The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-10-23
H. J. Davenport on Mc1kln1ex,sm.

H. j. Davenport OH McI&inleyis1l.
Sioux Falls Press:-Prof. II. j. Daven-
port, late principal OF the Sioux Falls
high school, and now teacher in the
Chicago university, has an excellent
article IN the current number of the
journal OF Political Economy, published
by the university, on "The Cost of the
Tariff" The article is Oh exhaustive
and able one. 1t treats the subject in
hand boldly and fearlessly. The eXposi-
ton Of the Republican system of build
up enormous fortunes by taxing the
many for the benefit OF the few is clear.
and the inevitable conclusion that our
institutions have been set up at popular
auction is s,artllng. He finds than
every other thinker has found to be true
under the reign OF McKinleyism THAT
bOlitics are indecent is cyn.cally ac-
cepted as a matter Of course and that
"one half Of the voters of America do
not believe our institutions to be sound
al heart" He further says:
"The mere fact OF their belief il ser
i0uss. enough; it Is yet more serious that
they are right. The Bryan campaign
Was i'll essence all incoherent, but tre-
mendOusIy earnest protest against gov
ernment by wealth i'll the interests OF
wealth."
Speaking OF the Bryan campaign he
says:
"Its lesson WAS this: Wherever the
business profits or the invested wealth
OF any large class comes to be allied
with politics and legislation, politics
and legislation Will become business.
Manufacturers purchase new machines
or bmld new plants when these become
essential to business profits. When
votes Ur legislatures serve the same pur-
pose voters and legislators are bought
ny on like business principles. III civic
virtue is at dry rot in America. it is
largely because under the guise of pro-
tective tariff we have set a premium up-
Oh our own dishonor. We have made ii
impossible that politics should be clean;
We have furnished HE motive to buy us
and the money by which we may be
bought; we have made corruption trade.
"rhis is not exaggrpatiGn. One bpDe-
ficiary of protective tariff--the sugar
trusts asserted to profit yearly Ly
Legislative favor to the extent of some
thing like twenty million dollars. An
election in which the victorious party
wins by half a million majority is OK
ceptional. One hundred thousand votes
in critical states will suffice in any
election to change the result. If the
profits are as they are alleged to be, the
sugar trust can afford. If necessaT. at the
outlay of one-half its profits for four
years protection, pay $50 each for every
one of the half million votes necessary
to its triumph. In the critical states
votes are worth TO it $500 each. And
this is but one of tie interests sheltered
under the tariff system.
Prof. Davenport is a clear and lnde-
pendent thinker Oh econ omics. He isan
educator in the br0adest senses, limited
by no political theories, except suci as
he believes right. From needful pro-
lection he has seen the system grow III
the United States until it has become
machine for furnishing campaign money
for the Republican party, Which, in turn,
allows the trusts to lay tribute on TIE
American people. Bryanism is tre-
mendous protest against the corruption
that has wrapped itself like garment
about the Republican party. The pro-
test will succeed IN 1900.