Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-05-12
SIBLEY ON THE TARIFF.
STRENGTHEN THE COUNTRY BY
WEAKENING THE PEOPLE.
FutiIity OF Tariff as a Prosperity Breed.
or let them try It again. Give It another
test.
By Hon. JOSEPH c. SIBLEY, OF PENN
SYLVANIA.

In the present tariff measure we are
| again witnessing another sham battle.
The tariff problem has been an unset
/ tied one for about one hundred years,
and if the politicians may have their
choice it will be an unsettled problem
for one hundred years more. have
never belonged to that school who be-
nations could be taxed high enough to
insure prosperity. l have always be-
lieved in a revenue tariff fairly and uni
formly adjusted, adequate to the ex-
penses of a government economically
| administered
During the great campaign of 1896 IN
their party platform, through the col
umns of the public press, and from the
| threats of ten thousand orators, the
Republican party pledged to the people
of America an unprecedented era of
prosperity, contingent alone upon their
| political success. The assurance of
! prosperity was hedged about by no
doubts or contingencies. The promise
many made the promise in good faith
and thousands received it in good faith.
For one, profoundly hope that they
may be able to make good that promise
of prosperity to ali our citizenship, who
by honesl effort are entitled to share
therein. If they can inaugurate an era
of prosperity Tn ey deserve to hold con-
troll of the Cover nment so long as pros
! perity shall be universally enjoyed.
Dearer to every good citizen than the
success of any political party must be
the success, welfare and happiness of
all the people. But when we consider
the methods proposed to be employed
to inaugurate this reign of prosperity,
it is permitted us to doubt its efficacy.
| Already the chairman of the committee
on banking and currency has incroduc-
ed bill for the retirement of the
/ greenbacks and treasury notes. The
ways and means committee have re-
ported. and the House adopted the
Dingley tariff bill The situation may
be briefly summed up as follows:
A man is staggering under heavy
burdens. The doctors have been open
ing his veins and depriving him of that
life current which, circulating through
his system, afforded him measure of
strength to sustain the burden. 1t is
now seriously proposed to open his
veins still further, take away more of
his circulation, pile more burdens upon
his back, already bent, and then invite
the country to rivet their eyes upon
this man and see the efficacy of their
treatment. They assure us that the
taking away little more of the life
blood and heaping on more burdens in
the form of increased taxation, will
straighten his back, permit him to
stand erect and to walk with firm and
buoyant step, give the color of life to
his cheeks and the light of hope to his
eyes. We shall watch the treatment
with profound interest, even though
we doubt its success.
The Republican party promised the
people prosperity. The American peo-
pie took them at their word. 1t is that
party's duty to made good their prom
Uses, to fulfill their pledges of prosper
ity. We are powerless to prevent them
if we would; nor should we prevent
them if we could. In my judgment,
whatever measures they originate hav-
ing for their end and design prosperity
to all our people should neither be
blocked nor hindered by any Fictitious
or captious opposition. Our duty will
be performed when we point out the
inadequacy and inutIlity of such meth
DDS. 1t seems to me that the duty of
the Democratic party, silver Republl-
cans, and the Peoples Party represen-
tatives in Congress is to point out the
inconsistencies of this measure and it's
absolute uselessness as remedy for
existing diseases.
They offer it as a panacea There
fore, if high tariff is beneficent in its
operations, a still higher and higher
tariff must be more benefcent. There
fore, we would not thwart them in any
attempt to build up a tariff SO high
that its effects will mean universal
prosperity. If it fails to bring prosper.
ity, they cannot then point to us and
say, We conceived a measure fraught
with prosperity and happiness to all
the people, but the wicked opposition
of Democrats, free silver Republicans
and Poptlists prevented the employ
ment of that prosperity which such a
tariff must have afforded. Once for all
should like to see them frame tariff
without let or hindrance, and let i,
stand before the people, until even the
dullest intellect could comprehend a
simple problem in dynamlcs, namely,
the impossibility of lifting ones sell
over the fence by the boot straps We
may give as many positive demonstra-
tions of the fallacy of high protective
tariff as we choose. Argument and
demonstrations will not count with the
unthinking class. As boy at school
! the comprehension of demon stratior
of problem in Euclid was ALWAYS 3
matter more or less difficult, but the
demonstration by reductio Gd absurdun