Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-01-09
WILL THERE BE TARIFF REVISION

b tariff discussion Is again about t,
open, when the telegraph wireI
will be burdened and the news
papers loaded with all kinds of inant
drlvel concerning It, There has beer
no question before the American peo
pie since Uncle Sam was born tha
has been so thoroughly threshed ou
as this tariff problem. Protection o.
American industries" protection %
American labor" These have been the
two blasts blown from the horn of the
protectionist, the first Of which they
believed in and profited by the secont
they did not believe in, and profitet
just as much by ignoring, for those
who shouted loudest for protection oi
American industries were the first tC
send abroad and induce foreign labor
to come here, often under contract
and in direct violation of law. It was
for this reason, and for the further
reason that such infant industries
as the steel trust were sucking at the
public teat and waxing fat on the milk
OF the good old mother governments
breast, that the question ceased to be
one between the Democratic and Re-
publican parties, and became one for
thoughtful men, regardless Of politics
to answer Under protection the la
boring man, always the object Of the
tender solcitude of the steel trust the
wool trust and all the other tariff-aid-
ed businesses, was perslstently told
that he would get higher wages under
protection. This sounded good to the
workingman, but the other fellows
pointed out that under low tariff or
free trade, the cost of living would be
less This also sounded good-and
both were, perhaps, in great measure
true. However 1t made, or will make,
but little difference to the common
working man, for under either system,
he just lives.
The result, though, Of the accumula-
tlon Of such vast sums by men running
protected industries and so deeply in
terested in the workingman, that one
of them has given away $l25, 100000
and Is still helping educate the people
with free libraries, has caused the peo-
pie regardless OF politics, to demand a
general revision of the tariff DOWN
WARD.
This is the proposition that is now
up to the Democratic congress. That
the great majority Of the lower house
OF congress will act boldly and cour-
ageously In the matter, and undertake
to carry out the wishes of the people,
10 assured; but It may well he doubted
whether they will accomplish any
thing for the chances are the senate
will not let them. Unfortunately, un-
der our system OF government, big
corporations with vast wealth and
boundless influence, have beeen able to
name many senator's, who will, to a
great extent do their bidding. They are
bright brainy men, too, but men who
as corporation attorneys, or officers,
have learned to look upon corporations
as being greater than the people, and
they fail to see any evil in them In
fact they are beneficaries of the big
companies, and SO get some Of the
pork" These gentlemen can be and
are expected to be against any change
in the laws that will niure their par
tiCular corporation, To he perfectly
fair some Of these senator's will be in.
fluenced by the people Of their sec
ton Colorado and Louisiana, cspc-
ciallN are interested IN the protec-
tion Of sugar Some other states, Ore
gon, for instance is deeply interested
in wool, and there are others in like
fix over other industries The states
In these cases take the place of the
industries" and look at the matter
from the viewpoint Of sclr-intercst,
and hence combined, they may muster
strength enough 10 prevent any re-
vision Of the tariff unless their inter
osts are let alone, and, II this is done,
and all are accommodated there win
be practically no revision. There will
be, however, u big shakc-up In the
United States senate, for, rs has been
stated this is no longer u question
between parties but is the demand or
all parties, and so made In their plat
forms 1t remains to be seen, II the
wlscacres in the senate will rcmcm-
ber the party pledges.
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