Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1907 — VARIOUS REASONS [ARTICLE]

VARIOUS REASONS

Why Vsriona t»eople Are An*lon* to i" Rip Up the Tariff. There are various reasons In the minds of men promoting the desire for a taking up of the tariff question. In the Arst place every manufacturer who favors tariff changes has in mind the other man, never once thinking that he will he hit. Secondly, the man who would have a ebange has in mind lower prices,, for the other man, not for himself. Third, the salaried class who feels that their . situations are permanent. This class has always been in favor of practical free trade. Fourth, the man who has plenty of money with which to avail himself of the advantages to be offered to him in the way of low-prieed property. In other words, the man wlto is prepared to make money out of disaster welcomes disaster; Fifth, there is a class of men who think the wage worker Is getting to be too obstreperous, too hard to handle, all the time wanting more money. A suspension of business, caused by tariff ripping, would, they say, bring the

wage worker to his senses by causing him to seek a job instead* of having the job seek him, as is the case at the present time. Men are not asking for more wages when they are out of work. Then they - e only asking for jobs. Tariff ripping would throw men out of employment The National Manufacturers’ Association has declared for an immediate revision of the tariff. That association is anti-union.

Sixth, there are those who are complaining that they are weary of the servant girl tyranny, They want something, to break the servant girl's hack, figuratively speaking. Closing factories and shops by tariff ripping would throw girls arid women out of employment and they would be compelled to seek domestic service Hence tariff ripping, some people think, would solve the servant girl problem. Seventh, a large number oi men voted for McKinley and protection in 1896 who never believed in protection, and only resorted to it as a temporary expedient. While calling themselves Republicans they are really Democrats, They began to agitate for the repeal of the Dingley law two years after its adoption. They voted for it to bring better times and better prices. So soon as it began to accomplish Tts jjiufposethey returned to their old ideas, wanting low prices by which to buy and high prices by which to soil. These are some of the classifications and some of the reasons for the tariff ripping sentiment which prevails today.—Des Moines Capital.

Why Farmers Are Protectionist*. If there is any one who deserves the comforts of this life, it is the farmer. When a farmer has splendid gas lights all over bis fine new house, big bathroom, hot and cold running water, furhard wood floors, fine piano, gas for cooking and even gas lights in his barn, we can’t shed tears over his trodden condition. And we are* glad that we can’t. In addition he, of course, has rural free delivery at his door. All he needs is a trolley car and an automobile. As it is, he lias more of the comforts of life than any resident of Belle l’lalne. This Is not an overdrawn picture. If you don’t- believe it we can show you, and within

eight miles of Belle Platne, too. —Belle Blaine Union.

It is this condition of things that makes the average lowa farmer a protectionist. All of the good things that the Union speaks of to him through the beneficent operation of the protective tariff, which has not only afforded him better prices for his grain and produce, but has furnished him a wonderful market in which to sell. The unlimited amount of work now afforded the laboring man, and the splendid wages be is receiving, enable him to buy generously of the good things of this life, which Include in large measure the products of the fa mu With, a scaling down of the protective schedules, the farmer would at once experlence a decrease in demand for what he lias to sell and a resultant falling off in profit. There are tliose who strenuously deny the farmer is benefited by the protective tariff, but not many of t hem ex Ist among the farmiug classes. —Burlington Hawk-Eye.

Not n Square Deal. The goods imported from Germany arc virtually under the new agreement allowed to enter at the value certified by the German chambers of commerce. Thus the duty on German goods is less than that exacted upon the products of other countries which are subject to an ail valorem rate of duty, because the lo\V?r the value at which imports are apirr'ised the less the duty. Until we allow France, England and other countries the some favor, it can hardly lie called a square deal. The Manufacturers' Association and the standpatters object to tills agreement with Germany because it thus reduces the rate of duty In this _ roundabout way.— Jauesi IHe (Wls.) Recorder.