The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-05-10
PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
BATTLE CRY or THE DEMOCRATIC
HOSTS FOR 1904.

"Tarf6 Reduction and Genuine Rec
iprocity," which Means Free Trade
ON the Insta1Iment Plan, to he In
seribed on the Bourbon Banners.
Recent speeches in congress by Dem
ocratic leaders have practically deter
attitude toward the tariff in the cam
paign Of 1904, just as recent speeches
by Republican leaders have substan-
TALLY indicated the policy of the Re
| publican party. Briefly stated, the po-
sition is that the Democrats will at
tack and the Republicans defend. In
his speech in the house on March %
Champ Clark of Missouri closed with
the following plain declaration: 1--WE
go forth with tariff reduction and gen
uine reciprocity inscribed on our ban
ners."
Here we have two conyerging at
tacks-tarif reduction direct by legis-
lative vote upon the schedules and
tariff reduction indirect by means of
genuine" reciprocity-that is to say,
wide open trade dickers which will
make it still easier for foreigners to
come in and take possession of the
American market. First, the present
tariff is to be scaled down 10, 20, 80,
40 and 80 per cent, nobody knows how
much, and in the case of articles pro-
duced by trusts (also by nontrust con-
Germs engaged in the same lines of
production) the tariff is to be removed
altogether Second, the remaining
rates Of duty thus lowered directly by
legislative enactment are to be still
further lowered by special reciprocity
concessions. Tariff reduction and
genuine reciprocity" is to be inscribed
on the Democratic banners this year;
not tariff reduction alone or genuine
reciprocity alone, but both together.
Between the two it is easy to see
that not much will be left of practical
protection. 1t is not intended that
much shall be left. The less the better
is the Democratic idea. Not long ago
John Sharp Williams wrote a maya
zine article in which he characterized
protection as robbery. Now, robbery
is an atrocious thing, thing not to be
tolerated by statesmen actuated by
moral principles; hence protection must
go. Still more recently Mr.. Williams,
the Democratic leader in the house and
very much the ablest and most infiuen-
tial leader the Democratic party has
had in congress for several years past,
expressed his views more in detail
filed bill of particulars, as it We're,
setting forth his idea of the principle
that should govern tariff reform legis-
lation. Said Mr.. Williams in this
speech:
Il will first tell you just the limits to
which we can get along without inn
port duty; just the line Of demarcation
beyond which those duties are robbery !
and within which they are legitimate |
taxation, because they are taxation |
and, like all taxation, necessary evil |
after ALL have stated 1t once before |
upon tine floor OF this house during the |
extra session or at the beginning of |
this, | have forgotten just when. but / |
will repeat the phrase again. You |
have right to levy import taxation or |
any other sort of taxation upon the |
citizen, you have right to weigh him
down-it is weighing him down-just |
to the extent of the necessities of
government carried on economically. |
constitutionally and effectively, and |
above that you have no right to do it.
Above that you not only have no gov
ernmental right, but it ceases to be
moral; it becomes robbery, crime I'M
der the thin cloak of law. The moment |
that the government takes one dollar
out Of my pocket that is not needed for
public purposes that government has |
taken advantage Of its power, as a
does, to hold me up and |
rob me-"
Herein we may discover the outlines
of the shape which tariff reduction
would take-must take-with men like |
John Sharp Williams to plan and exc
cute. Given a Democratic majority in |
both branches of congress and a Dem
ocrat in the executive chair, and who |
can doubt that tariff reduction or tariff |
reform would eliminate completely the
principle Of protection? To this com
plexion 1t must come at last, whenever
the people of the United States shall i
have tired Of being too prosperous I'M
der protection and shall decide. as they |
did in 1892, to have change and see
what will come Of it. They are to de-
eide that question this year. If they
decide to place the Democratic party
in power they will do SO with their
eyes open. AIessrs Williams, Clark
and the general body Of Democratic |
speakers and writer's have left no room
for doubt as to what the Democratic
party will do to the tariff if it gets the
chance.