The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-21
HOW REVENUE TARIFF WORKS.

Governor Wilson. the Democratic
candidate for President, is running
upon a platform which declares that
under the Constitution il is not lawful
TO impose tariff duties for any other
than revenue purposes. Accordingly,
we may all expect the same results TO
follow in the dubious case of his cleo
tion, that followed the election OF Gro
yer Cleveland in 1892. that is, that the
tariff would be taken Of from wool,
from lead. from zinc, from sugar, all
special products in this region, which
positively need tariff protection in or
der 20 survive.
| The Wilson tariff law, OF the Glove
land administration was not as thor
ough going Democratic proposition as
Cleveland wished it 70 be; accordingly,
he refused to sign ;he bill, allowing il
TO become a law without his signature,
by holding it the constitutional time,
and fling II with the Secretary OF
State without bis signature. He styled
IL measure OF infamy, trencherous TO
Democratic principles, because 1t did
not go far enough IN taking of the pro-
tectivc tariff from sugar and other
American products.
But imperfect as Il was from a Dem. |
ocratic standpoint. and poorly as It may
vindicate the Democratic standard in |
that respect. it was disastrous meas.
ure enough for all this region. 1t is
true that the Democrats were not able |
TO interfere with the lead tariff as they |
wanted to do, because of the objection
from Democratic members Of Congress
who represented districts where lead
was produced, and where the members
would not vote to take of the protec-
tive tariff from lead and zinc; but they
voted to take it of from wool, and the
10 tho wool growers in
all this region were disastrous. The
failure 10 carry out the Democratic
purpose in its entirety in the destruc.
ton of protection for the lead, zinc, and
sugar industries, was charged directly
and personally against Senator German
Of Maryland, who in behalf OF sugar re-
fused to agree to the Democratic pro-
yramme, although he was a Democrat
himself. He was the great "sugar
But with the election o. Wilson, who
s an academic theorist, and with the
election Of Democratic House, and
With the overturning of the Republican
majority In the Senate. there would be
10 German 10 save the situation, and
here would ha a c1aan sr-oAD por o,ly | |
IS to sugar and wool. but as 10 zinc
nd lead, and the impractical Wilson,
heorist, would, Of course, Sign the bill.
vi protection would go by the board on l
he Democratic proposition that II is
ot constitutional to pass a protective
ariR bill. But since all these indus
ries need protection in order to sur G
i've, that Democratic "principler i
Tould mean the extinction of all these 9
in this whole region, so far q
s legislation could affect it, The only
aving grace then would be the spec
latiye combines against which we hear
0 much now, and which we all so much s.
Ondemn. These combines would prob o
bly, keep up the prices OF these articles a
this country, so far as they were t,
bic to do SO. They would be able TO e
o it, probably, in the case of sugar; d
ut they would not be able to do it in Il
he matter OF WOOL any more than
hey were able TO do it in the days OF 81
leyeland; and they would not be able a
} do it in the case OF lead and zinc. v
hese Industries are directly and posi-. o.
vely threatened In the election OF q,
overnor Wilson to be President of the
nited States and it is time that the y
cople OF all this region woke up to ?,
lat fact, and arrayed themselves in I;
etermined opposition TO Wilson and in r
ipport OF President Taft. u