Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-10-14

terward quietly appropriating all the
credit, is a small factor in politics.
Its membership is recruited largely
from the comfortable elements,
whose liking is more for a good dim
ner or savory banquet than for the
rough and tumble Of political con-
troversies.
The public expression of the
governor of his tariff views was
listened to with marked attention by
the audience, because it was sus-
pected he might take rap at Con-
gresham Bob" Cousins, who, at
the last state republican convention
sought and seized a premeditated
opportunity to broadly attack the
governor for alleged apostacy to the
continued existence of a high tariff
as affording shelter to monopoly"
But the willy executive ignored the
thrusts directed at his political life
by the indolent, but brilliant con-
gresham from the Fifth district He
essayed to reiterate that his eonvic--
tons Oh the tariff had not under
gone any change since last year, but
the noticeable absence of aggression
in this direction associated with
wearisome efforts to explain the
difference between the declaration of
the platform Of this year with that
of two years ago, created more than
a fleeing suspicion that he had sur
rendered to the tariff fetch as ex-
pounded by Allison, Cousins, Hull
and Lacy. A: amusing feature of
republican belief in the efficacy of
the tariff to rescue the nation from
all commercial and industrial ills is
the exuberance of the average mem
Der of that party in the belief and
ihope that Joseph Chamberlain, Col
onial Minister Of Great Britain, will
eventually triumph in his recent at
tempt to convert Englishmen to the
adoption of a protective policy for
the empire through the medium Of a
differential tariff between the mother
country and the colonies. None
moro than Governor Cummins knows
that the adoption Of such policy
would operate disastrously to the
agricultural and manufacturing in
dustries of the United States, since
it would deprive this country Of its
best customer for American products
| To secure a vindication Of tie tariff
policy these worshipers Of protection
are lnwittingly willing to invoke
colossal disaster upon the paramount
industries of the United States, little
dreaming that all the benefits ofsucll
a policy would innure to the farmers
and manufacturers Of Canada, Aus.
1 tralia, New Zealand and India, whose
products would be admitted tt
J, British ports under tariff schedule
much less than that which would BIZ
4 imposed upon similar products from
America, Germany, France and Rus
sia Though the governor under
i stands this, he is reluctant to declare
his belief in the face of a party sen
timent either too ignorant to under
stand or SO blind to a fetch that il
4 does not wish to learn the truth.
l Nor does the governor manifes
Iany reckless disposition to exploit t.
the public the so-called increase il
the assessed valuation Of the railroad
of the state for taxable purpose. Ar
} investigation of the figures shows
that while the roads are stocked ant
bonded for about $4,000 per mil,
they are valued at $23,324 per mil,
and taxed on an average valuation o
$6,5l3, just about one-ninth of thei;
actual value as measured by thei
I earning capacity and capitalization
The gross earnings Of the roads with
in the state for 1902 was $63,l34.
O44.45, as given in the report Of til,
railroad commission for that year
yet they are taxed only $5l, 3O7,95O
. or $l2.O0O,000 less than their gross
earnings.