Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-11-06
Was3lln9tun Standard
OLYMPIA. WASH.
FRIDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER c, 1903.
Dishonest Political Methods.

Dishonest Political Methods.
The audacity of the Republican
party in denial of seli-eyident facts
and hitherto generally conceded prop
osition, when brought up squarely
against the stony logic OF events, is
shown by the speech of Secretary of
the Treasury Shaw, at Muscatine, Ia,
few nights ago. He denies, unequiv-
o'a!ly, that protective tariff either
breeds or shelters trusts, or makes ex.
orbitant prices possible, and drops the
subject right there with no attempt to
show on what grounds he can find the
least support for such an assertion.
His assumption virtually reverses, or
entirely removes, the natural order OF
cause and effect. II prices are regu.
lated by demand and supply, how can
he suspend law as natural as attrac-
ton OF gravitation, that keeps them
from sliding about, and can only be
controlled by regulation of supply
from some source, that will constitute
an exact equipoise? If the tariff is
not prohibitory, it is safe to believe
that trade will arrange for compe-
tltlon when exorbitant profits are ex-
acted. To deny this, is to dispute
one of those natural laws of trade
which prevail, wherever capital and
industry unite to create a market.
AS corrollary OF his absurd propo.
sition Secretary Shaw assumes that
leading Democrats recognize it in so
far as they admit necessity for revis-
ion OF the tariff schedules, and that it
is q virtual argument, in part, that
our colossal industries still need pro.
lection. This is just as untrue. The
Democratic position always has been
that the legitimate object of the tariff
is to meet the necessity for government
revenue, it being the easiest and best
way (before we had so many million
aires) to pay the tax necessarily i'm.
posed upon citizenship to meet the ex.
penditures imposed for public service.
The Democratic party never has advo-
Gated free trade, although it has been
charged so persfstently by their op-
ponents that unrefective people often
tacitly admit it to be true.
Secretary Shaw admits that
" No issue can be Joined between a
protective tariff enacted by a Republican
majority and protective tariff enacted
by Democratic majority, No issue can
be joined upon the details of the applica-
ton of principle. To saw the one
party will apply the same principles to
given facts more wisely than another is
to belittle political distinction and to re-
solve campaigns, State and National, |
into expressions of belief that one set of |
candidates would prove wiser and safer
and more trustworthy than Others"
The only difference now between the
parties is, as it ever has been, defined |
by that word protection" Protective,
in Republican parlance. means pro-
hibitiue, and prohibitive means giving
an open field to trusts, so far as any
foreign competition is concerned.
In all candor it is asked, have not
" infant American industries" been
protected long enough? When manu-.
facturers measure their wealth by the |
scores Of millions, is it not time to |
drop that foolish pretense, or that
other claim that it has ever resulted
in better reward for labor?
Probably Mr.. Shaw will find before |
the national campaign is over that
Democrats are by no means "non.
committal on the tariff" as be alleges,
and that there will be enough closely
defined issues to keep the imperial
party with its nose to the halter.
In the meantime We must expect
just such Misrepresentation on every
issue presented, for Boss Hanna him
self has complacently assured his
henchmen that q lie we'll stuck to 10
good - the truth. Witness the full
dinner pail" slogan of the last nation.
al campaign, and "let we'll enough
alone" when labor was in the break.
ers OF . mighty contest with the coal
barons.