The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-01-27
CARELESS WRITING
Or CARELESS READING

Or CARELESS READING
Under the head Of Loose Thinking"
we find in the Miami Herald long
article. which begins with the follow
ing paragraph:
There is considerable loose think
ing and writing on the subject of the
tariff rates as they apply to the pine
apples and citrus fruits OF Florida.
The OcaIa Star in the following para
graph seems TO take several wrong
positions, and it is that kind OF care
less writing that makes the obtaining
Of proper protection hard proposition
for our members in Congress-"
We would feel very badly about this
criticism, If it wasn't for two consol-
eral prominent democrats, some of
whom are interested in the orange in
dustry have congratulated the Star on
the article the Herald criticises. The
other IS that a perusal of the Herald's
screed convinces US that it's editor is
more afflicted with the fault of care
less reading than we are with that of
careless writing, as he makes several
differences for which he found no ma
terial in our article.
Dissatisfaction with the high tariff
policy of the republican party has
been showing itself more and more
pronouncedly in this country for
number of years When Taft was
elected in 1908, it was understood that
a reduction of the tariff would be one
Of the policies of his administration. If
1t had been known how completely he
and his party would go in the opposite
direction, he could hardly have been
elected. Reduction of the tariff was
the great principle of the democratic
party in the election Of 1912. All other
issues were subordinate to It, The
country expects the party to enact that
principle into law. The law should be
made as fair as possible to all. Flor
ida must take her share with the
others. If the Herald can pry any
thing loose from the foregoing, it is
welcome to the chunks.
For the consolation of the esteemed
Herald, the Star will say that 1t doesn't
think the tariff on oranges is too high,
and 1t hopes that enough reduction
may be made on other articles less en-
titled to protection in sufficient meas
ure to raise the necessary revenue and
carry out the party promise without
touching the industry, which tho very
10 us Is comparatively a
small one In the aggregate of those of
the entire country. We are willing to
leave this matter to our senators and
congressman and Chairman Underwood,
and 1t was not to embarrass but to
contribute our humble mite toward
helping them that we wrote the article
the Herald criticises If they secure
1.-THE proper amount of protection -
well and good. If they do not, let us
remember that we voted for a lower
tarifr and take our medicine, like men,
and not squat like one of the infant
industries" that under prohibitive
tariff has turned his cradle into rob-
Der castle from which 1t 1evies tribute
on the consumer. No matter how well
the work is done, there are bound to
be mistakes, inequalities and injustice
In the tariff, but a general reduction
Will be for the welfare of the whole
country, and Florida will have her
share In the benefit.
The Herald says: "The assumption
that the Florida orange is unequalled
by any other in the world is f1attering
to local pride, but is not exactly true in
fact, nor does the statement have any
bearing on the question OF decent
protection. Any orange that comes
from anywhere is admitted to this
country In direct competition to the
Florida fruit, no matter what its grade
or its flavor. To the ordinary buyer, in
the northern market, an orange is an
orange. and given one from Sicily or
Spain at a lower price than that de-
manded for the Florida orange, the or
binary buyer will take the foreign
fruit"
II this be true, it is exactly the re-
verse of what the Florida orange in
dustry has proclaimed to the world for
the last quarter of a century We
have declared again and again that
people wouldn't Luy any other oranges
as long as they could obtain ours. SO
far as the writer's observation goes. 1t
is true. More than halfway across the
continent, he has seen people call for
Florida oranges when they could buy
California oranges cheaper, and Cali
fornia oranges are much better than
those from Spain. If people in our At
lantie ports buy Mediterranean or
anges. it will be because they can't
AFFORD to buy F1oridas, and so wouldn't
buy any. Americans will always take
the best when they can.
The Herald further says: "The ad-
vice for Florida growers to stand up
and take their medicine is based on the
assumption that Florida democrats.
together with all other members of the
party have declared for no tariff, either
on products of the soil or of machines. -
Right here is where the editor OF the
Herald is careless in his reading. He
never saw anything in the Star to
warrant his making such a statement.
The democratic party isn't a free trade
party and the Star isn't free trade
paper. The Herald has simply stuck a
high tariff stake down in the sand of
one OF its native beaches, tied one end
OF a string to the stake and tied the
other end OF the string to its hindleg.
and then gone rambling around the
stake. under the mistaken impression
that II was going somewhere. If the
democratic party acts the same way. it
viii never make any progress on the
road OF relief for the people.
There will not be much sympathy in