Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-09-06
NO BACKING DOWN.


tariff leader in the house of representa-
tives, was renominated for congress by
reclamation. at Martinsburg, W. Va,
August 90. In his address to the con-
vention Mr.. Wilson spoke of his i'll
health and the difficulties of his MAX
ing the canvass, but that he felt it his
duty to accept the call upon him in
view of the great struggle through
which the party had just passed and
the work yet before it. Mr.. Wilson
continued:
The congress which adjourned yesterday was
charged blythe people with duty clear, I'M
mIStakable tranScendent to secure from the
grasp of private and selfish hands the power of
federal taxation, to lift from the backs OF the
American people that burden of tribute to
privilege and monopoly which under thirty
years OF republican legislation has grown con-
Stantly heavier. until il far exceeded the
legitimate and necessary taxation for
the support of the government, to re-
claim and make forever sure that heri-
tage of American youth, which is the true
meaning and priceless boon of democratic in
stitutionS-equal opportunity in a land OF equal
rights. This is the inspiring mission which
the democratic party had long sought from the
American people power and authority 20 per-
form. To this mission the immediate repre-
sentativeS of the people gave themselves earn
eStly and faithfully. In that work they were
at all times cheered and encouraged by their
great leader, who for eight years in defeat and
victory had led in the movement for tariff re-
form. While he scrupulously abstained from
interference with the work of those entrusted
with the reform legislation, he was inSistent in
season and out of season in urging that the
pledges on which We had come into power
should be fulfilled in the letter and in the
spirit, and that the blessings of re-
duced and lust taxation should be fully
and honestly secured to the American people
In this great work your own representative
thanks Kindness a
public service, was assigned an important and
most arduouS part. No man could fifty under
take to frame revenue bill for nation of co.,
OO0,000 people, unsurpassed in worth and in the
magnitude and variety of their industrial and
commercial interests to purge monopoly from
that system. to replace class exaction by pub
lie taxation, privilege by co uality, to tighten
the burden of the people, secure larger rewards
for their labor and freer play for their industry
without being appalled, by the greatness Of the
trust committed to him, and the thickening
difficulties in the way Of its successful per-
Torrance.
1 cannot claim to have arisen to the full
height of this duty, but have never faltered
in the belief that you, my friends and cOnStitu-
entS, expected and desired me to enter upon
my work in this spirit and in this spirit to per-
severe to its close, knew that you were tariff
reformerS without reservation. I knew that
the democrats of West Virginia were not Iro-
tectioniStS for West Virginia and reformerS and
free traders for other states But even if had
known otherwise I should not have gone aside
one step from what was to me the clear path
way of duty to all the people.
You know, for you have followed with wal CHI
full interest, the varying history of our attempt
at tariff reform. You have followed with ris-
ing hopes and hearty approval the action of
the house of representatives in the framing
and passage of measure bearing the badges
OF dem ocratic principles and fraught with
promised benefits to all the people You have
followed with waning hopes and angry diSap-
proval the tedious and tortuous passage Of that
bill through the senate and have seen that. de-
spite q nominal democratic majority in that
body, the great trusts and monopolies were
still able to write their taxes as they had done
under republican rule. in some of its most i'm
portant schedules. The burden upon you is
the same W neither they use democratic or re-
publican hand their ananuenSiS. But the
wrong to you is infinitely greater when those
who bear the commission of your own Jlarty
thus prove faithless to its highest duties.
need not recite to you the successive steps,
the material and baneful alterations through
which the house bill quietly passed into q law
yesterday morning. without the signature and
approval of the president. who elected
upon the issue of tariff reform and who antici-
pated the signal triumph and historic
achievement OF his administration the priv
ilege OF af1Xlng his name to genuine and
thorough reform bill
You know by what influence this was brought
about. The country knows and history will
know whore to to put the responsibility for our
partial failure to redeem our pledges to the
great privileged interests from our tariff. I
am not that this very failure may not be
the harbinger aud assurance of Speedier and
more complete triumph of commercial freedom
than the smooth and unobStructed passage Of
the house bill would have been.
The people are aroused as hardly anything
else could have aroused them to the deadly
menace which protection begetS to the purity
and the very existence of free government.
They have seen single great trust empow-
cred by tariff laws to control the production
and sale OF a necessity CT life, parceiing out
the country with its partners, and using its
law-made wealth and power to thwart the best
efforts of the people to reduce their own taxa
tion. They have seen it hold up congress for
weeks and have heard its Representatives
boldly declare that there would be tariff bill
in which their interests were not protected, and
they have realized the final fulfllment of the
boast
When the sugar trust thus challenges the
American people to contest of strength its
days are numbered its temporary triumph is
its Speedier and more complete overthrow. and
with its overthrow will vanish it's sister brood
OF monopolieS that are strong through its sup
port.
s5But, my friends, there is another and brighter
side to this picture. With all its manifold fail
ures. its final retention of many protective du-
ties, it's Objectionable sugar schedule and its
excessive duties cotton and woolenS and
metals, the new bill carries in it very SubStan-
tial relief to the .beople and must be accepted
as a substantial beginning of thorough and
progressive tariff reform. Tt means cheaper
clothing, cheaper tools, cheaper pottery and
many other neceSsarieS for the people. 1t
means freer and larger commerce with those
markets for our farmers 1t means a transfer
of some of our burdens of government from