THE STRUGGLE FOE EQUALITY 195 



is no longer regarded as so vital a matter as twenty years ago. In many 

 instances, only the duties that were nominally protective have been re- 

 moved by the act of 1913. Two noteworthy exceptions are wool and 

 sugar which go on the free list, the latter, however, not till May 1, 1916. 

 The duties on silks were probably left well above the maximum revenue 

 yielding point. There is no reason to suppose that barbed wire will sell 

 for less because it has been placed on the free list. The new tariff will 

 probably reduce the cost of living but little for the average family. The 

 by-elections, thus far, indicate a vote of confidence in the administration. 

 Moreover, the division of the opposition into Eepublicans and Progres- 

 sives promises to give the new tariff a fair trial. It may turn out that 

 the popular mind has exaggerated the importance of the tariff. Many 

 have attributed the panic of 1893 to the tariff of the following year. 

 The part played by the appreciation of gold, the silver agitation and the 

 reckless expansions of railroads during the eighties has been frequently 

 ignored. It has been common to explain good times in terms of a high 

 tariff and hard times in terms of a low tariff. The building of railways 

 has done far more for our industrial development than the tariff, and 

 yet it is usually treated as a matter of minor importance in popular dis- 

 cussion. There is at least a chance that the country will revise its theory 

 of prosperity. Certainly, an industrial policy that promotes the growth 

 of cities is less needed than fifty years ago. The panic of 1907 helped 

 to shatter the popular belief that a high tariff insures prosperity. Much 

 will depend upon the character of the times during the next three or 

 four years. If times are good, the lower duties will probably receive 

 undue credit. If times are hard, an undue amount of blame will prob- 

 ably be laid at the door of the new tariff. 



IV 



The public mind is at present very suspicious of lobbyists. President 

 Wilson recently promoted the progress of the tariff by calling attention 

 to the number of lobbyists in Washington. The right of every one to 

 present any facts, either in person or by proxy, to the members of our 

 legislative bodies is generally conceded. The special interest is entitled 

 to a hearing as well as the disinterested philanthropist. The protected 

 manufacturer has the same right to be heard as the opponent of child 

 labor. If the presentation is done in the open, and if the arguments 

 employed are addressed to the minds and not to the pockets of our legis- 

 lators and are unaccompanied with threats, no exception can well be 

 taken. The average member of our legislative bodies, as well as the gen- 

 eral public, can be trusted to make due allowance for anything one may 

 say in behalf of his own interests. On the other hand, when those who 

 present the facts possess the ballot, there is a fair chance that what they 

 say will receive due consideration. 



Why, then, are lobbyists regarded with such suspicion ? The answer 



