East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-08-26
The Old Guard Crafty.


The "old guard" naturally laughed
at any suggestion to make protection
the paramount issue. They are care
fully putting the soft pedal on pro-
lection in order to make full use OF
vague campaign phrases like "Ameri-
cansm" to capture votes, But when
after the republican party is elected
the time comes to legislate, ii will be
found. | fear that protection is the
very essence of Americanism pre-
paredness and patriotism. The old
guard can we'll afford 10 lie low and
bide their time They know that
protection most easily flourishes
after the interruption of commerce
by war and that, consequently, in the
next few years. there is sure to be a
revival of protectionistic fallacies and
proposals all over the world. This, it
seems to me. is all the more reason
why we. in America, should see clearly
whittier we are tending instead OF
drifting backward, before we realize
it, In other words. it behooves us to
know in advance what sort of legisla-
tion our votes will lead o.
It was the civil war which made
protection appear to be American
and through this perversiOn Of ideas,
gradually turned our government over
to the domination of private inter-
ests. 1t took us a generation to re-
allie that we were being used as
beasts of burden by special interests.
Every informed voter knows that,
as the infant industries grew they
were not left to shift for themselves,
as was originally intended, Being big
and powerful they contributed the big
funds to republican campaign eX'
penses and, after election. received
renewed often increased protection in
return. such purchase of legislation
is within the law" but il has always
seemed To me almost as great scan
dal as the corresponding though less
legal. purchase Of state legislatures by
railways or Vt city governments by
public utility corporations. The
'education Of the public" in favor Of
protection by which even the lahorine
man has been made to believe that il
&, for his good. has been, for the most
part, subsidized. The protected in
terests have had speeches written for
congressman, have paid the expenses
of printing large editions and have
distributed them under government
frank. That such so-called protection
had become a national scandal,
prostitution of public interests to pri-
vate interests was, in effect, recog-
rized by Mr. Taft and other consci-
cntious republicans. But his admin
istration only demonstrated how diff
ficult it is for a party, which draws
its financial support from protected
interests to revise the tariff against
these interests.
A Tariff Commission.
>. Moreover. quite irrespective Of
the moral issue in protection it
seems to me bad national policy to
keep the tariff longer in politics The
election of Mr.. Hughes would surely
do this. That of Mir, Wilson would
at least go far toward droppins the
tariff out of politics and toward tax
ing politics out of the tariff II is
worth noting that if such result can
be accomplished through tariff COM
mission, it will certainly not be
through a tariff commission appoint
ed by protectionists.
Mr. Hughes is talking of efficiency
and consistency. our government
and our nation cannot become etfici-
ent, nor enjoy a consistent continu-
Gus national policy, by seesaw legis-
lation on the tariff. our people in
Guiding most republicans, have re.
Gently decided on revising the tariff
downward. We shall merely make
mess of il II we do not adhere TO
this new policy.
Safer Than Hughes.
3. have not agreed with all parts
of Mr. Wilson'S Mexican policy but |
believe. that, at heart, it is sounder
than that which Mr.. Hughes seems
to endorse Few of the American
people realize. as Mr.. Wilson realizes
that here too is case tand far
worse one than American protection
Of special interests capturing a gov