The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1904-08-18
THEY DRAW THE LINE
DEMOCRATS MAKE THE MAIN is.
s,.,.., SUE PLAIN.

4t Ma n
BY Declaring "a Their Platform TIM
~. "Pfo N setloq W Robbery" They n.
clare Anew That They Are Welded
70 the Doctrine 81 Free Trade. ',
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The Democratic party in national
convention has declared that "protec.
tion is robbery Of the many to enrich
the few" The Republican party in
national convention has declared its
belief in and support Of protection, as
essential to the prosperity Of the
American people.
Practically all Of the issues men.
toned In the platforms Of the great
parties this year will have little con.
sideration In the campaign except this
squarely drawn line of difference be-
tween them on this elementary prin.
ciple In the economic policy Of the
American republic. 1t will be useless
for the leaders Of the Democratic par.
ty to attempt to make an issue over
alleged violations Of principles Of the
United States Constitution by Presi.
dent Roosevelt and bis party, when 1t
is q fact perfectly apparent to all
thoughtful American citizens that the
complaints Hade by the Democrats In
respect to these alleged issues have no
real foundation. In an attempt TO get
away from the overpowering influence
OF sweeping defeat in two great ma.
tional campaigns on the issue Of the
monetary standard, the Democratic
party, through Its delegates, In nation.
al convention assembled, has, by elect.
ing to maintain absolute silence on
the subject Of the money question,
sought to eliminate that question from
among the issues to be discussed dur.
ing the campaign. With so many still
unsettled problems intimately assocl.
ated with the financial system, such
as national banks OF issue, and pro-
visions for increasing the monetary
supply, 1t seems Incredible that a par.
ty which casts six and a half million
votes In a national campaign only four
years ago, while declaring against the
single gold standard, should so far
admit defeat on that question as to
desire that there shall be no further
discussion Of 1t. But whether the par.
ty shall be successful in this attempt
to evade an issue which Its leaders
forced upon the country during two
national campaigns, remains to be
seen. At this time, when there is dis.
cussion Of the question whether the
tariff law Of the United States shall
DO revised, and when that revision
shall be made. 1t certainly becomes a
paramount issue in the campaign when
the two parties are lined up with for
NAL declarations, the Republican party
for, and the Democratic party against,
the doctrine Of protection.
In Its course upon the money ques-
ton, the Democratic party in national
convention, at different times during
the past fifteen years, has made decla-
rations, positive and unequivocal at
one time, to be followed by evasion,
equivocation and silence at other
times. The party has heretofore de.
clared that the principle of protection,
which has been the fundamental prin-
ciple underlying every tariff act since
the first tariff law was signed by
George Washington, Is an unconstitu'
tional principle, and directly hostile
to the basic law Of the republic. In
its platform declaration this year the
Democratic party does not say that
protection is unconstitutional, but vio-
lently assails 1t as robbery. Surely,
1t would seem that a principle of gov.
eminent, or Of taxation, that is sub
ject to denunciation as severe as
would be applied to criminal offense
consisting Of one person violently talk
ing the property Of another, must not
only be unconstitutional, but de-
serves to be uprooted from the law Of
the land without the slightest hesita-
ton.
The Republican party declared in
its platform at Chicago Its faith in and
support Of protection as essential to
the prosperity Of the American people.
The Republican party In that platform
recognized the present public discus
sion of tariff revision to the extent Of
saying that changes in the tariff
should be made whenever the good
to be derived from such action would
not be overbalanced by the evils which
might flow from the agitation Incl
dent to such changes. What was more
important in connection with the tar.
If issue Of the time was the formal
declaration in the Republican plat
form that when changes In the tariff |
are made the work should be intrust.