The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-08
WEDNESDAY,, OCT. 8. 1913.
n NEW EPOCH.

Epoch to the United States. Whether
it will be good or bad remains to be
proved. The following comment from
The st. Louis Times sizes up the stu
alton in a very common sense manner:
w. To-day sees the beginning Of a rev.
dictionary commercial experiment in
the United States. The principle of
protection for American interests has
been abandoned, and the principle Of
competition - competition betWeen
American labor and foreign labor;
American skill and industry n for
eign skill and industry-has been in
augurated.
1T has long been claimed that the
tariff should not be considered a po-
Iitical issue. This is scarcely a de-
feasible position. Properly considered,
politics means policies; and the tariff
is clearly policy which affects a great
err number Of people than any other
one policy that can be named. 1t
touches a policy which has a direct eff
feet upon the cost of the common
commodities Gas well as other commo-
ditiesl which are to be found in every
home in America. 1t also, in another
of it's aspects, touches the matter Of
American wages: and the only answer
to the claim that a lower tariff would
make the prices of those commodities
lower has been that it would also
make the price Of labor lower. That,
in effect. the one influence would
-. o,J%4 arha In - fhA nfhor va thN,,uh
there may be no sound economic war
rant for the belief. it is a fixed fact in
our American outlook that we like to
make a lot Of money, even If we have
to spend it, and that we do not wish
to adopt the policy of certain other
nations, where men live on very little
per day-and make very little.
I'm the sense that the tariff Is a po-
litical policy which the mass of voters
can comprehend, there is another word
to be spoken. 1t is not such a policy.
In this regard. 1t Is a science, to be
understood only by men whose minds
have been trained to see far through
a maze of conditions; who know how
to gauge the ancient warfare between
theories and conditions. Yet most po-
litiCal policies may be referred to In
the same terms. There is always need
of experts; and this fact is Contem-
plated in the scheme Of a representa-
tive government. Our representatives
are something more than representa-
tives; but clearly they should repre-
sent something higher than the aver
age equipment. the average capacity to
comprehend. In theory, at least, they
have the time and the ability to mas
have not the time, and perhaps not
the ability to deal with.
The comp1exity of the tariff situa-
ton Is such that the authorities on
either side Of the controversy touching
it never could have got together To
the end Of the chapter there must have
been thoughtful men to contend that
the protected interest," grown power
full beyond the need of protection
never would have passed on benefits
received to the t~oilers; that protection
was, in fact, class legislation.
LAS against this theory there is the
fact that American labor is prosperous
in quite the degree in which the COM
mercial organizations Of the country
are prosperous. In brief, for every
argument on the one side. there Is ar
argument OF equal potency and plaus-
Utility on the other.
Underlying all the other facts and
arguments, however, Is the common
knowledge that prices nave been soar.
ing in an amazing fashion in America
the prices Of commodities. and OF la
Dor as we'll. The disadvantages Of THU
tendency are often manifest. Whethel
a new system, inaugurated by a revo
l%utionary process, will not have grave
disadvantages, time only can tell.
"In the meantime, it 10 the part o
wisdom to face the inevitable, and t.
seek the utmost thoroughness in 81
experiment which had to be tried GU
before it's value could be ascertained
Once and for all, the rock upon which
America public opinion has broker
for generation, should be held up t
the light and inspected"