Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-05-06
SIBLRY ON THE TARIFF.
STRENGTHEN THE COUNTRY BY
WEAKENING THE PEOPLE.
IFihe People have not yet Learned tho
Fntility Of Tariff rs Prosperity Breed
erlet them try it again Give II another
test.
by Hon. JOSEPH C. sIBLEY, OF Penny
sYLVANIA

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 l have
never belonged to that school who be-
lieve it possible that either a man or
nations could be taxed high enough to
insure prosperity. have always be-
lieved in 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
was direct and unequivocal. Doubtless
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 all our citizenship, who
by honesl effort are entitled to share
therein. If they can inaugurate an era
of prosperity they deserve to hold con-
troll of the government 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 inGroduc-
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
buoyaut 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
partys duty to made good their prom
ises, to fulfill their pledges of prosper
ity.. We are powerless to prevent them
il 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 inutllity of such meth
ODDS. It seems to me that the duty of
the Democratic party, silver Republ-
cans, and the Peoples Party represen-
tatives in Congress is TO point out the
inconsistencies of this measure and its
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 bene6cent. 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 Populists prevented the employ
ment of that prosperity which such
tariff must have afforded. Once for all
| should like TO see them frame tariff
without let or hindrance,. and let it
stand before the people, until even the
dullest intellect could comprehend a
simple problem in dynamies, namely,
the impossibility of lifting ones self
,,,. tta fenca nv the hoOt strans We