Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-10-11
FOR TARIFF REFORM


FOR TARIFF REFORM
The Kansas City Daily Star, an indie
pendent paper, which has grown to
be welcome gisitor TO many thous-
and households, has the following edi-
torial upon the question OF tariff re-
form:
"a subscribers asks a question which
the Star is very glad to answer because
the response may open up to many
others a line of thought particularly
useful just at this time. The question
lis stated as follows: s'Why is it that the
4Stdr, which was started as an independ-
9nt, non-partisan newspaper, has from
Che very beginning favored a low tariff,
which is essentially a democratic doc
Vfinea's
YThe Star was founded in Kansas
City eight years ago with the firm con-
yiction that Kansas City was destined
90 be the metropolis and commercial
center Of the southwest. This faith
was based on it's geographical location
in the richest agricultural district on
earth. The Star identified itself from
the beginning with the agricultural in
terests of Kansas and Missouri, and all
the territory naturally tributary to Kan
sas City, and with the commercial en-
nf ho ,1,o %<%I
sas City in the same spirit and with
Che same faith entertained by the Star.
1t was obvious from the start that all
the interests of this vast agricultural
section and its commercial metropolis
were antagonized by a system of taxa
Zion devised for the special protection
OF the manufacturers Of the east and
the miners of Pennsylvania, and calcu-
dated to reduce farm products to the
minimum prices and compel the farm.
ars 70 pay the highest prices for all the
Aecessaries OF life which they cannot
raise on their land For this reason
the Star has advocated and continues
to advocate every measure of real tariff
reforma whether eminating from a re-
publican commission appointed by Pres
ident Arthur OF from Q democratic
house of representatives.
H.-ghe gesuft has fully justified the
Stars confidence in the growth of Kan
sas City and Che country tributary to it,
and the history of the unparalleled de-
velOpment of both, with the past eight
years, proves that their prosperity has
been due entirely to the richness of the
land, the energy of the toilers and the
enterprise of the business men who
have watched and promoted the natural
elements of wealth. There is scarcely
a single interest in Kansas City, or
within the entire domain of which Kan
sas City is the commercial center, which
demands or needs discriminating pro
lection, but, on the other hand, all the
interests Of this vast section demand
and are entitled to release from the
burden OF taxation and bounty which
discriminate against them for the ben
etit OF monopolies and ''trusts'' in other
sections OF the country. The southwest
is willing to meet all competition which
the law of supply and demand imposes,
but it seeks relief from the oppression
OF an artificial system of taxation nc
longer imposed to meet the necessities
of the government but maintained fo,
the benefit of favored classes. Hence
the Star is now, and always has been
for and with the people with whom il
has cast its lot and whom have contrib.
uted to the prosperity it now enjoys. II
would be at once ungrateful and unwise
to occupy any other attitude.
III.-Atthe time the Stor was started
. the tariff question was not party oues.
ton. The democratic speaker of thu
house of representatives, and the nc
knowledged leader of his party. wa,
Samuel J. Randall, then, as now, a dis
tnguished advocate of the protection
theory. During all the period of thu
STARS career both parties evaded the
tariff question as much as possible unit
Geveiand's bold and ringing message Al
tne opening of the present congress
forced them into line. In it's advocacy