The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-07-17
ISSUE is JOINED
Leaders Of Indiana Reorganized De.
mocracy Demand Revenue Tariff.
PROPOSE TO DESTROY PROTECTION

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And Return to the Industrial Condi.
tions Prevailing Under the Last Low
Tariff Administrations-Co Rea-
sons Why Indiana Voters VIII Pre-.
fer to Let Well Enough Alone.
I'VE = demand that tariff du-
ties shall be levied for the purposes Of
revenue only"
The announcement Of the Indiana
Democratic state platform above quot
ed again brings to the front in Indiana
the issue of protection. 1t will be
noted that it is not mere modifica-
ton of schedules that is proposed, but
an absolute abolition of protection as
a legislative policy, something not
even attempted by the trainers of the
Wilson German tariff law Instead of
admitting free or at low rate of duty,
such articles as sugar, tea and coffee,
not produced in this country or pro-
duced in sufficient quantity to supply
the demand, tariff for revenue
only" Unfortunately laid on all arti-
cles entering into American consump-
ton is seriously proposed.
1t will be remembered that the only
step toward a tariff-for-revenue law
of which this generation knows any
thing, produced ruin but not revenue.
1t occasioned an annual deficit, and
President Cleveland was compelled, in
time of peace, to sell bonds to the
amount of s262, 100000. which, with
interest to the time of maturity, will
cost the country half billion dollars.
1t was predicted that the Dingley law
would fail as a revenue producer. Its
efficiency has been amply demonstrate
ed. 1t has yielded an annual average
of more than $215,000,000, as against
an annual average of something over
$780, 100000 under the law it displaced
on the statute books. For the fiscal
year 1902 the surplus was more than
$50, 100000, after war taxes amount
ing to S1OO, 100000 had been repealed.
Such a treasury surplus has been &C.
cumulated that it has been possible to
wipe out all the war taxes without
anyone fearing the operations of the
endless chain" which worried Presi-
dent Cleveland and the country six
years ago.
Employment and Wages.
Three million men were out of en-
ployment in this country according to
Sampel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, during
the low-tariff period it is proposed to
bring back In Indiana the unemploy-
ed numbered fully 100000. The loss
to the workingmen in wages through
out the United States aggregated near
ly two billion dollars year, fully nine
billion dollars in five years-which is
more than all the gold and silver iii
the world. The statistics of the Mas
sachusetts bureau of labor, typical
manufacturing state. show that dur
ing the past four years employment
has increased twice as fast as pOpula-
ton, and wages twice as fast as EN-
ployment; if the comparison was wit
1894, 1895 or 1896. the figures would be
far more eloquent. These are the con-
ditions which inspire the leadership
of recognized Democracy in this state
to call for return to the state of
affairs existing under the last Cleve.
land administration.
Prosperity Of the Farmer.
The Orange Judd Farmer truthfully
declared in October, 1901, that 1.-The
most prosperous year in the history of
the American farmer is drawing to a
close" Yet 1t was year of short
crops. The statistics of the depart
ment of agriculture show that in 1896
! our last low-tariff year, a year OF good
crops, the total value of the products
of the American farm was S1.S25, 500,
600; in 1901. our last protection year. a
year of short crops, the total value of
American farm products was s2.S32,
100000 The value of live stock in
creased from S1,626,0e0,000 in 1896 to
, 60. 6S1 900, 900 in 1901. The aggregate
increase amounts to two billion dol
lars, not including the increase in
value of lands, which would add bill
ions more It may be added that 1901
was not an exceptional year. 1t was
the fifth year of steadily improving
agricultural conditions. The statistics
for 1902 will show that the upward
trend has continued. with increased
momentum, up to this time. The Or
ange judd Farmer. conservative
farm journal without politics, was led
to remark, in commenting on the fig
TRES for 1901: "All history affords
no precedent for so remarkable a
transformation" Yet the reorganized
Indiana Democracy calmly proposes
as an ample remedy" for existing con
ditions the utter overthrow of proteo
) ton. That it would change conditions
is certain; that it would change them
; otherwise than infinitely for the worse
no one with a memory long enough to
stretch back to 1896 believes.
Other Contrasted Conditions.
Since 1894 savings bank deposits in
this country have increased more than
billion dollars. and they are growing