The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-25
THE TwENTY-NINB QUESTIONS

Never before in the history of the
United States has there been such a
political dominance and attempted
bulldozing Of business as that which
is now being shown in Washington,
Not only do we have the threat to
any business men who 60 ont of busi-
ness, fail, or lower the wages of their
employees by reason of the revised
tariff bill favored by the Democrats,
that they will be prosecuted, but we
have an induisitiou in advance as to
what the business men intend to do
and how they intend TO conduct their
business If this tariff bill is passed.
The Senate has sent out twenty.nine
questions to the leading manufacturers
and business men of the country. re-
qulring them TO swear 20 the answers
TO these questions These questions
relate specifically TO the business done
by the person who is expected to an
swer; the effect of the proposed tariff
revision upon that business; the alies
tion of differentials: the proportion of
the production of various articles by
trusts in this country; the Wholesale
prices Of their products at different
periods; the cost Of production; the
value Of the property of the business
assessed for taxation; the percentage
of labor cost to the total cost; the
cost of transportation; what the rela-
tion Of profit is to the duty under the
present tariff law; whether the person
to whom the questions are sent has
pecuniary interest in the maintenance
OF a high tariff; and so on Very
much of the information sought in an.
swer to these twenty-nine questions is
unavailable because the Senate and
the House have expressly voted against
of the tariff question
and getting the information that some
Of these questions would bring out. |
And since neither Senators nor Repre-.
Sentatives have this information, and |
have refused To get it for the benefit |
Of the public, it is difficult to under
stand why the manufacturers or busi- |
ness men should be expected to be able |
10 answer some Of these questions,
But the main thing is the bulldozing |
attitude assumed by the Democratic |
Congress over the business of the coun.
;ry. 1t assumes an inquisitorial atti-
,ude towards business, threatens it
With prosecution (perhaps we mi ght |
better say persecution) in case it can
lot profitably adjust itself to the pro-
,osed Democratic tariff revision, and |
N general puts the business OF the
country in the prisoner s dock, reouir.
ng it to Justify itself or suffer in ST.
ence.
1t is all the more singular that the
Democracy should undertake this in
Iulsitorial role, since the Democrats
ave always been noted for their
nidm that "the best government is
hat which governs least" and that
BUSINESS should be let alone and as
title molested as possible by political
hicanery, political partisanship, and
olitical dodges. Not only is this at
ltude of the present Democratic Con.
ress contrary to all that, it is q more
lrect, more offensive, and more
and iDquistorial inter
erence with business thap has ever
cen undertaken by any party in this !,
ountTy heretofore. II this sort of
hing is to prevail, If business men are
, be constantly harassed as public
ffenders, every man in the United
tates will go into manufacturing or
ther industrial activities at his peril
nd the free trade threat that we had {
etter buy our goods abroad, letting
uropean manufacturers supply our
arkets, and we all 90 in the business
farming, will become not merely an c
,ademic notion, but practical ne.
,ssity.