The Monmouth inquirer., 1913-04-10

the men now active in public policy
hardly remember the conditions that
preceded live have sought In our
tariff schedules TO give each group OF
manufacturers or producers what they
themselves thought that they needed In
order to maintain a practically exclu-
sive market as against the rest Of the
world
consciously or unconsciouSly, we
have built up set Of privileges and
exemptions from competition behind
which it was easy by any. even tue
srudest. forms or combination to or
ganize monopoly: until at last nothing
is normal nothing is Obliged to stand
the tests Of efficiency and economy. in
our world of big business but every
thing thrives by concerted arrange
ment. Only new principles Of action
will save us fror tina bard crystal
lizatiou Of moHopoly and q complete
loss of the influences that quicken en-
terprise and keep independent energy
alive
Abolish Everything Like Privilege.
'Tt is PLAIN what those principles
must be We must abolish everything
that bears even the semblance of priv
ilege or of any kind of artificial advan-
tage. and put our business men and
producers under the stimulation of a
constant necessity to be efficient, eco
nomical and enterprising, masters OF
competitive supremacy, better workers
and merchants than any in the world.
Aside from the duties laid upon ar
ticles which we do not and probably
cannot produce, therefore. and the
duties laid upon luxuries and merely
for the sake of the revenues they
yield, the object of the tariff duties
henceforth laid must be effective com
petition, the whetting of American wits
by contest with the wits of the rest of
the world
SIN dealing with the tariff the meth
cd by which this may be done Will be
a matter of Judgment, exercised item
by item. To some not accustomed to
the excitements and responsibilities of
greater freedom our methods may in
some respects and at some points seem
heroic. but remedies may be heroic
and yet be remedies. It is our bust
ness to make sure that they are gen
uine remedies. Our object is clear
If our motive is above just challenge
and only an occasional error of judg
ment is chargeabIe against US we shall
be fortunate.
Tariff Must Come First.
1--WE are called upon to render the
country a great service in more mat
ters than one. Our responsibilities
should be met and our methods should
be thorough. as thorough as moderate
and well considered, based upon the
facts as they are and not worked out
as If we were beginners.
1--WE are to deal with the facts of
our own day, with the facts O. no 9th
er, and to make laws which square
with those facts.
1T is best. indeed it is necessary, to
begin with the tariff"
Removal of all tariff from many ar
tfcies of food and clothing, broad re-
luctfons in the rates of duty on all
of life, an increase of tar
IF on many luxuries and new income
ak that would touch the pocket of
,very American citizen whose net
7early income exceeds $4,000 are the
striking features of the new Demo
ratio tariff revision bill presented to
ne house
Sugar would be free of duty In 1915.
he bill proposing an immediate % per
.ent reduction and the removal of the
remaining duty in 1915.
Raw wool would be made free at
,nce. with a correspondfngly heavy re-
1uction in the tariff on all woolen goods
Mr.. Under~ood's Table.
Mr. Underwood. chairman of the
ways and means committee, in his
statement, accompanying the new tariff
bill gave the following comparative
liable showing reductions in tariff duties
made. upon necessaries. In each item
both the present tariff and the pro-
posed tariff had been reduced to an ad
vGlorem basis: