The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-10-22
MR. BRYAN'S TARIFF DODGING.

The refusal of Nh Bryan to discuss
the tariff question is causing comment
unfavOrable to him. In view of the
fact that while in congress Mr.. Bryan
was one of the most radical advocates
of tariff reduction, in order to cheaper
prices for the benefit of the people.
whereas now he is urging that prices
are too low, very naturally suggests
that he was either insincere then i'll
his plea for the people or he is lnSll-
cere now. Cheapness was then the
great deSideratum with him. lie
rallied against the tariff robbers and
urged that a reduction of duties was
necessary to give the people needeI re-
lief in lower prices for what they con
Sumed 1t was not the currency. but
the economic policy of the Republican
party which Mr.. Bryan then regarded
as the source of all ills. In q speech
in the House of Representatives i'll 1S!i2
Mr. Bryan racteriZed protection as
Il cannibal tree which had crushed the
farmers within its folds and declared
that the only thing needed to give re-
lief to the farmers and to the masses
of the people was tariff reform. There
was no trouble with the currency,
which was the some then that it is
now. The whole trouble was with the
tariff
Referring to the attitude of Mr.. Bry-
an when in Congress and his present
attitude. the New York Times says:
For some years and up to recent
date. Mr. Bryan, in and out of Con
gress, earnestly and constantly de-
manded great reduction of tariff
duties and urged that many dutiable
products should be placed upon the
free list. because, as he cOntended, the
prices of the necessarieS of life ought
to be reduced for the benefit of the
people The tariff, he said. made
prices unwarrantably and uniustly
high; the interests of the masses re-
quired that these prices and the cost
of living should be cut down. Now he
asserts that the prices of the necessar
les of life are very much too low and
that they were too low at the very
time when he was saying that they
were too high and was eXerting his in
tiuence to reduce them. He prOclaims
the doctrine that the cost of those
things by which life is sustained
should be increased-not decreased-by
legislation and advocates a policy de
signed to increase it. 1t was, he said
for the benefit of the masses that he
then called for legislation that would
decrease this cost; it is, he says, for
the benefit of the masses that he now
demands legislation that will increase
it, Why should he not desire to avoid
any discussion or any expression of
opinion that would exhibit this differ
ence and this evidence of inconsis
tency? Mr.. Bryan in 1892 and in 1894
did his part and did it well in deludine
the people regarding the tariff and he
does not now dare attempt defense of
his course. the disastrous effects of
which are known to everybody. He is
now engaged in another effort to de
Jude and mislead the people. but what
he now proposes is far more dangerous
to the welfare and prosperity of the
country than the policy of tariff reduc-
ton he advocated in Congress- in order
to reduce prices. That policy has done
great harm to all interests and espec.
tally to the agricultural and the labor
interests, but it is trifiing in compari-
son to the injury that would be
wrought by the free coinage of silver.
Mr.. Bryan has the very best of reasons
for avoiding discussion of the tariff
question. He cannot defend the re-
suits of the policy for which he IS iu
part responsible. Having deceived the
people once, to their unreasonable
loss, will he be allowed to do so again
No one can think so who has any faith
in popular intelligence.-Omaha Bee.