Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1906 — POLOTOCAL [ARTICLE]

P OLOTOCAL

Home Market and tUe Tariff. Americans are much inclined to boast of the vast foreign commerce of this country, which has~suao<niiy silG?" upward, until now our exports and imports total ahnPst -$3,000,000,000. But sow !>erso«»- ever think what a mere bagatelle this is in comparison wit'll out domestic commerce, the trade between different parts of 1 110 United States by railway, highway, river and "eifna!, and by lake and coastwise vessels. One significant sign of the importance and value of this home trade Is shown by the totals for railway earnings, now jumping qpward at an annual increase of 10 per cent. According'to a preliminary report of the Interstate Commerce Commission, the gtoss earnings of the railroads of the United States, covering approximately £IO,OOO miles of road,. will show, for the fiscal year ending June 30, at !«-ast that rate of excess over the $2,073,000,000 earned in the preceding fiscal year. Official statistics will not be returned by some of the roads for several mouths, but the Increases that have been shown month by month during the year and the final reports of many roads give reason to believe that the expected 10 per cent increase will be real-mL H to this expected total of $2,280,000,000 railway earnings the freights collected for other transportation within the United States in the last fiscal year were added, the gross amount would doubtless exceed $3,000,000,000. In other words, the mere tranportation charge on our internal commerce amounts annually to as much as the total value of the commodities handled In our entire foreign trade. It has always been a principle of those statesmen who favored building up our home markets by a system of judicious protection for American industry -that the home market was many times more valuable and Important than any foreign market could ever be. In view of the fact cited above, It would be difficult to dispute this argument. This vast home market has been developed largely by protection, which lias provided employment for millions Qf manufacturing employes at the highest wages ever paid, thus creating an unprecedented market and the best prices for agricultural products and other commodities which are often not deemed within the influence ■of protective tariffs. To tear down our tariff walls and destrop this home market, in the chase for imaginary foreign markets; to throw several millions of workmen out of employment, and thus lessen the people's power to buy and (consume the products of the country’s 'agriculture—this Is the net meaning of the Democratic outcry against Republican protection, and of the campaign ifor control of Congress which the Democratic party is now waging. Any tariff In force for nine years Is 'bound to develop iniquities, and doubtjless the present schedules are defective iin some particulars. They should be Revised, arid will be, if President Rooseivelt’s aims prevail. But a Democratic !Congress will mean, not revision, but destruction. There is no reason to doubt that the country understands this, or to imagine that the country has any intention of turning Congress over to the Democratic party.—Tacoma Ledger.

Campaign on Higher Lines. Voters in the West are under no necessity of resting satisfied with “The bald assertion that the Dlngley act is the perfection of tariff legislation,” while even the party opponents of that act are compelled, in their statements of facts and conditions in the business world, to prove its surpassing efficacy. The widening distribution of manufacturing industries over the country is at last admitted by the free-traders, after years of denial, because the fact has now become so palpable that continued denial, even free traders can see, would involve a disastrous reaction against those persisting in it. The diffusion of investment and of enterprise under the Dlngley tariff law are such as to be capable of easy demonstration. They, In fact, demonstrate themselves and make ‘‘the bald assertion that the Dlngley act is the perfection of tariff legislation” unnecessary. Bald assertion is never necessary when facts and figures are available. If .we are to have a tariff campaign this year it is growing reasonably clear that it is to be on higher lines than in the day of the last great obfuscation. Cleveland got the key to the White House in 1892 on incongruities and absurdities which can not be repeated In any tariff campaign into which the Democratic party will venture, or let Itself be driven without wiping it off the map. It finds Itself forced to admit the distribution of manufacturing industries and the existence of a home market for foodstuffs and raw materials raised On the farms. The country retains a vivid recollection of the last campaign,. Jn which It was contended that there was no distribution of manufacturing industry and no home man ket which could maintain the prices of farm products. The Republican party has recognized, in the passage of the railway rebate and regulation law, that Its broad national poilcy of diffusing Industrial growth and placing consumers and producers on one common basis As interest, must be supplemented by

new legislation, it concedes that the Dingier law. while it has worked v miracles of, change from the sonphouse era”of tariff tinkering untie? < u veland. must he buttressed by other laws, regulnting internal commerce between the claim of absolute perfection for any beuian jdevice. But according to Democratic testimony the results of its policy to date are such that it may well “staqd pat" for this campaign.— St. Louis Globe-Democrat. ■— ,;- c f . Good Politics and Common Senna. The decision in favor of the “stand pat” policy on the tariff question Is good politics and common sense. The time for making a breach in our tariff walls is not yet at hand. The President was elected, in 1904, on a tariff platform sound in every timber. He received the largest popular vote, and the largest- popular majority ever given -to a candidate for office in the world’s history. That tremendous indorsement by the people of the United States was an unfailing index of the popular sentiment on the tariff question, as upon* the other questions of the campaign. So far as is known the people have not radically changed their minds on these important issues. They certainly have not had reason for any very radical changes of sentiment. The widespread prosperity which then existed still continues. There Is work In plenty for. all who will work. Wages were never better, and all the conditions favorable to continued progress still exist. Why should the Republican party renounce one of Its chief articles of faith, which the people have so enthusiastically ? So long as well Is well enough, whju uot let well enough alone, instead of entering upon experiments which have heretofore been proved to be impracticable? So far as issues are concerned, the Republican hosts are ready to go into the battle to-morrow. There are men to defend the policies as well as policies to defend.—Los Angeles Times. Trusts or Farmers? More than $65,000,000 of American capital is Interested In Cuban sugar and tobacco production. The American Tobacco Trust alone has over $40,000,000 inyested, and the Sugar Trust and the Havemeyers are heavily Interested in raw sugar plants. A Southern Democratic Senator is a large holder of Cuban sugar-growing stock, and a number of other United States Senators- are “in” on various Cuban sugar and tobacco -deals. Upon these facts the Cuban sugar and tobacco Interests largely base their hopes of a renewal of the reciprocity treaty which expires two years hence. Holders of nearly $100,000,000. in American beet-sugar plants, American farmers who sell about $30,000,000 worth of beets a year for sugar-making, and other American farmers who grow cane sugar, tobacco and fruits are hoping that the treaty will not bo renewed. It remains to be seen whether the trusts or the farmers will count for most when the Cuba a treaty comes up for extension in the fail of 1908.

A Bit of History.

As a part of tlie record of the Congress campaign of 1906 the following is worthy of preservation: Oyster Bay, N. ¥., July 25, 1906. Dear Mr. Shopman: I have your letter of the 24th inst. and inclosures. I send my dollar. I think It an admirable plan, and I congratulate you upon the success that bids fair to attend the movement. Sincerely yours, THEODORE ROOSEVELT.