Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-09
A Sorrowful Political Measure.


Two things stand out strikingy. in
the first consideration of the new
tariff bili-that it is President VIII
sons bill and not Underwoods. and
that it is a hap-hazard product II
las been apparent for some time that
Mr.. Underwood has been getting out
from under. while President Wilson
accentuated his authorship on Tues
day, by reading his tariff message in
the National House, instead of send
ing it to be read by clerk
The Presidents assumption of lead
ership is no more strikingly shown
than in the sugar schedule, where the
House has yielded free sugar to his
suggestion of about one cent n pound
net for three years and then free SUI
gar. The sugar senator's say the three
years clause kills the industry as eff
fectively as if sugar We're made free
limitations from the, bill. The Demo-
cratic majority is six, and they say
they have seven votes fer tbs pur-
pose. counting Senator Poindexter of
Washington as a possibility of their
side. 1t is generally conceded that
retaining duty on sugar makes the
path of free wool easier. for if the
sugar senator's can carry their point
the" are not anxious To enter any
The whole revision will hang more on
these two items than on any other;
for if they be taken for granted that
the Democrats will not split seriously
over any reduction in the rates on
manufactured goods.
The broadcast departure from scien-
tific study of conditions as a. basis for
tariff changes, has been taken in the
preparation of this new bill. There
has been no investigation of experts,
such as a tariff commission. or care
full consideration of the effect of the
proposed schedules.
Painfully obvious is the fact that
the Wilson idea is to make the farm
ers pay the reduction in the high cost
of living" He has arranged in theory
to prevent widespread financial and
industrial disaster by taking $4,000
900 of the estimated Ss0,000,000 loss in
q 4 f.p or
srhe county has insisted with in
increasing vLgor for several years, that
tariff revisions he made by experts
constantly employed in the study of
conditions in this country and abroad.
Instead of this the tariff has been ar
bitrarilv and violently slashed and
altered by politicians. a glance re-
veais glaring inconsistencies in ball
ancing one section of the country with
another.
1t is a bald, political class legisla-
ton affair, and the farmer has been
made the goat of political radicals
who are gambling on results
All. yes; the high cost of living
would go down, if such measure
were passed; go down in demoralized
markets and discourage American
producers. But that would not be the
worst result. The danger by which
this country will be confronted next
winter, II the Wilson tariff bin is
enacted, is greatly reduced wages and
innumerab Bile labor difficulties
New England is hit indiscriminate
~. from the protective point of view,
by the bill. Boots and shoes of leath-
or go on the free list, as do tanning
materials" leather, including shoe
iaces, harness and saddlery. coal and
coke, slack or culm of coal, cotton
bagging. wood pulp and printing pa
per, potatoes, salt, fresh and dried
fish, milk and cream bacon and hams,
linotypes, typesetting machines, sew
ing machines and typewriters, lumber
and timbers. rails. barbed and fencing
wire, lead, medicines and waters not