Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1897-08-05
THE DEFENCE OF THE NEW TARIFF.

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According to the New York
Journal the new tariff, framed by
the trusts for their own benefit,
having by President McKinley's
signature become a law the
Republican party stands prepared
to defend the work in which it
has so willingly and gratefully
assisted. The defence will not
be that the tariff is good
tariff, that it makes life easier for
the millions who work hard for
very little, or that it deals fairly
with business men, and is as
beneficial to manufacture and
commerce as a lower and honester
tariff would be. Indeed, it will
be admitted that the tariff is a
swindle from beginning to end,
but it will be contended that all
one has to do in order to prove
himself public enemy is to sug-
gest changes in it in the common
interest. To plead for mitigation
of the robbery of the people by
the trusts will be denounced as a
sinister onslaught upon "estab-
lished conditions. Every pro-
testing squire Of the sheep in the
hands of the shearer will be in
terpreted as wicked and wan
ton purpose on the part of the
hapiess animal to disturb bust
ness" And the Republican
party is not without hope that
this sort of defence will avail. 1t
trusts that everybody is so tired
of uncertainty that a known
amount of blackmail, however
large, will be paid quietly in pre-
ference to inviting the changes
of change. The game has been
set to run for three years at
shortest, and the bankers adj
dresses his victims thus:
sit is a brace game, gentlemen,
Of course; as an honest dealer
won't deny what you all know.
But you'd better come up with
your money and let me steal the
advertised percentage than go to
all the trouble and worry and ex-
pense of neglecting other bust
moss to get square game set.
You know just what you are
bound to be cheated out of here,
and can make your arrangements
in your affairs accordingly
The country wants rest IN
questionably, and business men
are anxious for certainty, but the
Republican party will be disap-
pointed in its calculations, never
theless. The argument that it is
better to put up with piracy rather
than to face the exertion and cost
of suppressing the pirates, might
be addressed with effect to thieves
or slaves. AS the American peo-
pie are neither, they will rise at
the very first opportunity and
free themselves from this rob-
berry. The price of good govern
ment is disturbance until it has
been obtained. The House OF
Representatives which passed the
Mckinley bill was sent flying,
and the Congress which has
passed the pingley tariff will moi
escape.
To believe that the people OF
this Republic will endure gross
spoliation at the hands of one
political party for fear of what
another political party may pos
sibly do as to something else il
given power-and it is on thai
assumption the Republican party
has gone off on a debauch with
the trusts-is to believe thai
| Americans are towards and fools
There will be no peace fol
manufacturer, merchant or con-
sumner in the United States while
the tariff is what we see it now-s
compact between the party Of
protection and the greed of the
country to give the license of law
to taxation for private profit. The
Dingley tariff is theft, theft on 6
gigantic scale, and as the people
are the victims, and know it
they will take all the disturbing
consequences of putting the
Turpins of the trusts to fligh
with their ballots. Republican
tom tomming will be noisy, to b.
sure, but it will not scare.
Diseases oF thu FVooI and NerveS