The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-23
sMooT ON THE TARIFF BILL.

Judgment. there will follow the pas
sage of this bill, conditions identical
with those that followed the passage
1894. In this, however, we feel Ger
tain that the Utah Apostle is not
speaking by inspirations; because gen
eral conditions are quite different now
from what they were in 1894; and be-
sides, the passage of this Democratic
tariff bill is largely discounted No
such panicky feeling accompanied the
election of President Wilson as accom-
panied the election of President Cleve'
land There has been no such general
wreck and ruin following the induction
of the Wilson administration as fol-
lowed that OF the Cleveland administra-
ton. The country practically went to
the dogs after Cleveland IS election. and
before his Inauguration. The announce
ment Of Cleveland s programme and OF
his hostility to silver, in spite or the
| Democratic platform favoring silver,
created terror throughout the country.
| 1T is well remembered that at that time
| industrial operations ceased, factories
closed, prices fell ruinously low, and
| the industries of the country were
paralyzed. "Industyial armies or idle
men marched from point TO point
throughout the land and ruin was every
where. 1t is a foolish exaggeration,
however. to expect such devastation
to follow the now proposed tarln Dill
as those calamitous conditions that fol
lowed the election of President Cleve-
land and the announcement of his war
| fare upon silver and his determination
| TO put the country on low tarlH or
| free trade basis.
We believe ourselves that the pas
sage of the Wilson-Underwood tarl1
hill will he harmful to the country;
but we do not look to see any such
disasters accompany the enactment OF
that bill as those which accompanied
the inauguration of President CleVe-
land and the enactment OF the wilson
Cleveland tariff bill in 1894. 1t is
quite true that the present bill IS OBJ
iectionable, but it is by no means as
Objectionable as the bill proposed by
REPRESENTATIVE Wilson and President
Cleveland. Besides, this country Is IL
ouits a different position now from tnat
in which it was then. 1t is immensely
richer, more powerful, and better pre-
nared to weather any financial ana
industrial storm now than 1t was then.
4 number of the Industries OF the coun-
trv have cot upon basis IN which
they are not only independent OF any
tariff legislation, but are indifferent TO
it. The great iron and steel industry
of this country, as pointed out by MI
Carnegie and admitted by IRON and
steel men, needs no protection. 1t IS
clear TO the average man. also, that u
needs no protection, from the fact that
our iron and steel manufacturers 90
into all parts of the world and com
nete with the British, German. French
and Belgian iron and steel makers, and
take from them contracts for extensive
and speedilv.desired work. The Amerl-
can iron and steel makers use more
iron ore than any other two countries
IN the world. They produce more steel
than any other two countries 1t is
ridiculous piece Of nonsense, therefore,
even TO think of the iron and steel
business in the United States being an
''infant industry.
IT is quite true, however, as has been
pointed out by Democratic Senators,
and as Smoot also urges, that this
Democratic revision bill favors the
East and discriminates heavily against
the West
Other industries in this country, as
the manufactures of cotton and of
wool are practically on an independent
basis, and the wooden manufacturers
would be entirely so if they would dis
card their ancient and worn machines
and put in up-todate machinery. The
cotton manufacturers OF the United
States would have the world at their
feet if they would simply pursue their
combination little further and buy
up all the cotton produced in the United
States and hold it for their own use
independence in American manufac-
lures generally at this time that was
absolutely undreamed Of IN 1894.
Besides at that time the country was
stripped of money, everybody's bust
| ness languished because prices were at
the lowest possible ebb, and because
there was not money enough in the
/ country to pay bills. But now the
United States has more money than
| any country in the world. There is a
| greater accumulation Of gold in the
United States treasury than was ever
| known before in any one place in the
history Of mankind We are selling
gold to the European countries that
need it, and selling it at a profit; and
still, we have more gold than any of
them, and our markets are open for
the sale of gold at any and all times.
Apostle Smoot, therefore, in painting
so dismal picture of the effects of the
passage Of the Wilson Underwood tariff