The Indianapolis journal., 1904-04-27


Britain and the Transvaal country and the
discontinuance of our war with Spain.
Now. is il not a reasonable proposition
that there should be a Stacking up OF the
manufacturing Industries of this country
under those circumstances? Where would
II strike? Where would you naturally ex-
pect il TO be felt? Why where the fac
tories are, in New England. and il does
strike there, and the situation Is notice
able.
Is there any further evidence OF this fact7
Take the clearinghouse exchanges of the
county, and you will find that there was
a falling OFF in 1903 of 81, Sci. 900 COM
pared with the year before. Where did this
Ialling off occur? In New York and New
England and TO the amount OF A.l16,14I,OO0
while in the remainder of the country il
increased over 81 2O00.o,0,000.
Our Democratic friends are rolling under
] tneir tongues a sweet mOrSel the fact
lhat the bank loan accounts, which, they
/ say mark the business conditions of the
country Just as accurately thermom-
eter marks the variations Of the weather,
snow that there has been a falling off in
| New england of about 3-9 per. cent, and
ttney cite this to prove their argument.
but, while they are Haunting this tempo
IaIy depression in our faces. why are they
o IloI candid enough TO state that, at the
same time and during the same period,
there mas been an increase of Al per cent.
IN the Eastern States. an increase of 66
| per cent In the middle West. an increase
or lO.1 per cent. in the Western States an
increase or l1-5 per cent. in the Southern
! states ana an increase OF 81 per cent.
| We are at the fiood-tide of prosperity
| everywhere in this country save in New
| England, and the temporary depression
there is easily explained, and i'm nowise
| demonstrates that we can abolish our tariff
| system and abandon our customs houses.
| And again, our opponents say they favor
| tariff reduction because that system is
| the mother of trusts. That question was
| presented TO the people in the last cam
palgn and they rendered their verdict Our
| all-sufficient answers to that charge then
| were and now are, first, that trusts control
a large number OF articles in this country
| tariff schedules.
| second, that free-trade England is plas-
tered all over with these giant organiza-
tions; third, that there are a very large
number of capitalistic combinations in this
| country that are not harmful. but helpful,
and that reduction in tariff rates would
| inJure far more industries that aid the
| consumer than IL would destroy monopolies
| that prey upon him. Ii is only that COM
| bination that seeks to control the market
| for its own selfish ends that needs be
curbed, those that limit their output in
order to unduly raise the price and thus
plunder the public. But these must be
directly assailed if their marauding hands
are to be stayed, and are not to be over
thrown by mercilessly slaughtering
our prosperity Such a course would
be as foolish TO discharge both barrels
of gun into a well-filled chicken house to
Kill one weasel. The weasel might. per-
chance, be killed. but the general result
of the shot would be such To render its
existence thereafter a matter of indiffer-
ence. After all the chickens are slaugh-
tered it cannot matter if the weasel still
lives.
Democracy BewiIdered.
The difficulty with the Democracy is
that they bewildered at the limitless
extent of our prosperity. After the elec-
ton of Mckinley they chided us several
months about the return of prosperity.
where's your prosperity" they shout
ed at us every street corner They
derisively asked us every day If We
4 k,l saxI
upon inquiry as tp what general. they al
ways answered with great gusto, why,
General Prosperity" And had our efforts
to revive the languishing industries of the
country met with but slight success they
! would still be meeting with the same
, sneer, that same derision. But the Jest
, at no prosperity has changed into alarm
, success. They say that We are becoming
, too rich, that We are making il possible
for these tremendous aggregations of cap
: ital TO be formed in this country-gigantic
> combinations of riches that far outshine
the fancful creations of the romancers
who have astonished and delighted man.
. kind.
Eight years ago they were swearing by
all the saints in the calends. that the tariff
had nothing whatever TO dc with pros
/ perity. Now they vocferating with
/ equal fury that the tariff ought to be de-
,, for this Niagara flood of prosperity. The
, truth is, that, notwithstanding their pre-
diction of 1896 the tariff has done its work
: so well that they are all frightened at it,
, Now they propose to revise the tariff be-
! cause they say that it is injurious and
J makes possible these tremendous combina-
{ tions of capital, and because those combina-
/ tons are strong and wealthy and great
I | But what is the necessary result of such n
I course? II the revision of the tariff would
) affect those interests, powerful, wealthy
{ and strong as they are, what must of ne
/: cessity be the effect OF such change upon
thousands of smaller interests that are not
| ctr and fr1 and fhx-o Tr
must inevitably crush them ALL and thus
blot out the only competition those great
( combinations have to meet within the con-
fines of Nation.
Gentlemen, | have ceased to regard the
{ tariff a medicine TO be taken when we
r are sick. but a system to be constantly
! maintained. 1t is as much part OF our
\ national life, our national spirit our nation
e al purpose as any other of the great funda-
\ mental principles to which we give un-
I wavering adherence. Ii has enabled us TO
S build up an American civilization, distinct
s from that of any other on earth. unique in
: all history. We have an American rate
: of wages. an American mode of living, an
r American scale of prices. American idea
I as to the regal dignity of labor an Ameri-
: can conception of the royal worth OF every
: man, that mark us a peculiar people.
: The tariff distributes wealth as TO rem
n der every laboring man the better qualified
s TO maintain his rights. IL enables him to
: own his home, TO educate his children, to
C become independent and self-reliant and
Y | play his part in keeping up this govern
: | ment of EQUALS. For il is a striking fact
r and cannot be dissociated from all political
s moral and religious problems as well Is
: it not a vital part of our plan of our
r government, of our system?
t For the first seventy-two years of our
o history. tariff written along free
n trade lines. Ii is true that we had mod
r flied protective tariffs in 1876 1928 and ls4a.
n but they were short-lived and were not
protective now believe. During those
seventy-two years the balance of trade
against us amounted to a billion dollars
a and portable wealth was sent abroad 4
& to pay the balance. Our people were inn
IL poverished to enrich the merchants and
n manufacturers of Europe and I'm ali those
q years our fathers succeeded IN accumilfat =
ing but sixteen billions of wealth In the
IL forty-four years since we first established
) a real protective tariff the balance of trade
q in our favor has amounted TO s6 aos 600 600.
The gold the siver, the bonds of the
world have been sent here to pay that
2. balance of trade, and the result is shown
l. in the fact that in these few years we
r have added eighty-six billions to the wealth
d of our land.
IS Is further proof required? Is not this
< system fortified by every fact. every figure,
d every argument and fully sustained by the
irresistible logic OF events?
a Tariff of Perndy.
IS Have we so soon forgotten the adminis-
- y tration of Grover Cleveland? Have we so
" soon forgotten that tariff of ''perfidy and
/ I;eh