Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-28

Japan had bought 100000 bales of our
raw cotton. In 4S hours this was re-
duced to 10000. 1t looks good at first
glance. But what does it mean? That
Japan is going to manufacture that
raw cotton with labor that costs from
IL cents to % cents a day and send
it back here to compete with our mills.
She doesn't consume it. Our imports
from Japan last year We're $4,000, 900
more than our exports to her. We want
to do that work in our mills, but we
cannot do 1t at present cost of man
ufacture unless we give our own mills
the preference in cur own market. The
protection we give them makes little
difference in the cost to the consumer.
1t is the fraction of the cent on the
yard that saves the manufacturer, and
through him the laborer.
Tariff Commission
Our Progressive friends profess to
agree with us regarding the theory of
a protective tariff. but they raise two
issues on which they hope to profit.
The first relates to the characer of
the Payne Aldrich bill. This has been
criticized so vigorously and persist
emily that one might think its enact
ment was a deliberate step backward.
But it was not always thus. The total
depravity of the law was discovered
at about the same time that some of
it's critics first became ambitious to
suppiant it's authors. AS lac as Aug.
u 1Q1n a. II
went into effect, Col. Roosevelt in
writing of it in The Outlook said. II
think that the present tariff is better
than the last (the Dingiey bilD and
considerably better than the one be-
fore the last" {the German Wilson
bilD. It'll may or may not have been
all that could have been desired, but
its present illustrious critic had not
in II months discovered that the Re-
publican party had failed to keep its
promise to enact a better tariff law.
Progressive leaders claim to differ
with us in that they would have the
tariff amended by an expert non parti-
san commission. If they mean that
they would have working information
secured by such commission, that
10 ~ ttiotiy NHdl Tic INcPupliSdA PAL
ty now stands for, and stood for I'M
der President Taft. If it means that
they would have such a commission
enact tariff laws, 1t is impracticable,
If not impossible. 1t would be possible
only when the constitution was so
amended as to make a new legislative
body out of commission. 1t is idle
to talk of enacting tariff laws by a
non PARTISAN commission, of taking the
tariff out of politics. Who but a parti-
san government would select the COM
mission; whose ideas would it reflect
but those of Its creators, and how
long would it remain in Office after a
change of administration? But above
and beyond all. you can't take the tar
If out of politics. Why?? Because 1t
is fundamental political issue recog-
nized by all parties. 1t always starts
with the question, whether 1t shall be
a tariff for protection or for revenue
only. Your non partisan commission
must be for protection or for free
trade, and right on this rock you
wreck your hopes Of taking it out of
politics.
Sheriff Stevens
We have an issue in this county in
volving the enforcement of law. We
don't need to take theory. We have
seen 1t in actual practice. In the first
three months of 1913 there came into
the Maine Central stations alone in
Lewiston, in freight, exclusive of kegs
and cases. 247 barrels of whiskey, 80
Of rum. 1861 of ale, 1851 of beef Ia of
gin, IL of wine, 80 Of alcohol and 95
of miscellaneous liquors. Barrooms
were vide open and every one of them
a political club room. Sheriff Stevens
came into Office April 20 of that year
The commitments to Jail for intoica-
ton during the preceding four months
were 800. In the next eight months
101. There were committed to- Jail for
intoxication in 1909, 797; 1910, SOL;
1911, 976; 1912, 1914, and in 1913, 4O1
And three fourths Of this last number
during the first third of the year The
total number of persons in Jail on
Dec. 81 of the preceding four years
ranged from 81 to 113. December 81,
1918, after eight months of the pres
ent administration, there were but 81.
While the DRINKS used to predominant,
on May 81, 1914. Stevens had "a board
ers for selling liquor and only II for
drinking It..
When some smooth-tongued friend
of personal liberty tells you people
won't drink hard liquors if they can
get beer and ale. just say to him that
1922 barrels Of beer and ale in three
months still left market for 2S6 bar
rels of whiskey and rum. When they
tell you you men drink less if they
can go into a bar room and get it as
they want, tell them four months of
sheriff regulation sent to Jail three
times aa many DRINKS as were sent
there during eight months of sheriff
enforcement, and the latter reduced
the total Jail population more than 81
per cent. See how these figures will fix
that stock argument.