Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1912-10-31
WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED
NJ psMocRAT,c TARIFF BILLS
HAD NOT BEEN VETOED.
The Disaster Which Threatened one
County In connsetieut Would
Have Been Experienced IN
Almost Every County IN
the United States.

pertB IN the OulLcu OeoNC1' - -
resents Fairfield county. Connecticut
in congress, and he has recently pno-
lIshed startling document In wnicn
he shows the effect the Democratic
tariff bills passed during the recent
session OF congress and vetoed Dy
President Taft, would have had upon
these industries II enacted into law.
He lists the factories In alphaDeticaI
order and shows in connection Wild
each one just the percentage OF re-
duction in the duty upon the article
which II manufactures. The showing
Hlls four pages Of newspaper ana
has not only awakened Connecticut TO
shuddering realization OF the dan.
ger 1t has escaped. but 1t has aroused
all New England to the menace OF q
Democratic victory.
Mr.. Hill shows beyond question tnat
II 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
a free trade basis and 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 wr''.
ing TO Mr.. Hill to thank him for max
ing It and TO tell him that they mao
no idea how near to extinction they
had been They had not realized the
deadly menace to their Industries
which was hidden In the Democratic
tarifY bills and they had not realized
the unreasonable 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 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 II was Immediately address
ed as that Of Congressman HMl, Is an
editorial in the American Sheep
! Breeder" This EDITORIAL calls atten-
ton 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 q
law.
The american Sheep Breeder"
goes to many thousand men engaged
in the sheep industry and 1t is not IN
any sense a political newspaper. It
is devoted to the interests OF the
sheen 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 fall
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
marty which exists on account OF its
attitude on the tariff question and are
trying desperately to make It appear
that the tariff plank In their platform
does not really mean 80 very much
They plead that the Democratic pro
gram would be to reduce the tariff
! gradually so az not to disturb bust
ness. with the idea that ultimately
the country conld reach free trade
basis by easy s.ages-which is like
the old story about gradually reduc-
: ing the feed which is given to youI
| horses until by dint Of habit be learns
. 70 do without any feed at all
But the country win not he deceiv
ed. The country knows perfectly vel
that Democratic victory would mean
j ! long period Of tariff AGITATION will
nothing certain except that IN the end
J hills would be passed under which
there would Inevitably be enormous
lamentations 81 foreign products with
corresponding coHtFnctiOn and stagAa
lion Of domestic trade and maRufac
ture. The country die not fan to taxi
note Of the tariff revision biiis passet
} bv the present Democratic congress
| under the boast that they did not con
|, tain 4 lire Of protection. The coun
. nv knows that but for the courage
ous vetoes Of President Taft thes'
rninoul Democratic measures would
now be on the statute books and II
81 probability, the Industries anecte'
Nv them would be laneuishing an'
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