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The Commoner.
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 1J
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Practical Tariff Talks
and Is left free to do as monopoly always does,
raise tho prioo to tho highest point the trafllo
will bear. C. Q. D.
Dofonders of tho rayne-Aldrich tariff bill
havo sought to avoid any responsibility of that
law for tho high priceB now existing by point
ing to tho greatly increased gold supply. Whilo
no ono who protends to any knowledge of po
litical oconomy would seek to deny that there is
a distinct relation botwecn tho world's supply
of metal money and prices, yet it must also bo
conceded that when tho lluctuation is not tho
samo In all countries there must be a disturb
ing factor working somewhere Thus when tho
prlco of woolons rise on tho London market
C and 8 por cent, as thoy did recontly, whilo
tho advance in this country was 25 per cent,
nobody who protends to any sanity of utterance
would contend that tho gold supply element
was tho solo cause. And when he investigated
further and discovered that tho rlso in prices
tho world over has not been as great as in tho
Unltod States, ho must conclude that some causo
local in character must bo operating here. Tho
truth is that tho history of tho tariff shows
that high prices always follow tho enactment
of high tariffs. This is not difllcult of explana
tion; that is what tho high tariff was passed
for.
This was openly and avowedly tho moving
causos bohind tho McKlnloy and Dingloy bills.
It was complacently explained, to thoso who
protested vigorously, that tho high prices would
tompt into manufactures now capital and that
tho competition that would follow would reduce
prices. Tho argument sounded well, but this
could bo truo only so long as there was per
fect freedom. Tho manufacturers wore very
quick to soo that thoy wore foolish, after having
had foreign competition shut out by tho tariff
to go, ahoad and cut one another's throats
that by a combination of capital or. trade agree
ment rolativo to prices thoy could hold tho
prlco up to tho point placed by tho tariff. Tako
a concrete example. Suppose that on carpot
costing ?1 a yard -a tariff of 75 por cent is
placod. This arbitrarily places a price of $1 80
a yard on that carpot, computing 5 per cent
for frolgh and insurance. That high price was
put thoro by tho tariff law itself. Even if that
75 por cent tariff represents tho difference in
labor cost hero and abroad, tho law practically
fixes that prlco to tho consumer. As labor
raroly represents more than 20 per cent of the
ontlro cost In any industry of that character,
t is clear that the dlfforenco between the actual
labor cost and tho protondod dlfforenco of labor
cost in tho tariff marks tho amount of money
presented to tho manufacturer. Tho law hands
all over to him, and high protectionists profess
to boliovo that ho will hand back the excess
in some way, although ho never has.
Andrew Carnoglo, who was presented with
many millions by this method, in hfs testinTonv
before the ways and means committee (Z
5815 of printed record) makes this open con
fession: "Tho only justification for a eovfvt
mont raising tho price to the consumer of anv
article, because that is what a tariff doW ft I
tariff did not raise tho price U would be TfnS
use that Is only justifiable when you can in
duce a body of capitalists to risk capital in the
experiment of Introducing a new industry into
a country, which is in its nature . temnorSl
If tho experiment has boon successful I S. ?f h
boon in steel it, in my opin ion? y indicates Z
protective policy which wo have pursued. b?
permanent protection, I think, Is w injustice
!inVIOCOA81,,n?r; aml If' after forty years of
trial, tho American steel industry does ?
a tariff, then I think wo should fessen it m.
Tho tariff can not escape ativ mrf ni
tho reduction no greater thin 811?h,!b,tlvo aud
nrlonn hrnn TJ a;Br an the increase In
sfceltced as hyZZsVl
THE FIGHT ON CANNON
Whether anything Is gained for the public
Interests by tho dramatic fight made by tho
democrats and republican insurgents for tho
resolution changing tho committee on rules will
depend upon the character of tho men chosen
for tho now committee. That tho six republi
can members are to be selected by tho republi
can caucus (that caucus being under control
of the Cannon forces) does not give great reason
for hope along this lino. It was, however, a
notable fight. Tho democrats are to bo con
gratulated because they stood shoulder to
shoulder in a good cause. Tho insurgents who
voted for tho Norris resolution are to be con
gratulated for having left their party even to
this extent. Tho nine insurgents who stood
faithfully with the democrats and voted to oust
Speaker Cannon are to bo congratulated for hav
ing displayed a high form of courage.
Mr. Norris and the other insurgents who de
serted the democrats just at the moment when
a real victory was at hand made a serious mis
take. Even Speaker Cannon, in his speech be
fore the Illinois society, taunted them when ho
said:
"A resolution was presented declaring the
ofilco of speaker vacant Then what did these
men do who havo been denouncing my person
ality, these Simon-pure followers of Senator La
Folletto, do then? Only eight of them had tho
courage of their convictions. Tho result was
that, whilo I was elected by a' majority of twenty
six last March, they refused to turn mo out by
a majority of thirty-six."
Everyone likes a determined fighter, and men
of all parties were bound to show some admira
tion for the aged speaker "who fought his oppo
nents to a standstill, defying them to do their
worst. We must not, however, in our willing
ness to avoid personalities and to show admira
tion for a striking character, make tho mistako
of forgetting that Mr. Cannon is the representa
tive of the trust system. That system is op
pressing tho American people. Because of its
exactions men and women, generally, find it
difficult to make both ends meet in every day
life, while in most of the cities of the country
dire poverty prevails because of the greed for
gold shown by tho gigantic system that is rep
resented in the councils of our nation by Joseph
G. Cannon. ,
It is a pity that a man with his force of charac
ter should havo given his life to the service of
an oppressive trust system. But there he stands
the servant of special interests and just as ho
fought for his masters to the last ditch, so Mr
Norris and other insurgents should have stood
with the democrats, fighting for the people.
They should have ousted Mr. Cannon from tho
speaker's chair, choosing as his successor a man
who would have co-operated with a new ma
jority in the house of representatives to the end
that genuine reform legislation be sent to tho
senate and, if possible, to the president for
approval or rejection.
They failed failed Ignomlniously. Thev
have, however, demonstrated for the benefit of
the American people that the way to obtain re
ef from Aldrichism and Cannonism is to dri
the republican party from power. They havo
demonstrated that there is small hope for sen!
urno relief through the election to congress of
any man upon whose allegiance the republican
party may depend in the hour of party peril
THE PERISHING REPUBLIC
It was a wild night at sea, lads, in the hm,
of representatives Thursday night No X2
ignUre !5 X1 mIxed The Publicln ship was a!
sea, and the long, low rakish democratic craft
flying tho skull and cross-bones !!,'
down upon it. More than thaHnThl remJwf
It is plain that tho Bee's Washing
spondont was nervous, and excited !nd fTJT
ened, and mad through and I Srouish f S lt
"Guffaws and laughter," we rend in t
yell sounding as the Balla X slmd
with Joe Cannon hiding in the hold!
And, "Judge Norris consulted with the demo
cratic leaders" the o.wdacious willian, Sam
Weller would call him! Had ho no sense or
shame, cuddling up that way to the rebel yell?
Then it got worse. Listen:
"Fighting for their very existence, the regu
lar republicans invoked the constitution to their
aid, citing precedents covering 130 years of par
liamentary history. Ribald laughter met tho
efforts of the leaders and the smell of blood
seemed to make the democrats ravenous, and
with hoots and shouts, with noisy vociferations
and demonstrations the democrats, augmented
by the insurgents, pursued their advantage.''
Wasn't it awful, Mabel? The republican pa
triots standing there through the horrendous
night, fighting for their very existence, invoicing
tho constitution, even and being met with
ribald laughter, with hoots and shouts, by tho
ravenous and blood-thirsty rebel democrats!
Little wonder if the Bee correspondent was
driven to moralizing as he sat there in tho gal
lery with the awesome scene spread out before
him. Nero fiddled, it is said, -while Romo
burned, but the Bee correspondent, more gen
tlemanly than Nero, couldn't find it in his heart
to fiddle while the republic was perishing. Be
sides, he didn't have any fiddle, in his heart or
elsewhere. So he shuddered and wrote down
his shudders. Thus:
v 7fc wa,s s?,ch an exPosition of unbridled power
that made thoughtful citizens looking on from
the gallery shudder for the safety of the country.
It was a day of license without regulation."
As we write this, we don't know whether tho
country eventually perished or not. We fear,
however, tho worst. Omaha World-Herald.
CELEBRATION AT LINCOLN
The Lincoln Bryan club celebrated W T
Bryan's fiftieth birthday, March 19 A largo
number of ladies and gentlemen were present
Addresses were delivered by Governor ShalleS
berger, Frederick Shepherd of Lincoln and IT H.
Tibbies, at one time the populist nominee for
vice president of the United States. Resolution!
were adopted as follows: uuons
t is esolve(, That we, tho members of tho
Lincoln Bryan club, meeting hero toniX t
celebrate the anniversary of the birth r n? t
Irvanf ,f thG 'l WilllamJenningl-
eiddcUS STSSJ
Sr hin SISSS
right, and are deeply interested in him
of the great conri tw ! i n hIm because
triumphs over th fn . peefl In futuro
that still Cart and t?reaLnrr and WronS
happiness of the r?niihi?J e2 the peace and
loyal support in th?ni &nd W0 pledSe our
arrogancervile doming Dg COntests ln whI
and corruptoVfluences wuPSfV ?.Wer
from the land and Si ?Sf 7 I yet be driven
Popular government? SttigZS??" PU
Jefferson and unheld -vn,i f Dy,the Immortal
tyred President Lincoln" SUSained b? the mar-
th0 J declaration in
the democraticypX& of Son? ta wIth
we hereby endorse afl of hS aitonomy. and
on all of the public nuZP UblI(L Frances
country." p Dllc questions before this
OPPORTUNITY
Foolish is ho who says that ftf m0 .,
I knock but once a f,,S hIs door
Fearing jest he shall hiiV omQnt sy,
Glad to escape Mm-to return haSte
Not so, I knock and wait ?t,h mre'
Come back to summon Mm d iw a,?d 'e?
I come to call the idler Jw ?ay,after day
Or wake the dreamer Smfm his play'
Out of a thousand haSvmLVain uproar
One, if he hear -again S ?W and then '
Will tardy rlso anri nd, yet asain,
The rest, half puzzled HS? lan&uidly.
To Play or sfeep, nor" seek n?y?d' ret
Who the untimely? clown2P WiSh to lea
-William H. may BUQBt may be
' bacly' in Atlantic Monthly.
about'tteif S oomptol
this country does notel, be tnnkrul that
British system, 'intdid !hlmakers on the
been a lot of now faces in Shepe Would kave,
after the passage of thj i ? Sress a few weeks
non tariff law. iuf amous Aldrich-CaS-