The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-04-24
THE MISTAKE OF FREE WOOL.


THE MISTAKE OF FREE WOOL.
The attack of the Republican mi
nority towards the democratic tariff
legislation should not be one of mere
partisan obstruction. The high pro-
tective tariff has lost sacred charac-
ter. If the bill is to be actively fought
it must be done in manner worthy OF
party that hopes soon to return to
power.
The minority may be powerless to
effect changes, and in view of this con-
dition may be content to make its
record of dignified opposition on the
theory that the democrats, having
been clothed with power, should have
the chance to transmute their pledges
into concrete legislation. If then their
policy proves failure, the people will
be quick to vote them out of power.
The minority may 60 farther than
this 1t may take the stand that the
democrats have no mandate to aban-
don the traditional American policy
of protection, their instructions from
the people being merely to revise the
tariff downward without abandoning
the protective principle 1t may we'll
argue that the democrats have gone
too far and should therefore be fought
to the last ditch.
The tariff bill thus appears to af-
ford an excellent opportunity for all
the republican factions to join hands.
All the groups believe in protection.
They ought to oppose with all their
might a revenue tariff calculated to un-
settle industry, demoralize nEanufac-
turing and imperil investments in
such enterprises.
The issue now raised is noe tariff
revision, but,tariff reversal The Payne
law revised the tariff. 1t is supposed
to revise downward, but did not do so
to the satisfaction of the people. The
cotton and wooden schedule were de-
nounced by President Taft as indie
feasible. The people thereupon voted
in democratic house. 1t passed
wool bill which reduced the rates on
wool clothing about one-harf. But this
still left margin of protection, and
so was accepted by republican SEN
ate Mr.. Taft made an inexcusable
blunder in vetoing it, merely because
it was not the product of tariff COM
mission.
But now the democratic house
backed by democratic senate and a
democratic president, has brought in
a bill that make, wool free. Mr.. Will.
=, son favors this on the ground that
sheep-raising has made little progress
under protection, and that WOODEN
manufacture has become a monopoly
He overlooks the fact that, as far as
: wool manufacture is concerned, the
mistake of the republicans is over
protecting 1t really did it harm, sine,
it kept out the raw woods needed TO
mixing purposes. A tariff that let il
g the mixing woods would have stimulat
l ed shee-raising by stimulating WOO
G manufacture and thus creating a vic
l. or market for wool. The consume
e would have had somewhat cheape
clothing, and the manufacturer woul
e have worked on closer margin.
It Every chance for this was include
e. in the Underwood bill of the last col
'e gress. Every chance for it is sacr
'e feed in the Underwood bill of the pre-
y ent congress. The middle ground hs
t. been abandoned. Mr. Wilson has d
n, creed that our wool shall be raised
'g Australia and manufactured in En-
land. This is going too far. 1t is
Id patriotic duty not merely partiss
IN preference, to resist. If there is to
m a republican party worthy of restor
IS ton to power, it must get together ,
&c this proposition Minneapolis Jor
ne nal.
Svl