New Britain herald., 1928-09-20

Emphasizing the nssd fer tariff protection that -teslly protects, re. mains a cardinal principle Of the Re publican party. oAes upen . 'tiute the Democrats cepntered with thsit war cry Of . "taviff for reSenase 4n- ,y." But that no longer is important because in ls.s 1t ian.t ss. ' Y i i
 The Demecrats alss have learned how te promise tariff rates high enough not to disturb bus,nsss- even a little htxher, if an inersadlns proportion of high tariff Democrats can have their way.
 The tariff. aceerding to tho Dem ocrats of 1923. no longer need be an issue. occaNorally they ars, scade4 , into rnentioni,1s $ 1t. of course. at euch odd moments when there is nothing more to say about, the prohibition issue, whispering esmpaisns and farm, relief. -s.. ,a, The change of attitude toward tariff protection by tho Democratic party is of historic significance and is due to two reasons:. The nsed fer pla eating the ssta blished convictions of majority of voters in the nerth- ern states; and a realization that the South, having turned into an imper- tant manufacturing section. contains influential citizens who have come to the conclusion that . tariff can do them no harm and possibly much good.
 It is true that certain Republican speakers are taking pains to empha- size the tariff during their speeches in New England and the Middle At lantic states; in Philadelphia; they would prefer to talk of nothing else. In the West they talk of agricultural protection. ,.|
 Although the Democratic strategy is to submerse the tariff issue, this is not always possible. It sometimes is necessary to answer" the Repub- lican charges. This is done by refer ring to tho let-well-enough- alone tariff plank in the Houston platform and to the views of Al" Smith.
 The Democratic candidate has un- derlined he has no intention of up- setting apple carts, being. primarily interested in possessing | tariff commission which will function ef- ficiently. All of which gives pleasure in the North and arouses no ire in the South. .sa. .r
 The South abandoned free trade principles after the World War. If differences remain about the tariff they have become academical in nature, difference of opinion re- garding the degree of protection needed, with the curve of the dis cussion tending steadily upward,
 Campaigns for tariff reform" were won by tho Democrats in 1880 and 1892. eliminating in the Wilson tariff act in 1894. The duties Of this act were lower. but the steps in that direction were faltering. Ben. ators from Alabama, West; Virginia and Louisiana were among the in- sursents against adoption of the earlier and more drastic house bill. The Wilson act was . compromise. In 1918 the Democratic party, dominated by the South, passed m. other tariff reform'' measure. The Underwood act. however, was far from being free trade. The averag ge rate of duty on dutiable goods va, approximately 2s.so per cent. The average rate in the Payne -Aidrich tariff was 4o.le per cent. The diff. ference between the two was oni, . fraction more than ten per cent.
 Then the World War and A contin- uous increase of manufacturing jr the South. In 1920 the Southern Tar. if Association was founded, which . year later told the House Way, and Means Committee that it repre-. sented 57 industries in 1s southerr states and desired fully edequats tariff protection in the Fordney law Textile manufacturing is only one ol the 57 industries; the others include not only those indigenous to the soil but industries that 1iso are tmpor' tant in the north, such as foundry products iron and steel. boots and shoes, packing products. flour mil products, saddles and harness. chem ical dyes fertilizers. pencil leads and ! forms of mining and minerals.
 The Southern Tariff Association holds a congress. or convention ] every year. At the second congress Calvin Coolidge. then vice presiden was the chief speaker and guest Q
 honor. It is not a Republican organ
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