Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1904-05-05

monopoly at home they would have refused
to ordain and establish the constitution.
Be sure, therefore, that when YOU advocate
tariff for revenue only YOU are advocating
a principle supported by our forefathers.
Never Think of the Constitution.
4 ~ am unaware that the constitution and
Z. the powers of congress Hereunder and the
duty Of the citizens in respect thereto are
never referred to in convention of our
opponents. They assume that no body of
American citizens has any right to call in
question the powers of congress under the
constitution except under an appeal to the
courts. And as for the citizen, he is not
respected to inquire. / cannot resist the
conviction that revival of true patriotism,
such as will again arouse the people to as
sumo the full responsibilities of citizenship
under the constitution and constantly in
slst on equal rights for all. will avert many
dangers that now threaten us.
= llI-omened Day.
at was an il-omened day for us and our
country when the national congress began
TO levy duties on imports for the benefit Of
a special class of people. I AM not here
to impeach the motives of the early advo-
Gates of the measure. They believed that
the policy would be of short duration. If
I'VE had the tariff rates now that the early
advocates of the system fixed as sufficient
they would be called free trade rates.
Then the schedules were arranged as to
cover the differenc between the wages of
labor in America and Europe. Now they
are made to satisfy insatiate greed. Then
the system was called protection to Ameri-
can industry. Now it has become a con-
spiracy In restraint Of trade. And If any
republican statesman, inspired by the early
achievements and traditions of the party
,raises his voice against this modern mon
ster, he is at once marked and doomed for
Its political guilotine.
Secretary Blaine became n discredited
republican statesman from the moment he
proposed system of freer trade with the
South American republic. And when our
senior senator first entered congress and
knowing the wrong and Injustice it was
visiting on his fair state raised his voice
against 1t, he was at once black-listed and
no further promotion allowed him except in
response to his fawning. I noticed by the
press dispatches some time ago that one
of our congressman from Iowa declared in
congress that he and his republican col
leagues from this state We're opposed to
the Iowa Idea We all knew that before
he said It. The thought that republican
congressman from Iowa should entertain
such an idea has long since passed from
our minds +ss
ST by reason of an increased volume of
trade the custom receipts are excessive the
business Of the country must bear the bur
den, for no one in the republican party dare
advocate it's reduction. On the other hand,
yL--'sS reagan of n decreasing volume of
-''-,tn 1s..---''-, In the public revenues is
threatening no fe,4ijustment of schedules
can be made to inchease the income of the
government without long struggle with
an interruptions foe.
Slump OF 1894.
During the last half of President Harri-
sons administration by reason Of high tar
iff rates the volume of imports greatly de-
creased, which before the end Of his term
depleted the treasury, precipitated panic
and greatly impaired the public credit
And he surrendered the nation distracted
and depressed, with dlsordered finance, a
bankrupt treasury, ruined credit and bust
ness of confidence destroyed, to the demo-
cratic party, that bore the odum Of the
business disaster to which it in no wise
contributed and for which the trust build
Ing tariff policy Of the republican party
was chiefly responsible.
.Our honored governor tells us that tonly
dead men stand pat If that Is literally
true what great valley of dry bones the
republican party has become. But If he
means that the 'standpatter' is dead to pa
triotisrn. to fair trade, to the rights of the
people dead in political trespasses and sins.
we accept the characterization. Conceding
the governors great ability and without in
the least doubling his sincerity l cannot
believe that he will he successful in calling
those dry bones to life
Competition.
at was urged against the protective
theory that the consumer would be com.
PEELED to pay more for the product of the
domestic manufacturer than it was worth
In the markets of the world and that this
would be unjust. In reply the advocate OF
the system admitted that the result might
be as charged. but said that the condition
would be only temporary and that it would