The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1892-06-29

sided over the republican convention
boa~ted that be did not know what
tariff reform wa- Who ever said
that L. dill! Lit us hope with that
charity that eudureth all things and
believeth all things, that he 10 truly
as ignorant as he vaunts himself to
be Unfortunately the people are
not so ignorant Of the meaning of
protection-at least Of the protec-
lection which 10 dealt out TO them in
the bill that bears bis name. They
see that meaning writ large" to-day
in Frustrated agriculture, in q
shackled comme, r-. in stricken in-
dustries, in the compulsory idleness
Of labor, iu law made wealth. in the
discomfort of the workingmen and
the despair of the farmer They
know by hard experience that pro.
lection as q system of taxation is
but the old crafty scheme by which
the rich compel the poor to pay the
expenses of the government. They
know by hard experience that
protection as q system of tribute is
but the old crafty scheme by
which the taxation of the people is
made the private property of a
few of the people. Tariff reform
means to readjust this system of
taxation and to purge away this
system of tribute. 1t means that
we have not reached the goal of per
feet freedom SO long as any citizen
is forced by law to pay tribute to
any other citizen and until our taxes
are proportloned to the ability Of the
taxpayers rather than to his iguo-
rance, his weakness and his patience
" Governor Mckinley further
charges that the democratic party
believes III taxing ourselves. | AN
afraid. aeIt.enen, we must admit
this charge. What right OF excuse
have we for taxing anybody else?
VIII /, can;i:.eut fcv :, country, with
freedom auI Intelligence as the III
stru,uents tyr its development. we
sta.i iis,Tacel in the eyes OF all
mankind if we cannot and do not sup
polt cur own government We can
throw that support on other people
only by beggary or force If we
use the one we are q pauper nation;
/. Wc use the other We are u ,5rate
uatiyu Tie democratic party does
u ! intend that We shall be either.
No noe 1.cs It intend that they
shall falsely call it taxing other peo
pie to transfer our taxes from the
possessions Of those who owa the
property of the country to the bel
lies and backs of those who DO the
work of the country. 1t believes
that flugality is the essential virtue
of free government 1t believes that
taxes should be limited to needs and
be levied by plain justice and econo-
my.
But gentlemen we are confront
ed by a new cry this campaign. The
republican party, says Governor Nc
kinley. now stands for protection
and reciprocity He was for protec
tion alone when he framed his bill
in the house, or rather permitted
its bene6ciaries to frame it for him,
aud firmly resisted all efforts of the
statesman from Maine to annex
reciprocity to it. No wonder that
he favors the reciprocity added
by the senate. You may explore
the pages of burlesque literature for
anything more supremely ludicrous
than the so-called reciprocity of the
Mckinley bill. 1t is not reciprocity
at all 1t is retaliation, and worst OF
all, retaliation on our people. II
Furnishes American citizens for the
necessities or follies Of other people
1t says to small countries south oi
US: "You are forced by your neces
sites. or led by your follles to make
bread higher and scarcer to your
people; we will make shoes and su.
gar higher to our people" And now
We are told that reciprocity is to be
their battle cry. Already We are re-
galed with pictures of Ben Harrison
clad in armor and going forth to bat
tie for reciprocity on plumed steed
Simple Simon fishing for whales il
his mothers rain barrel and in grea1
triumph capturing an occasional
wiggle waggle is the only true
realistic picture of the reciprocity
of the Mckinley tariff. We are fo1
the protection that protects and fol
the reciprocity that reciprocates
We are in favor Of protecting ever,
man in the enjoyment of the fruit o.
his labor, diminished only by his
proper contribution to the suppor
of the government, and for that rea
reciprocity, not through dickerine
Ill onl ,4an}I,f ,,rn.f 7,