People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-09-16


but on the heart of every man there
is picture of honesty, Of integrity,
of patriotism that you fellows do not
possess.
He said in answer to my second
question, s'Do you believe that there
Is unusual Distress" etc., that it was
chiefly attributable to tariff legisla-
ton, but, according to him, there
was not much of any kind. Now, |
have never underestimsted the evils
resulting from tariff legislation, but,
fellow citizens, if you will make the
calculation you will say at once that
the evils of the tariff, as stated by
his party or himself, are as drop in
the bucket compared with the i'm
mensely greater evil of the con-
traction of the currency and the
monopolies and other evils resulting
therefrom. Why do | say that ?
This nation now has an expense of
between four hundred and five hun
dred million dollars per annum.
That much has to be raised by taxa
ton, and the Democrats must always
mean to raise it by that method I'M
til they devise some other means.
Do they tell you how they propose
to raise the money saved by the So
called pop-gun tariff schemes by
which they would reduce the reve-
nue. at least about $158,000,000? The
government must have at least that
much money in order to replace what
they will lose. I asked Mr.. Black
the other day at Charlottesville how
he proposed to raise that $158,00O,-
900. 1t was fair question, a bust
nesslike and practical question, but
he never has answered that question
to this day.
A voice. No, and he never will;
he cannot.
MIR. Watson. | know it is claim
ed, and have claimed it on the best
figures I could get, basing my argu-
ment upon figures that that was not
the entire evil of the tariff-that the
tariff tax was not the entire evil con-
nected with it; for, in addition to the
tax that it took out of your pockets
to put into the treasury of the Fed
eral Government, which increased
the prices Of every article over
double, but that the people had to
pay four times as much to the manu-
facturer as the article was worth.
So true is this that / would like to
cut the entire system out root and
branch and bury it from the face of
the earth.
I do not take back one word that
I said when / was Presidential Elec-
tor. [ reiterate every word [ utter
ed against the tariff, and [ am in
favor of removing it, at least to
very material extent; but l realize
that it cannot be done until we sub
stitute some other way in which the
money must be raised for the needs
Of the Government. Does not every
business man see the pertinenoy OF
that proposition?
Now, they tell you that our plat
form does not touch the tariff. They
do not read our platform-they do
not read their own. Iaughter.)
Let us get at the truthEof this. What
does our platform say? ListenI It
says that ''the protective system Of
the United States is a failure"
Where does the Democratic plat
form say that? Not only that, it
says that the income of the Govern
ment must be restricted to the
economical needs of the Government.
The Democratic platform does say
that, but where do we differ? The
Democratic party says that all of the
four or five hundred millions, neces~
sary for the needs Of the Govern
ment, shall be raised by this iniqui-
tous tariff, which carries four dollars
into the pockets of the private in
dlvidual to every one which the
Government receives; while we say
to levy an income tax on the enorm-
GUS fortunes made by the profit aris-
ing from the tariff-fortunes which,
not only do not pay a cent toward
the expenses Of the Government but
make fortunes at the same time.
That is Democracy (Great cheer
ing.)
THEY HAVE NOT a CHANCE!
Why do they not say they are in
favor Of an in come tax? Because
the millionaires who have control Of
the party machinery, will not let
them. They have not chance be-
cause they will not let them. (Laugh-
ter.)
Not only that, they will not give
you genuine tariff reform; they will
simply trim it's hair. Instead Of
IS per cent. tariff they are going to
give you a AT per cent tariff.
They are going to cut off the
first joint Of Goliath's finger, and
leave all the rest to press upon the
people.
A voice. Let us go, I have had
enough of that.
Mr.. Watson. Do not go, boys,
there will be some fun directly. You