Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-07
DEMOCRATIC TARIFF POLICY.
Beneficial Reforms DISTRACTED by Protec-
tiOn-Fed MOnOpOlists.

Beneficial Reforms ObStructed by PrOteS-
tiOn-Fed MonoPOlists.
The consequences of nearly thirty
years of robbery by protected monopo-
lists are not easily overcome. The
democratic party has a great and seri-
Gus task. It has undertaken to reform
the tariff and to turn back the princi-
pie of tariff legislation to the right
method, the method that prevailed in
framing the Walker tariff and the
ta-iff of 1857. But it is met on the
threshold of its reform work by gil
gantic combination of interests that
have been built up by the republicans
who have taxed the people to enrich
monopolists in consideration of gen.
erous contributions to campaign funds.
Back of the men who have invested
their wealth in industries for the sake
of securing tariff bounties, who have
bought laws and corrupted congresses
and who are entitled to no sympathy,
are thousands of innocent persons who
must not be injured by sudden changes
of laws.
1t is a hercAtask. but the democratic
party is making an effort to reform
abuses. If the party could have its
way, if it could be rid of some of its
own burdens, it would make a de-
cidedly stronger effort. AS it is, the
Wilson bill attempted to give the
country cheaper clothes, cheaper fuel,
cheaper homes, cheaper tools and a
larger market for the products of the
soil. In standing in the way of this
effort the republicans and their allies
are inviting much more radical legis-
lation than has yet been attempted.
The people have determined to be rid
of the odions system which wrings
millions OF dollars from them through
tariff taxes for the benefit of million
aires, and the democratic party is
pledged to help them.
If there is too much resistance there
may be more destruction than was con-
templated. Carnegie, with his pock-
cts bullying with the loot that had
been stolen for him by the republican
party, was the wisest protectionist of
them all when he advised his accom-
pices to accept the Wilson bill.
There are men calling themselves
democrats who hold and practice re-
publican principles, but the heart and
mind of the party are right, the real
leaders of the party are right and the
struggle against the system of protec-
| ton, which is a struggle for larger hui
man liberty and for less governmental
paterualism, will be carried on by the
democracy of the country. The repub-
ican party is the servant and slave of
monopolists. 1t is built on ilI-gained
wealth. The democratic party is the
party of the people and it will redeem
its pledges to break down Mckinley
ism. What the democratic majority in
the house accomplished in the face of
republican power in the senate is a
guarantee of the party's good faith. 1t
may be obliged to go slow. but it will
go in the right direction.-N. Y. World.
In defiance of an overwhelming
public opinion and of the latent senti-
ment in the republican party in favor
of tariff revision the republican sena-
tors resist every effort to make the
slightest reduction in the scale of
duties While they imagine that they
are promoting the interests of party in
severing the fairfield monopolies they
are preparing for repetition of the
popular demonstrations of 1890 and
1892. Whether this reaction from the
tariff panic of 1898 shall come this fall
or two years hence may depend upon
the degree OF republican resistance to
the present effort to enforce the popu-
lar will--Philadelphia Record
| After Mckinley the deluge has