The Globe-republican., 1904-09-15


rents last obtained power II was on a.
platform declaring a protective tariff
unconstitutional" and the effort to put
this declaration into practice was one Of
the causes Of the general national pros
tration lasting from 1888 to 1897 II a
protective tariff is either "unc0nstitu-,
tional" or robbery then II Is Just as
unconstitutional just as much robbery,
70 revise 1t down, still leaving 1t protec-
tive, as itw0uld be to enact It. In other
words our opponents have committed
themselves to the destruction Of the pro-
tective principle In the tariff, using words
which II honestly used forbid them from
permitting this principle to obtain In
even the smallest degree. .
Every class of our. people Is benefited
ey the protective tariff. During the last
few years the merchant has seen the
export trade Of this country grow faster
than ever in our previous history. The
manufacturer could not keep his factory
running II 1t were not for the protective
tariff The wage-workef would do well
to remember that II protection Is rob
berry,. and is to be punished accordingly,
he Will be the first to pay the penalty;
for either he will be turned adrift entire
", or his wages will be cut down to the
starvation point. AS concluslvely shown
by the bulletins Of the bureau Of labor,
the purchasing power Of the average
wage received by the wage-worker has
grown faster than the cost Of living, and
this In spite Of the continual shortening
Of working hours. The accumulated saw
ngs Of the workingmen Of the country,
as shown by the deposits In the savings
banks have increased by leaps and
bounds, At no time in the history Of this
or any other country has there been an
era 30 productive of material benefit
alike to workingrnan and employer, as
during the seven years that have just
passed. N
The farmer has benefited quite as muci,
as the manufacturer, the merchant and
the wage-worker. The most welcome and
impressive fact established by the last
census 70 the wide and even distribution
o. wealth among all classes of our coun-
trymen. The chief agencies In produc-
Ing this distribution are shown by the
census to be the development Of manu-
features, and the application Of new in
ventions to universal use. E
In the forty years ending In 1900 the
total value Of farm property increased
| twelve and half billions Of dollars; the
FARMER gaining even more during this De-
Rod than the manufacturer Long ago
over-production would have checked the
marvellous development Of our national
agriculture. but for the steadily increas-
Ing demand Of American manufacturers
FOL. farm products required as raw ma
terials for steadily expanding industries
Conditions change and the laws must
be modified from time to time to fit new
exigencies. But the genuine underlying
principle Of protection. as 1t has been
embodied In all but one Of the American
tariff laws for the last forty years, has
worked out results SO benehcent, 80 even.
" and widely spread, so advantageous
alike to farmers and capitalists and work
ingmen: to commerce and trade Of every
Kind, that the American people, If they
snow their usual practical business sense,
Will insist that when these laws are
modified they shall be modified with the
utmost care and conservatism, and by
the friends and not the enemies Of the
protective system. They cannot afford
to trust the modification to those who
treat protection and robbery as synony-
nous terms,
In closing what I have to say about
the. system Of promoting American indus
try let me add a word of cordial agree
men1tt with the policy of in some way in
cluding within its benefits, by appropriate
legislation, the American merchant ma
rlne. IT is not credltable to us as a ma
non that our great export and import
trade should be well nigh exclusively
In the hands of foreigners
Our opponents contend that the govern
merit Is now administered extravagantly,
and that whereas there was "a surplus
of SO,O@,Oo0 In 1907 there Is "a deficit of
more than s@OoO,OOV' in the year that
has just closed
This deficit is imaginary and Is OBJ
tanned by including In the ordinary cur
rent expenses the sum Of fifty millions.
which was paid for the right of way Of
the Panama canal out Of the accumu-
lated surplus in the treasury. Compar-
Ing the current or ordinary expenditures
for the two years, there was a surplus
Of nearly eighty millions for the year
1899; and Of only a little more than eight
millions Tor the year that has lust
closed. But this diminution of the an
nual surplus was brought about design
eddy by. the abolition of the war taxes
IN the interval between the two dates.
The acts of March 2, 1901, and April Il,
1907, cut down the internal revenue taxes
to an amount estimated at one hundred
and five millions a year In other words,
the reduction of taxation has been con-
slderably greater than the reduction in
the annual surplus. Since the close of
the war. with Spain there has been no
substantial change in the rate Of ANIMAL
expenditures. As compared with the fis-
cal year ending in June 1901 for exam
pie, the fiscal year that has Just closed
showed relatively small increase in ex-
penditure Excluding the canal payment
already referred toy, while the year pre-
vious showed a relatively small decrease.
The expenditures Of the nation have
been managed In spirit of economy as
far removed from waste as from niggard-
ness; and in the future every effort will
be continued to secure an economy as
i strict as is consistent with efficiency.
Our opponents promise Independence to
the Philippine Islands. Here again we
are confronted by the fact that their IT.
reconcilable differences Of opinion
among themselves, their proved inability
10 create a constructive policy when in
power, and their readiness, for the sake
Of momentary political expediency, to
abandon the principles upon which they
have insisted as essential, conspire to
puzzle us as to whether they do or do
not intend in good faith to carry out
this promise If they are given control of
the government.
II our opponents came into power and
attempted to carry out their promises to
the Fllipinos by giving them independ-
ence, and withdrawing American control
from the Islands, the result would be
q frightful calamity to the Filpinos
themselves, and In Its larger aspect would
amount to an international crime. An
archy would follow; and the most vo-
lent anarchic forces would be directed
partly against the civil government, part
| ly against all forms of religious and edu-
cational civilization. Bloody conflicts
would inevitably ensue In the archipelago.
and just as inevitably the Islands would
become the prey of the first power which
In Its own selfish interest took up the
task we had crayenly abandoned.
During the last five years more has
well-being of the Filiplnos than ever
before since the Islands first came within
the'ken Of civilized man. We have OPEN
ed before them vista of orderly devel-
| opment In their own interest, and not
| u pVllcy VI oAPlultntIuli' livery eHOTl II
being made to fit the islanders for self
government, and they have already In
large measure received It, while for the
| first time in their history their personal
rights and civil liberties have been guar
anteed. They are being educated; they
have been given schools; they have been
, given libraries; roads are being built for
their use; their health Is being cared
| fnr, thou hA yn hnan Uivnu onIirfc In yyhinh
L Ii, r,at tta frlinr n mia Nhnir LIN