St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-04-23

seems likely to come before the
house in practically the same form
that the president has approved. But
what its fate will be in congress af-
ter an open discussion is made upon
it cannot be accurately forecasted.
The more the bill is studied the
queerer it appears. For instance
there is tariff OF ten cents bushel
on wheat but flour is free. This is
vicious discrimination against
American -four mills. 1t refuses
the American mill owner an oppor-
tunity to go into foreign wheat fields
to buy his grain on an equality with
the foreign miller and it allows the
American farmer to charge the mil
Ter ten cents a bushel more for his
wheat than the price of wheat in
other countries. But when the mill
Ter has expended his money to con-
vert the wheat into flour he must
compete with the foreign seller who
got his raw material ten cents a
bushel less than the man at home.
No scheme could have been devised
that would more surely drive the
manufacture of flour out of this
country than the Win oanIpslscnlo
country than the Wilson plan. Nor
is it a revenue producing scheme
because wheat will not be imported
with ten cents a bushel tariff on it
when it can be made into flour in
the country where it is purchased
and then brought in free. 1t is
nothing but vicious blow at Am
erican industry.
Another joke in the bill is the
repeal of the maximum and mini
mum tariff rates to be imposed &C
cording to the treatment any for
eign country gives American made
goods and inserting in lieu thereof
provision for the president with the
consent of the senate to make reci-
procity treaties with foreign coun-
tries. There is very little probable
ity of reciprocity with any country
when we offer them a premium to
manufacture their goods at home
and send them into the American
market to sell.
American industry and Amer
lean labor are to be made
the victims of the democratic policy
but the president is offering a sop to
labor in letting it be understood that
he approves of the sundry civil ap-
bill with the rider pro-
viding that none of the appropria-
ton for the department of justice
shall be used to prosecute combin-
ations of labor for the purpose of
raising wages or shortening hours
or combinations of produc- !
ing farmers to maintain |
prices for their products. The pres
ldent and the democratic party lack
the courage to meet the issue |
squarely but allow it to be sneaked |
in as a rider to a meritorious bill. |
American labor may be fooled by
these tactics. But if it can it will
be safe to knock a laboring man
Down when you meet him and give
him a sugar plum to suck while his
head aches from the blow.
President Wilson has impressed
he country with his honesty and
Upright character but he has fallen
ar below the standards of a man in
lis onslaught against American in
erests and his effort to pander to
! class that holds the votes. Thus
ar all the change effected by the
democratic party in power is the
tealing of large amount of feder-
j patronage that legitimately be-
onged to the outgoing administra-
ion and an attempt to completely
estroy the principle of protecting
ome industry and labor. We are
orry it is so but it is and there is
70 merit in trying to conceal the
act with platitudes of praise for it's
aving performed we'll some of the
ffcial routine duties.