Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1912 — REVISION MUST COME [ARTICLE]

REVISION MUST COME

PROTECTION’S “CITADEL" SURELY FATED TO FALL. Privileged Woolen Industry Barons to Be Compelled to Loosen Their Grip on the People’s Purse — Democrats Ready to Act. Sacrosanct skedule K—the "very citadel of protection," as Senator Aldrich characterized it; the woolen schedule in the nomenclature of the plain and unprivileged body of the American people—is tp be revised at . last. w ' . President Taft has advised revision, the Democratic house is eager for it and the Republican senate will hardly dare to resist. The Republican situation, in the fafce of a national campaign, already is desperate; for the Republican majority in the senate now to act against the advice of the president would be to place the party i In the plight of utter despair. \So the “citadel” must fall. That may be taken as certain. The only question To be decided is the terms upon which the privileged woolen industry barons, who have so long held the fort; shall surrender. Both President Taft and his tariff board are silent on that point. The president says that is a matter for congress- to decide. So it is. But is the president entirely sincere in giving that as a reason why both he and his tariff board carefully refrained from making any suggestion on the subject? Most people, we think, will be more apt to take the view that in leaving the matter of the amount Of reduction tb congress,, free of any suggestion from either himself or his tariff experts, Mr. Taft was actuated by the same sense of political advantage ■which prompted his endeavor to take ■ from the Democratic house the credit for the abrogation of the Russian

Mr; Taft undoubtedly would like the credit of revising the tariff to go to himself and his party, and all complaints and criticism for the manner of its revision to be laid at the door of Democracy. We imagine the discernment by the Democrats of the presidential purpose will bring forth during tha-hoiise debate many a reference to the speech which made Winona famous, but put a large blot on the fame of President Taft, as well as a blight upon his prospects. The presidential message urging revision was somewhat extravagant in its praise of the tariff board and its work. But then much applause was heeded to deaden the’ din all over the country provoked by the delay for which President Taft was responsible. Approbation for the experts was really the disguise of self-justification. The president in his message transmitting the report of the tariff board says: "The duties on many classes of wool manufacture are prohibitory and greatly in excess of the difference in the cost of production here and abroad.*' „ * To the extent to which the duties exceeded the cost of production abroad the domestic manufacturers had an opportunity to practice extortion, and did so. But “the graft was so good,” to use an expressive colloquialism, that the w.oolen manufacturers were never able to rob the consumers of the United States up to the full limit of the. license given them by the Republican tariff makers because of the (competition which ensued among them to grab the legalized loot.—Chicago American..