices lin the Unite States, arbitrarily
and without regard Ito the prices pertaining elsewhere in themarkets of the
world; and it should before it is finished or intermited. be extended to
every item in every schedule which affords any opportunity for monopoly,
for special advantage to limited groups OF benehaanes, or for SUBSIDIZED
control of any kind in the markets or the enterprises of the country; until
special favors of every sort shall have been absolutely withdrawn and every
part of our laws of taxation shall have been transformed from a system of
governmental patronage into a system of just and reasonable charges which
done that WI can fix questions of revenue and of business adjustment in a
rev spirit and with clear minds. We shall then be partners with all the
business men of the country, and a day of freer, more stable prosperity shall
have dawned.
There has been no more demoralizing influence in u politics in our
time than the influence of tariff legislation, the influence of the idea that
the government was ue grand dispenser OF favors, the maker M nmaker
of fortunes, and of opportunities such as certain men have sought in order
to control the movement of trade and industry throughout the continent
1t has made the government a prize to be captured and parties the means of
efectng the capture.
at has made the business men of one of the more he and enter
prsng nations in the world timid, fretful, full of alarms; has robbed them
of seh-cOnfdence and manly force, until they have cried out that they could
aD 9et fbeg T feaT that ahf fb siTii ISes d e the g0s usa fSs at w. was snd nasos 1t ed has
mtee of the House and the finance committee of the Senate lin these later
years particularly the finance committee of the Senate). They have insisted
very anxously that these committees should be made up only Of their
friends" until the country IN its turn grew suspicious and wondered how
those committees were being guided and controlled, by what influences and
plans of personal advantage. Government cannot be wholesomely conducted
lin such an atmosphere. Its very honesty is in jeopardy. Favors are never
conceived in the general interest; they are always for the benefit Of the few,
and the few who seek and obtain them have only themselves to blame if
presently they seem to be condemned and disfrusted. Mt.
"For what has the result been? Prosperity? Yes, if by prosperity you
mean vast wealth no matter how distributed, or whether distributed at all
UNDER the control OF comparatively small bodies Of men, who can determine
almost at pleasure whether there shall. be competition or not. The nation
as nation has grown immensely rich. She is justly proud Of her industries
and of the genius of her men of affairs. They can master anything they set
their minds to, and We have been greatly stimulated under their leadership
and command. Their laures are many and very green. We must accord
them the great honor. that are their due and We must preserve what they
lave built up for us. But what of the other side of the picture? II is
High wages, even when we can get them, yield is no great comfort We
used TO be better of with less, because a dollar could buy so much more.
The majority of us have been disturbed to find ourselves growing poorer,
even though u earnings were slowly increasing. Prices climb faster than
we can push III earnings up.