Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-21
BUSINESS OR lDLENEss.

The thoughtful voter will distin-
gulsh between the transient and the
permanent differences between the
republican and Democratic parties.
Each campaign brings to the front
some temporary questions of expedi-
ency, Which are intended to blind the
eyes of the thoughtless and attract
the floating vote.
Ilppecanoe and Tyler too" won
more votes than logical arguments.
"Fifty-four forty or fight" aroused the
whole country, and not a few would
have preferred the fight to the fifty
four forty. And "16 to - drives
sound money Democrats into the Re-
publican party, and Silver Republi-
cans into the Democratic ranks.
However, back of all these carr
paign cries, deeper than the money
question, more important than the
subject of imperialism, more vital to
the future welfare of the nation than
militarism, is the radical difference
between the two great historical par
ties on the tariff question. 1t is not
question of protection and free
trade. No party advocates and no
government practices absolute free
trade. The Democratic party has,
however, for years advocated in it's
platforms the well defined policy of
"a tariff for revenue only" refusing
to recognize as democratic the Wis
dom, justice or propriety of affording
either protection to American labor
or American capital invested in
American industries.
The avowed Republican policy, Of
| ten reiterated in national platforms
and enacted into law, as is evidenced
| by the Mckinley and the Dinglcy
tariff bills, openly affirms that the Re
| publicans favor a protective tariff
that will encourage the investment
of American capital in manufacturing
enterprises and insure to American
labor, both native and naturalized, the
advantage of "a fair days wages for
a fair days work"
Both of these plans have been tried
within the memory of most of those
who will cast their votes next No
vember.
The Wilson-Gorman tariff bill and
! the effects thereof were Democratic.
The Dingley bill and it's results are
Republican. The effects produced by
these two measures should be care
| fully weighed by every voter who de-
sires his ballot to influence national
prosperity and personal advantage.
Under the operation of the WI
son-Gorman revenue tariff the in
come of the government was not sut1i-
cient to pay current expenses. Tie
tariff for revenue only did not pro-
duce the revenue. Government bonds
were sold in time of peace to pay the
daily obligations of the Democratic
administration. From being a debt
paying nation, we became debt-cre-
ating nation. Industries languished.
| Mills shut down. Factories closed.
Building ceased. The army of the
unemployed increased. Panic came.
Banks failed. Fortunes crumblei.
Labor begged in vain for work. But
just as soon as the people could ex-
press their verdict at the polls, Cleve-
land was repudiated, the Wilson-Gor-
man tariff bill was declared wanting
and change was demanded.
With the election of a Republican
president and a Republican congress,
protective tariff measure was enact
| ed. The Dingley bill became law.
| What have been the results? The
national treasury overtlows. The ma
ton has fought to a successful issue
two wars and has been paying debts
at the same time. Bond issues have
given place to bond redemption and
refunding the outstanding obligations
of the nation at lower rate OF inter
est than was ever before secured by
any nation in history. Mills have been
started. Factories have been running
day and night. Wages have been iii.
creased. Labor has been profitably
employed. The exports during the
four years of the Dingley Republican
tariff have exceeded the combined
amount of all the exports Of the nation
during all the previous years Of our