The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-06-20
ter want of confidence in the admins
tration possessed the people.
Destroyed the Mckinley Law.

| struction of the Mckinley law But when
they came to the exercise OF the creative
faculty, the enactment of a great rev.
| enue measure in its stead, there was
dlscord. The imperiled interests of the
country watched and waited through
| long and anxious months for some SET
| Element of the important question. They
wanted an end to the uncertainty. At
| length the Wilson bill was adopted, ana
it was characterized by a democratic
! president as the child of 'perfidy and dis
honor 1t was so bad that he would not
contaminate his hand by signing it, A
bill that was too base for Mr.. Cleveland
to approve is too rotten for the approval
of the American people.
This important law was wanting in
the primary purpose of revenue meas
ure, for it failed to provide adequate
revenue to meet the requirements of the
government. The deficiency thus far
amounts to some $3.50 100000. The end is
not yet. for the deficiency grows day by
day. This leaves the public credit in
constant peril. Our foreign credit is i'm
paired, and domestic capital feels inse-
cure.
1.-THE sectional ravoritism of the Wilson
law was one of it's marked features Its
blow at the sheep industry was an un-
pardonable offense. 1t was a fragrant
wrong to the farmers of the Unit cd
States This great industry had devel-
oped and grown under republican pro-
tective laws until ii was one of our
greatest. We are now sending abroad
millions of dollars for wool which were
paid to our farmers under the Mckinley
law.
1.-The bill struck down reciprocity, one
of the highest achievements in America
craftsmanship. No measure was ever en-
acted which more directly advanced the
interest of the American farmer and
manufacturer than reciprocity. With its
destruction fell advantageous commercial
agreements under which our products
were surely finding larger and more prof.
table foreign markets, and without the
surrender of their own. The substitu
ton of ad valorem for specific duties has
opened the way for systematic and
wholesale frauds upon the treasury and
producers and employers Of the country.
BY means of under-valuations foreign
goods pass through the custom houses
without paying their just tribute to the
treasury of the United States. Thus we
have lost millions of dollars in revenue.
and the foreign producer has been en-
abled to fairly possess our home mar
kets.
Neither time nor place will permit
| further reference to the unfortunate leg
| islaton of the democratic party, nor to
| the hurtful, demoralizing effects of it.
! great and original factor in breaking
down confidence, checking progress.
emptying the treasury causing contin-
ued deficits and enforced idleness among
millions of willing workers. To meet the
monthly deficit and protect our credit
and save the government from protest,
| the president has been forced to sell
bonds; in other words. he has been
| obliged to mortgage the future in time
| of peace to meet the current obligations
of the government
This is in sharp contrast with the re-
publican record. Our tariff laws not
/ ONLY raised revenue hut they protected
our domestic industries; they impartially
protected the farmer and the manufac-
turer. both north and south. Not only
| that but they raised sufficient revenue
to gradually reduce the public debt, and
without imposing a grievous burden upon
the people. During the administration Of
| Harrison 1926 900, 600 of obligations We're
| paid, while Cleveland. during the last
three years, has added to our interest
! bearing debt $262, 100000. Against such
! democratic financering the republican
| party enters its emphatic protest Hav-
| ing attempted to reverse the tariff policy
of the United States with such lament
able results, the democratic party now
proposes to reverse the currency policy.
1T turns to the currency the parent
of our ills. It's effort to shift the re-
| spOnsibility will deceive one. Its at
tack upon the tariff it's return to inef-
ficiency and insincerity are a part of the
unfortunate history of the republic. The
present currency system is the fruit Of
| republican wisdom. 1t has been adequate
to all our past necessities, and if un-
corrupted will meet our future require
ments. Our greatest prosperity was at
tanned when the republican currency
laws were in full operation. When the
republican party was in power our cur
Iency was good; 1t was made as good
as the best on the globe. We made
sound money and we also made an hon
est protective tariff to go with it. Sound
| money and an honest protective tariff
| go hand in hand. The very foundation
| of a sound currency system is a solvent
treasury If the people doubt the integ-
rity of the treasury they will question
| the soundness of the currency Rccog-
nizing this fundamental fact, the repub-
lican party always provided ample rev.
| enue for the treasury. When in the last
| half century of our history did the dem
| ocratic party advocate financial policy
| that was in the best interests of the
| American people? Look at its e-bel-
lum currency record; consider it's hostil-
| ity to the currency, rendered necessary
| by the exigencies of war, and later. its
| effort to initiate the currency in a time
| of peace by the issue of greenbacks
| Witness its opposition to the efforts of
| the republican party to resume specie
payments. But four short years ago it
declared for a return to the old dis
credited state bank currency. The rel
publican party has not been unfriendly
TO the proper use of silver. 1t has al
ways favored, and favOrs today, the use
OF silver as a part of our circulating
medium. But 1t favors that use under
such provisions and safeguards as shall
not imperil our present national stan