The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-13
sI16ixed on the Tariff.

< I 0onC knOW AuybhllHB VI SAAS SoS@N reciprocity business lately before Con- gress, but 1t seems to have been all wrong to talk about and all right to vote for from the Democratic stand polnt.
 How the Democrats could generally op- pose the thing they unanimously ,(almost voted for is the thing that bothers me. It 1oks like blowing hot and cold out of the same mouth.
 7 My common sense can't understand such double dealing. Maybe so. you can ex- plain what was right about 1t that they opposed and the wrong in it that enlisted their support. You know, our congress- men are selected more on account of the brightness they, don't have than other wise. and it'll never do to turn them loose to, explain why they oppose, and approve the same thing. They'll get their minds ''all gormed up'' in the dif- fculty. It'll take an editor that has some sense to make, the matter clear as-- mud. But, you can do it.
 , To be candid with you. don't know the a, b, C., of protection and free trade and you may. possibly, be as well Informed. but both of us, have professed (as Dossy Surly says) to be perfectly familiar with, the whole derned business" As there is a campaign of education" in sight it be- hooves both of us to ''gird up the loins'' of our mind and stretch every nerve to increase our lack of information. that Is, if we want to get to ourselves the fame of "eagle orators"
 I know that the tariff, and how much of 1t, and for whose benefit, Is a question that divides men into parties. I mean sensible men. Sometimes. of course, there are men who are for a tariff for pro- tection and tariff for revenue only, af- ter the order of that accommodating afa ruhn fau0hf hA uy0Pld round or fiat as the neighborhood pleased. That, however. Is only allowable in the party leaders who get into Congress.
 Why, I have heard "eagle orator. Ala bamians beat the air with great force and make lots of noise (and gets lots of applause) in opposition to a tarifr for protection and when they voted, in Con- gress on the matter, 1t was to protect some Alabama product. And that con-. fuses me. wish it was against the law for men to confuse me in any such way Why do they do it?
 But. really. I want to be informed on this great question. Perhaps. you know of a man (and this won't Include a poli- tician), who. out of his own head can made the matter clear without referring to the poor dead fellows, who talked and wrote themselves to death to make ''con- fusion worse confounded
 A sensible business man is the one at whose feet I want to sit and learn. Get such a one to explain the tariff. whether for protection or for revenue only" And, don'tslet anybody "cut in" to bother him till the lesson is finished.
 know 1t Is natural for everybody to want the best price for what he has to sell and pay the least price for what he has to buy. I think we want to sell in a protected market and buy in a free market. At least. I do. It may be that when I so to sell I'm Republican and when go to buy I'm Democrat Is that the way of 1t? What Alabama products are protected. anyway?
 I believe if you'll-begin to instruct your readers on this great question the Blanche, Tray and Sweetheart" of the Bryanites will quit hurling ugly insinua- tions of Republicanism at you.
 J. Culpepper.