The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-31

 the continuance of the peoples credulity which they had so recently and success fully tested. The bill then passed was
 so full of abOminatiOns and so plainly showed the heedlessness of it's authors and benefciaries, and their disregard of the interests of the people, that the voters of the land. though accustomed
 to yielding to tariff delusion, were prompt in their revenge and condemaa- tion.
 It might naturally be supposed that So violent blow as was then given would admonsh. if it did not reform
 these promoters of selfish tariff bene- fits. This, however. was by no means in accord with their natures, nor in agreement with their machinations. As unregenerate as ever, as arrogant as ever, and hoping as confidently as ever for the time when the people could again be led away by false lights, they
 sullenly surrendered control of govern mental policies and laid in wait for their opportunity. The lamentable con dltions which quickly gave this oppor-. tunity are familiar to you all. I am not here to speak Of democratic misfor- tunes or miscarriage but to call atten- ton to the unyielding tenacity of high tariff rapacity and arrogance and to the manner in which they grow and develop whenever they have an opportunity.
 Sooner than they had the least reason to expect, the friends of the tariff, or, in other words, those who sought to grow rich with government help at the expense of the people, with their aiders and abettors, had turned over to them the work of again adjusting tariff rates. How did they approach the task? Was it with a patriotic intention to really benefit the masses of our people and make their burdens lighter? This they would hardly declare without sly wink. Was it even with the fear of the people before their eyes? Surely noth- ing indicates it. On the contrary, they eXutantly relied upon their ability to delude the people: they had not even yet learned to fear them. Their work was undertaken as they would have en- tered upon a privilege-to make the most of it. I have heard it said upon excellent authority that eXpectant ben uliucI ltif CAlSLihSs LdAi iAL AA AN D made by it's friends-were actually al- lowed to construct the schedule by which they expected to profit This was quite fin keeping with the color and complexion of the entire scheme. EVi- dences abound in and about it indicat- ing that the welfare and interests of the common people of our land were not al- lowed to disturb in any unpleasant de- gree the serenity of those having the work in hand.
 I believe this last exploit of the so- called friends of the tariff in it's revis- ion should amply satisfy any thought full citizen, unbiased by interest, that the spirit of a high protective tariff grows by indulgence and mocks what it feeds upon; and that it's progressive greed and ruthlessness is becoming
 more and more menace to the welfare and happiness of our people. How long
 has it been thought decent, or even safe. to cheat the consumers of coal by putting it on the free list, but dishon- estly providing for it's custom taxation in another cunningly constructed pro- vision of the law? How recently have the friends of the tariff had the bold ness to perpetrate such trick and take the chances of facing the people when in the painful stress of a threatened coal famine it should be exposed? I have called your attention to the fact that in 1887 competition which, if
 unrestricted, might modify the effect
 upon our consumers of a high protective tariff, was spoken of as ''too often strangled by combinations, quite prev alent at this time. and frequently call ed trusts, which have for their object
 the regulation of the supply and price
 of commodities made and sold by mem- bers of the combination" When this
 was written, I suppose the trusts and combinations mentioned as "quite prev alent' so far as they were at all i'm portant, might have been counted off by the fingers of the two hands. When the friends of the tariff last took up the 1 work of its reconstruction, these trusts
 and combinations had increased by the hundreds. The consequence of their operation could not fail to. be under stood. It was as plain then as now that a high protective tariff defends them against foreign competition and that by agreed association and con- federacy in production and price they defend themselves against competition at home. It was perfectly apparent
 that under the broad wings of high pro- lection and fattened by unearned ac- emulation, they could complacently close their ears to the troublesome cry
 for easier living from the every day consumer.
 Is it not true then that the encroach- ments of the doctrine of high protection
 have been constantly progressive? Is it not true that the heedlessness of it's expectant beneficiaries and their disre-
 of consumers is more and more impu- dently exhibited, and 1t is not true that to all other season for a reform of our tariff laws there is added the birth and
 growth of their cruel and unmerciful progeny of trusts and combinations which stand guard against all attempts to seek relief in the field of free con- petition The present tariff conditions have assumed a complexion which not only requires check in it's aggressive ness, but actual amendment, is at last admitted among those responsible for these conditions. Such a concession was made when a dozen or more recip- rocity treaties were submitted to the senate, but the sincerity of the conces- sion and the honest intention to sur reuder the least adyantaoe ae 1opu oc