Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-12-09
THAT OLD CURE-ALL, THE TARIFF

The three congressman from this state Sinnott Haw
ley and McArthur all find fault with the suggestions
made by the president his message to the Of
raising revenues all insisting that the only proper way
to get money for the general government is through the
tariff.
Congressman Sinnott goes oven further and insists on
the replacing Of the tariff WOOL thus making as he
expresses it, "the foreigner pay for defense"
1t is passing strange how any intelligent man, and such
Mr. Snnot certainly is make such assertion, for
he certainly knows that the tariff is not paid by the
foreigner but by the American consumer The foreigner
does not even as general thing import the goods on
which the tariff is paid This is done by the American
wholesaler, who pays the tariff when the goods are
landed but he does not forget to pass the cost to the
retailer and the latter passes it on to the consumer
Congressman Snnott knows this better and betes
himself and insults the intelligence of his constituents I'M
making the statement
1t is evident also that he does not keep posted the
wool question on the position taken by the wool grow
eIs who at recent convention held in Pendeton pro-
nounced the tariff wool of no benefit to the wool grow
er and admitted just what the democratic and re-
publican papers have for years insisted that it not
foreign competition that nterfered with the wool Market
but rags.
1t was asserted by them that there was only wool
enough raised in this country to make 2 per cent of the
goods sold in the markets all WOOL and which in
stead shoddy.
The wool growers instead of asking for tariff de-
Cided to ask such legislation would compel the manu-
factures and dealers in wooen goods and their subst
ues to label their products that they would be sold for
what they were, whether wool or shoddy. When this is
done the price of wooen goods will be higher than it has
been and the price of shoddy when is known and sold
such will fall 1t is only by travelling under the name
of wool that the eastern manufacturer has been able to-
hold the consumer up for the price of wool when he was
selling him the cast off rags of the pauper aborers of
Europe made over for American consumption.
Thousands of tons of these rags are imported every
year and after being worked by the thrifty down
easter good enough for the American who is paying al
tariff wool to further help the schemes of the shoddy
maker.
AS matter of fact it matters not how the money is
raised to carry the government whether by tariff or
direct taxation the consumer pays the bill
And as for high tariff as revenue producer as long
the continues the idea is absurd since imports
have been practically cut off, There could be material
from this since practically foreign
goods are coming in. OF course congressman Hawley
and Sinnott know this to be true and even McArhur
ought to grasp the idea in at least hazy kind of way
The is acting like tariff wall against foreign
commerce. so high that it is almost prohbitive If we
want to raise money at this time for government
pense must from other than duties
imported goodsbecause there imports to speak of