The San Francisco call., 1904-10-02
NeWIands Says
Silver
Question Is in
AbeYanCe,
to Be Revived
if Money
Famine Comes.

people. We charge the unequal dis
tribution Of wealth, massed, as 1t is.
in the hands of a few individuals and
great corporations controlling trans
portation, production and finance, in
the hands of few and to the dtsad-
vantage of the many, to the Republican
policies which have been maintained
almost without interruption during the
last 40 years Of our national life.
''The Morrill, tariff. which was re-
garded at the time of it's enactment
as a high protective tariff. was lower
than any tariff which has been enact
ed since, including the Wilson tariff;
under it American industries were am
ply protected and a surplus Of rev.
enue was created which required the
utmost ingenuity Of the government TO
dispose of. A tariff commission has
been provided for by the Republican
party, which reported in favor of re-
duction, and the Republican party it
self has at various times seriously con-
sidered reduction. Cleveland, taking
advantage of the delay OF the Repub-
lican party In making a reduction.
conceded by all to be just and proper.
made issue with the Republican party
in his famous tariff message and pre-
cipitated the campaign Of 1888, in
which. for the first time in the his
tory Of the country, money was largely
used In the campaign; money sub
scribed by manufacturers who expect
ed to get their reward in new tariff
framed by and for them.
CLEVELAND'S ELECTION.
"The Mckinley tariff was the result.
which. by it's excessive duties, and the
rise in prices occasioned thereby,
shocked the American people and Gre
ated a revulsion that led to the Cleve-
land election In 1892. This was followed
by the enactment Of the Wilson bin. a
conservative bill, whose duties. though
lower than the Mckinley bill, were
higher than those Of the original Nor
riu bill, with which the country was
! content. Alleging that this bill was the
cause of the financial depression really
/ caused by money famine, the Repub-
Hcan party again met the issue, called
to its aid the trusts and combinations
| then in process of formation, secured
/ from them an immense campaign fund
/ unprecedented in political history and
/ then wrote in the laws of the country
| the Dingley bill, whose provisions were
framed in the interests Of these trusts
and combinations, with view to pro-
! tect them from foreign competition,
/ thus enabling them, under the
/ shadow Of the tariff wall, to suppress
the production of formidable compett-
tors and to monopolize the markets OF
the country.
/ "Such has been the history OF tariff
legislation, from the moderately high
protection Of the Morrill, bill. which the
| Republicans themselves were seriously
proposing to reduce. to the exaggerated
and swollen protection Of the Dingley
act In the interests OF monopoly and
combination. This shows the gradual
abandonment by the Republican party
| of the spirit OF reform and the substi-
tuition for It OF a policy dictated by
avarice and greed
/ "Under existing conditions a large
portion OF our national revenue must
always be secured from tariff duties.
and to the extent that they are levied
\ on foreign products they must tend to-
/ ward the protection Of American indus
tries: but we protest against the exag-
gerated and swollen protection OF the
Republican party, which has had in
view not simply the difference in wages
| at home and abroad and the protectlOn
of infant industries, but the building
up of great monOpolies. protected
against foreign competition by tariff
wall unduly high, and destructive OF all
domestic competition through the IA
yored control of transportation and
finance.
PART OF THE SYSTEM.
while we believe that these abuses
should be corrected, we realize the TACT
that the existing condition has become
a mart of the industrial system OF the
country. and that to radically disturb
II might be the cause Of readJustment
that would bring loss and distress TO
( the innocent We therefore declare
ourselves in favor Of a revision and
gradual reduction Of the tariff The
Democratic party stands for progress
sive reform in this direction, which will
content itself largely In the first place
with gradually reducing the rates OF
duty upon those products which
are made in this country and are sold