The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-05-27
ALL IN ONE MONTH
Figures That viii Keep Republic
ans Guessing.
They Would Not Dare Return to the
Old Tariff Schedules, Even Ii
They Were Returned to
Power.

According to our dispassionate Re-
publican friends, who desire nothing
but the progress of the true. the beau
tiful and the good, the Underwood
tariff was in process of wrecking the
country Wien the obliging war came
along and stopped up "the breach in
the tariff barricade." Now 1t is no
use for us Democrats to dodge: facts
are facts. We might as we'll face
them. Here goes to gaze on the I'm
derwood tariff at its worst.
In May. 1914, our importations were
$34.OOO,OOO greater than they had been
under the Payne-Aldrich tariff in the
corresponding month of the year be-
fore. This was the greatest excess OF
the period before the war. Let us
analyze it a little.
OF the $34,OOO,O0O excess $14,000,O00
is accounted for by increased impor-
tations of food. In 1913 this country
was visited by general drought and
the crops Of the four principal grains
fell short of tina 1912 yield by full
billion bushels. Result: a greatly
shortened food supply and heavy i'm
portations in the spring Of 1914. Here
are some of the items of increase:
Food animals, $665.000; fresh meats
and dairy products, $3,900,O00; corn,
100000. Several millions of this de-
crease was in commodities which had
been taken off the dutiable list by the
Underwood tariff and made free.
We respectfully ask our Republican
friends whether. if they had the pow
er, they would restore the tariff on
these things, so that the food supply
Of the nation should be scarcer and
higher in time of drought and shortage
at home?
OF the $34,000,000 increase more
than 81, 10000 was in the four items
or coffee, hides, manufactured rubber
and raw silk. The amounts were:
Coffee, $2,429,0OO; hides $4.145,Oo0;
manufactured rubber, $1,75S,0oO;
raw silk, $2,745, 900. All four of these
commodities were free under both tar
iffs-the Payne-Aldrich and the Under
wood. The change Of tariff had no
more to do with this increase than
the aurora borealis had.
More than $13, 900, 900 of the increase
in this awful month was in the impor-
tation of crude materials for manu-
featuring. Of these, raw cotton-free
under both tariffs-increased nearly
s1,600,000, and raw wool-made free
by the Underwood tariff-$6,789, 900.
The tariff had, therefore, nothing to do
with the first increase. AS for the
wool, the greatest wool-producing
state IN the Union is Montana. They
,asow about 100000 pounds year
These blighting wool importa-
tiDnR were in May. In November they
had little election out in Montana.
They elected two Democratic con-
gressmen-there are only two con-
gressiona1 districts-by pluralities of
about 10000 each over their Republi-
can opponents, and over Republicans
and Progressives both Of about 1000
each; and. they sent legislature to
Helena Democratic on joint ballot by
eight members. And before we leave
this painful subject we should like to
inquire what use American wool
manufacturers could have had for all
that raw wool in view of the fact
which every Republican knows-that
the wooden business had been para
lived by Democratic onslaughts on
schedule K in the tariff law which
went into effect in October of the year
before?
We ask the Republicans whether
they would change the tariff on wool
If they could? If SO, why?
Manufactures ready for consumption
increased in this month $6,517 900.
How large percentage of this in
crease was in goods free under both
tariffs we do not know; but increases
in the two somewhat dissimilar items
of fertilizers and works of art amount
to nearly million dollars, and both
were on the free list under both tar
ifs. Before any charge can be brought
against the Underwood tariff on &C
count of this increase it is necessary
to show that it took place in the case
of items affected by tariff reduction
and that industrial depression fol-
lowed at home in consequences.
Republican denunciation of the I'm
derwood law is shallow. ignorant and
insincere. st. Louis Republic.