The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-31
Mr.. CLEVELAND EXPOUNDS
PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY

the price 10 tne consumer OF all dItiCics
imported and subject to duty by pre-
cisely the sum paid by those who pur'
{ chase for use these imported articles
| Many of these things, however. are raised
| or manufactured In our own country, and
| the duties now levied upon foreign goods
| and products are called protection to the
| home manufacturers. but they render II
| possible for those of our people who are
manufacturers to make these taxed ar
| ticles and sell them for price equal
to that demanded for the imported goods
hat have paid custom duty
Il have quoted thus literally from this
,.essage solely for the purpose of show
.ag not only the accepted position Of the
Democratic Party on the tariff question,
but also as suggesting the material then
available in attacking tariff iniquities.
want. If l can. to lead you to con-
temptation Of the ,niquities that have
since accumulated to the numerous ad-
dtions to a vicious and dangerous pro-
geny born Of tariff license and deprav-
ity, to the increased material of success
full attack and to the present duty Of all
who love our people more than self, to
strike a blow whenever and wherever II
is possible. for our country's honor and
emancipation.
For this purpose, hope you will per-
nit me to add one further quotation from
the same message as follows:
Cost to Consumer.
." in speaking Of the increased cost to
the consumer of our home manufactures
resulting from a duty laid upon import
ed articles of the same description. the
fact is not overlooked that competition
among our domestic producers sometimes
has the effect of keeping the price of
Arx4- A1-t rl...tk
allowed by such duty. But 1t is notori-
Gus that this competition Is too often
strangled by combinations quite prevail
ent at this time and frequently called
trusts which have for their object the
regulation of the supply and price of
commodities made and sold by members
of the combination. The people can
hardly hope for any consideration in the
operation of their selfish schemes.
Less than a year after this announce
ment of Democratic doctrine 1t was made
target for all sorts of attacks in a
presidential election. The timid were as
sured that absolute free trade would fol-
low Democratic success; that the i'm
all that II any revision or change was
expedient 1t should be entrusted to the
friends of the tariff.
New Scheme of Protection.
THE people were persuaded into con-
tinuing these friends in political control
and they forthwith constructed a new
scheme of high protection. The advanced
growth of the arrogance and greediness
of tariff beneficiaries and the kindness
shown them by these friends of the tariff
as exhibited in this scheme, demonstrated
how confidently they relied upon the con-
tinuance of the peoples credulity which
they had so recently and successfully
tested.
The bill then passed was so full OF
denominations and so plainly showed the
heedlessness of its authors and beneficial
ries 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 condemnation.
1T might naturally be supposed that 50
violent a blow as was then gwen would
odmonish, If it did not reform. these pro-
motors of selfish tariff benefits. This.
however. was by no means in accord with
their nature nor in agreement with their
Vaccinations. AS unregenerate as ever,
as arrogant as ever, and hoping as con-
fidentIy as ever for the time when the
people could again be led away by false
lights they sullenly surrender control of
governmental policies and laid in wait for
their opportunity.
Lamentable Conditions.
The lamentable conditions which
quickly gave this opportunity are familiar
to you ALL l am not here to speak of
Democratic misfortunes or miscarriage,
but to call attention to the tenacity OF
high tariff rapacity and arrogance and
to the manner in which they grow and
develop whenever they have an opportu-
nifty.
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 abet-
tiers had turned over to them the work
of again adjusting tariff rates
How did they approach the task? Was
1t with patriotic intention to really be-
nefit the masses of our people and make
their burdens lighter? This they would
hardly declare without a sly wink. Was
1t even with the fear of the people being
in their eyes? Surely nothing indicates
it, On the contrary they Reluctantly
relied on their ability to delude the peo-
pie; they had not even yet learned to fear
them. Their work is undertaken as they
would have entered upon a privilege-to
make the most of it. have heard It
said upon excellent authority that ex-
pectant benefciaries under the existing
tariff laws-made by it's friends-were
actually allowed to construct the schedule
by which they expected to profit. This
was quite in keeping with the color and
complexion of the entire scheme.
Grows by Indulgence.
Evidence abounds in and about it, in
dlcating that the welfare and interests
of the common people of our land were
not allowed to disturb in any unpleasant
degree the serenity of those having the
work in hand. / believe this last exploit
of the so-called friends of the tariff in it's
revision. should amply satisfy any
thoughtful citizen unbiased by interest
that the spirit of a high protective tariff
grows by Indulgence and mocks what 1t
feeds upon and that its progressive greed
and ruthlessness Is becoming more and
more a menace to the welfare and hap
piness of our people.
How long has 1t been thought decent
or even safe to cheat the consumers of
coal by putting 1t on the free list, but
dishonesty providing for its custom taxa
ton in other cunningly constructed pro-
vision of the law? How recently have
the friends of the tariff had the bold
ness to perpetrate such a trick and take
the chances of facing the people when
in the painful stress Of ? threatened coal
famine. 1t should be exposed. have
called attention to the faet that in 1887
competition, which. II unrestricted, might
modify the weight upon our consumers
of a high protective tariff, was spoken
of as too often strangled by combinations
quite prevalent at this time and fire.
uuently called trusts. which have for their
Of -