The New York Times/1901/08/01/Mr. Babcock's Tariff Bill
MR. BABCOCK'S TARIFF BILL.
Its Author Says It Is Not Aimed Against All Trust-Made Goods.
Special to The New York Times.
MILWAUKEE, July 31.—A letter has been received here from Congressman J. W. Babcock, in which he defends his Tariff bill. He admits his bill is crude in some particulars, but says it could be amended in committee. He says:
"Those who have attacked my proposition assume that I want to have the tariff removed from all trust-made goods. This is not so. The theory of Republican protection has been to protect labor and material. We are now producing some articles at a less cost than any other nation.
"After many of these industries have become giants such as the world has never before known, shall we continue a tariff on articles that yield no revenue, need no protection, and that, in fact, like the produce on our farms, are articles of export? If Congress maintains a tariff on such articles the whole theory of protection falls to the ground, and it simply inures to the benefit of those who may secure the control of any such commodity.
"I maintain that it is a part of the policy of protection to protect the consumers. I would not touch a schedule where the tariff was needed to protect labor."