Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-06-09
FREE TRADE TARIFF "RsFoRM."

1
By Printing In the Congregational Record
| - Their speecheg ON the Free Wool IiI1I
| Extracts from Henry Georges hook
Irotection or Free Trade, Democrats
Have Committed Themselves to the Pol
| 10y OF Absolute Free Trade and the
Abolition OF Private Ownership In Land.
said Mr.. Henry Watterson. Of Ken
lucky; THE democratic party is free
trade party or it is nothing" The less
honest members Of that party have made
and still make strenuous efforts 10 hide
this truth from the people. With their
free wool bill, and their free cotton tie
and cotton bagging bill and such other
tree trade bills sent to the senate as
they see fit to pass before the adjourn
ment OF congress. they will find their
task more difficult in the approaching
campaign than ever before. Too many
bold free trade speeches by representa-
tive democrats have been placed On rec
ord, too many bitter aud unqualified
denunciations OF protection in the alb
stract for successful deception.
| One little occurrence we particularly
wish TO call TO the attention of our
readers.
On April IL Congressman Burrows. OF
Michigan. called the attention of the
house To the fact that democratic con-
grcssmen had been inserting, as their
remarks on the free wool bill. long ex-
tracts from Henry Georges PROTECTION
and Free Trade" IL furth n appeared
that this was merely the CARRYING out
OF scheme 10 give Mr.. Georges work
wide circulation at public expense A
number of democrats had divided the
book between them, each taking com
plcte number of chapters in consecu-
tive order, which were regularly in
serted by them in the Congressional
Record
Thus the whole work was printed on
the installment plan, and. having APP
peared in the Record, could be sent free,
according to law, through the mails.
This accomplished, all that remained to
do was for each member in the scheme
to order large number of copies of his
own speech" and the party had be-
tween them an equal number of Henry
Georges work complete.
We do not care at this time TO com.
mcnt on the fragrant abuse of congress
sional privileges in thus utilizing the
United States government as u free trade
campaign bureau, nor do we care TO
dwell upon any other Of the disreputable
features Of the free trade scheme But
wedowant to call the attention of Amer
lean voters everywhere to the character
of the literature which these democrats
are sending out in defense Of their mis-
named tariff reform" movement.
Do you know who Henry George is?
what kind of a book his protection and
Free trade 10?
Henry George believes that II is NOR
ally wrong TO own land, that it is no
better than robbery What teacher
and guide for farmers and the hundreds
of thousands Of poor people whose saw
lngs ola laborious lifetime are invested
in modest homes. His book ON the tar
i'll does not advocate tariff reform"
However much we may disagree with
him, we must confess that he is honest
in his convictions - too honest not To
see and TO acknowledge the duplicity of
that bogus term. lie believes in free
trade-as he delights to put IL himself
free t-r-a-d-e-free trade. That Is. he
would annihilate every custom house
tomorrow il he could. And such is
the doctrine the democrats of the Fifty
second congress circulate as tariff RE
form" Yet in very few months their
army of hired orators will be around
abusing everyone who accuses them of
leaning toward free trade, and again
their uniformed thousands of paraders
will be shouting in unison from one
end of the country to the other, as they
did in 1888:
Don't, don't, don't be afraid,
Tarin reform Is not free trade"
One brief extract from Mr.. Georges |
book sums up his tariff creed. On page
SO he says: "Those protectionists The |
mentions Henry c. Carey and Prof. L. |
=. Smith and r. II. Thompson) are right |
who declare that protection Is the only |
justification for tariff, and the advo- |
Gates of n tariff for revenue only have |
no case" And il is that unequivocal |
pronounciamento for absolute free |
trade in the literal sense of the term, |
by man who calls land ownership n |
sin, which democratic congressman are |
scattering broadcast among farmers in |
behalf of tariff reform Gentlemen, |
you are working out the perpetuation of |
the principles of the Mckinley tariff.
And we rejoice in the success of your
scheme.
Reduced Foreign Competition for Farmers