The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-07-31

home markets for from twenty five
to forty per cent, more than in
foreign markets, thus proving
not only that they do not need the
high tariff protection they now have
under Republican laws and that these
laws serve no purpose except to ena-
BILE them to levy unjust tribute upon
the people, but that these com bina-
tions are charging our own people
from twenty-five to forty per cent.
more than a reasonable profit.
TO all of our appeals for action
upon these bills, the Republican
leaders in Congress have turned a
deaf ear. and the Republican steering
committee has refused to permit them
! to come to a vote.
In the fact of this record, can there
be any doubt that the Republican
party is actively protecting these
combinations? Protecting them, both
against the enforcement OF the anti
| trust laws and against the enactment
of legislation which might give the
| people relief and interfere with their
illegal monopoly.
In the campaign of this year the
tariff and the trusts are inseparably
connected. The action of the trusts
| in selling their goods abroad-in
+ Europe, in Asia and in Africa-for
one-third less than they are selling
them at home, is an object lesson in
tariff of great practical value, and is
| at once an answer and a refutation Of
the basic arguments upon which the
doctrine of protection rests. For
long years we have been told that the
| foreigner paid the tariff taxes and
not the home consumer. This object
lesson has exploded that old Republi-
can war cry. For years we have been
told that tariff protection had moth
| ing to do with trusts, was in no way
| responsible for trusts, and in proof
of this we have been pointed to the
alleged fact that there are as many
trusts in free trade England as in pro-
lection America. This object lesson
has shown that if there are trusts in
free trade England, on account OF the
absence of a protective tariff there
the -Englishman gets his trust goods
at world competitive prices. Yea.
gets the trust-made goods of our tariff
| protected trusts for one-third less
than we get them.
I will not detain you to discuss the
foreign policy of the government fur
ther than to say L cannot believe it
wise for an agricultural country like
the South to encourage the develop
ment of tropical countries. The lands
of the tropics are so very fertile and
their labor so cheap, if they are de-
veloped and brought under cultiva-
tion that as their products enter the
markets of the world ours will neces-
| sarily be driven out. l think it is
far better, from every standpoint.
for US to deal with the Philippines as
we have dealt with Cuba.
Gentlemen of the convention, when
look upon this great gathering OF
representative Democrats from every
section of the State, my heart swells
with pride. You're are, every one of
you, free men. Not one of you wears
the collar of any man. Not one of
you represents boss. Many of you
| udSO uCCiOHS, buU CuOy oAS SAS
instructions OF the sovereign people
you represent, and you honor your
selves in representing them and in
obeying their will.
There will assemble here in this
hall in few weeks another conven-
ton. 1t will be convention OF Fed
eral Office holders, postmasters, reve-
nue. collectors, deputy marshals, etc.
They will carry out to the last letter
the pre-arranged program of the
bosses, and they will close the farce
by declaring the Democratic party a
boss-controlled and machine-ridden
organization. They would not think
their role of hypocrisy complete with
out some such climax.
AS your chairman, | have led the
Democratic party in four hot cam
paigns. In these campaigns have
fought the battles of Democracy with
all my might. | have won the repu-
tation OF being a partisan. | do not
deny the imputation; if imputation it
be. am partisan, but | am par,
tisan because | have believed and
still believe, the welfare Of North
Carolina depends upon Democratic
ascendency; and because l have be
lieved, and still believe, that | car
best serve my State and country by
serving best my party.