Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1904-07-28
BREACHES Gospel
Of DEMOCRACY
Il. J. Stiger Addresses the
State Democratic
Convention.
AS TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN
S TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN
Outlines Issues Of Campaign as DEM
ocrats View Them Declares That
Question Of Taxation is Greatest Of
the Hour-is for Tariff Revision.

Iowa City, July 20.--In addressing the
democratic state convention. temporary
Chairman j. ii. StIger vi Toledo, said II
part:
The greatest question of the hour Is
| the question OF taxation. the issue around
which All the great battles OF freedom
lave been fought, and from which How
all the issues of nations life.
We stand for a policy of taxation that
will protect the masses of our people
from excessive and extortionate taxation
for the benefit of the few.
We believe in protecting every man In
the full enjoyment of the fruits OF his
labor, diminished only by the proper pay
ment to the support OF his government,
economically and honestly administered.
Without such reform the American con
sumner is condemned to perpetual system
CT larceny and fraud.
system that wrings by indirection
from the earnings of the masses count less
millions of dollars and divcrts them un-
enrned into the, pockets of the favored
few benehCiarics of servile congress Is
system of state larceny. The man who
says that those who toll and spin must
pay tribute from their meAgPr wage to
The man who holds monopoly what We
eat and wear is an enemy more danger
Gus to our Institutions than the low brow
ed frnd of foreign brogue who works over
his bomb in the cellar OF garrett and
5roOdS assassination.
The system OF protection as now de-
Tended by the republican party is the
most insOlent and brutal exercise Of the
taxing power of government ever wit
messed by a people capable Of governing
themselves.
1t vas confessedly levied against the
weak for the benefit of the strong IL
was levied upon the masses in the inter
eSts of the campaign fund and 1t is main
talned because the republican party Is
noweriess TO withdraw the bride for fear
Of punishment.
But some republicans promise us a re-
vision of the tariff. The republican plat
form adopted at Chicago says that rates
If duty should be rendjusted only when
conditions have so changed that the pub
lie interests demand their alteration"
This Is the republican declaration for
tariff revision--a mOrstr0us proposition to
an intelligent peonle demanding relief
from excessive burdens of taxation.
No honest man who knows the slgnif-
canoe Of language will contend that this
plank in the republican platform is
iCstment Is proposed some sweet day. but
"only' when conditions have so changed
that the public interests demand it,"
How long. o Lord, how long :"
The great historical fact is that the re-
publican party has never VET revised our
tariff laws that i, did not raise the tax
,aH people. should pray increasingly to he
delivered from another revision of the
tariff by the republican party.
The settled policy. of that party is. to
ley bill continues to serve their purposes
they will stand pat" and when the ext
gencies of the PAL " require they promise
US another raise The party which has
will never drive the gamblers ont.
We firmly believe that Instead of re,
steadily raised until retaliation by for
eign nations. ALREADY begun. will abso-
lutely destroy our export trade.
in lieu Of this prospect we offer the
nnt, ,trx 81
cratic platform, which declares:
We favor a wise. conservative and bus.
inesslike revision of the tariff by the
friends Of the masses and for the common
its PXtOrtiOns and IT'S determinations
We favor the reduction of the tariff
taxation upon trust produced articles to
the point when foreign competition NAV
enter the American market whenever
trusts and combines. seeking monopoly.
raise their price TO American consumers
above reasonable and lust profit, bv such
reduction deriving the trusts and mo-
nopoies of the power to e,tort from the
American people under shelter of Amer.
lean law. prices higher. than those charg
ed foreigners for identical articles"
Here Is a pledge of conservative pol
Icy that offers relisf Here is pledge of
honor and a ray of hope
In recent years the people have heard
much or reciprocity as n means of mOd-
tying the tariff. The brilliant Blaine real
lied that American Industries had reached
point in their development far beyond
the period of ''inrant industry and that
the time had come when letters should
be stricken from American trade From
across the ocean he commanded a repuh-
iican national convention to omit a piank
for reciprocity at IT'S peril. Since the days
of Blaine the doctrine of reciprocity has
been approved by all our leading states
men; In more recent years it has been
Coddled and afect.Onately named the
hand maiden of protection. William Me
kinley, the great American prOtectionist
whose fidelity to home trade cannot be
doubted realized before his death that the
period of exclusiveness had passed and in
his last public utterance at Buffalo on
September 3. lo0l. he said:
We must not repose In fancied security
that we. can forever sell everything ana
buy little or nothing. Reciprocity Is the
natural outgrowth of .our wonderful in
iustriaI development under the domesti"
Reciprocity treaties are in harmony with
the spirit of the times; measures Of re-
taliation are not"
In accord with this policy announced by
President Mckinley. numerous treaties
were negotiated with other nations of the
world, and presented to the nted States
senate for ratification. Not receiving the
approval of the senate, these same treat
les were aft~rward resubmitted by Presi,
lent Roosevelt with an urgent appeal for
heir rattticatiOn. but it is matter of
great significance that every reciprOcaI
treaty which has been proposed since the
doctrine WAS first announced by Blaine
has been defeated by the republican sen,
ate.
The republican party has shifted ground
| on reciprocity, bat still hopes to incur the
| favor of the people by the adoption of a
| plank that really means the Abandonment
| of this great doctrine. From the honest
| policy of Blaine and Mckinley IL mas
! swung TO the doubtful policy OF Aldrich
| and Lodge, New England's high priests OF
! protection. who declare for reciprocity ir
ron competitive articles only. Such com
| mercial treaties are a practical impossi
| blitY and republican leaders know it. II
made. such treaties would not. as tn,
| great diplomat. John A. Kasson, tells us
bring into this tcuDtry enough goods I,
start store at a Kentucky cross roads
the republican party now stands com
mitted to the practical Abandonment O
reciprocity and Is ready under the leader
~~~~~~~~~~~~-~~>~~
"A woman can't keep a secret. de
clares the mere man. "Oh, | dom
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twenty-four." Yes; but one of thes,
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