The San Francisco call., 1904-11-05

was rnoderate as compared with pres
sut tions.
TARIFF TAXATION INCREASE.
Pr. cleveland. continuing said:
come again after twenty years. The rate
the expenditure of the Government has more
than doubled; and hundreds Of industrial trusts
and combinations. the vicious progeny Of ex-
treme tariff protection openly or stealthily
search the pockets of people Again use
my words of twenty years ago. The right OF
the Government to exact tribute from the
citizen is limited by its exact necessities; and
every cent taken from the people beyond that
ment is no better than robbery.
As repeat those words the question is in my
mind whether the startling changes we con
template VIII add force and emphasis to this
sentiment which in 1884 was indorsed by our
eountrymen. whether with these changes
another of deeper and sadder significance has
taken place In our peoples modes OF thought
and their conceptions of American sturdiness
Of citizenship; has the steady growth OF pubic
extravaganza been so artfully concealed by
glorhcation OF their country's progress that
they no longer consider public frugality as
which they cannot remit either with safety to
our institutions or justice to their own best
interests?
Have our people been so misled by the
glamor Of unsound prosperity and so deceived
by the pretense that exorbitant protective
tariff In some mysterious way assures their
happiness and easy existence that they are
willing to accept blind faith in prosper
masses
neither see nor feel as against the tangible
evidence supplied by increased cost OF every
necessity of life, enforced self-denial In every
home and everywhere curtaied opportunity Tor
remunerative employment?
Has the pressure of trusts and monopolfes
become so familiar and have their pretense of
benevolent purposes deluded our people that
they willing abjectly to surrender their
claims to equality before the law and TO sup
port a policy which to their undoing makes
these aggregations of riches and power more
rich and powerful? Have the plain people OF
| E,1Ar Crr6 Arraw
degenerated that they do not resent the hu-
initiating suggestion that those made rich
through unjust favoritism will care for them,
and they content to rely on the tender
mercies of such Intermediates as these, in
stead of the direct consideration due them
from their Government? Have people
reached such of listless indifference
that they nothing wrong in a scheme OF
tariff protection which supplies to foreign con-
sumers articles of necessary use which are
| the work of American hands and American
| ingenuity at a cheaper rate than they can
be purchased by American citizens? Are they
willing for the sake of continuing this dis
elimination against themselves to perpetuate
| the policy which burdens them with protective
| tariff taxation2
FIGHTING BATTLE OF PEOPLE.
l will not believe that my countrymen are
either wllfully reckless Of their nation safety
| or needless of their duty Of citizenship or
| insensible TO their rights and interests but
whether they will hear or whether they will
forbear 1 cannot refrain from urging upon
them the especial necessity at this time OF
sober reflection, and exhorttng them to a du-
tiful review of our nations establishment. the
character of its mission and its political
plight. If this Is honestly undertaken and If
the exigencies of the hour clearly seen
and patriotically met shall not fear for the
result.
Democracy. Mr.. Cleveland said, is
| conservative, and a conservative Gov
ernment was never more needed than
now. Democracy insists that the con-
stitution should be the chart and con-
slant guide of national conduct; and
never was a renewal of obedience to
constitutional commands more neces-
sary. The Democratic party regards
tariff charges as a tax upon the peo-
pie justified only by the necessity of
| providing for the expenses of their
| Government; and it holds that, like all
| other taxes, these charges should be
as equitably distributed as possible. 1t
condemns tariff legislation for the sole
purpose of protection as an unavoida-
! BILE source of inequality and favoritism
and as promotive of oppressive indus
trial combinations; and so far as
| tariff duties imposed for revenue may
| increditably result in some degree of
protection, it insists that this should
be so arranged as to best subserve the
general welfare.
Continuing, Cleveland said:
| Our party makes no warfare upon the rich
nor upon any legitimate enterprises Its def
inition of American citizenship is broad
enough and just enough to embrace
all people-the rich and the poor alike
and all corporations and associations Of
capital, legtimately engaged In legitimate
| business but it insists that the Government
should in no way and by no device or abuse of
/ it's functions be accessory to the creation Of
vast combinations OF industrial and business
enterprises whose inevitable tendencies
| to control wrongfully the cost of peoples
| living and strangle independent and individual
business effort.
/ EQUITY before the law and equal oppor-
tunity for all define cardinal Democratic doc
| trne. Under this flag we fight the battle Of
/ the people. We seek to invest them again
with the equality which is their right by
virtue of American citizenship and to restore
to them equal opportunity. which is the right
of American manhood
Following Mr.. Clveland. former
Comptroller of the Currency James H
Eckles of Chicago addressed the meet
hing.