Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-29
TARIFF KILLS
OUR SHIPPING
Republicans Would impose Sub
sidy Tax to Overcome Evils
of Other Tax.
PARTY COMMITTED TO 1T
"Savoyard" Writes of Ridiculous In
consistencies of the Party
in Power.

New DIX, pCt. - H' SUI
louS difficulty with the rcpubli-
can party is that it deems itself so
godly that it has indulgence to work
liniQuity 1t actually believes that II is
given to it 10 do wrong that good may
come of il. In its philosophy the end
| iustifies the means, and its political
creed is that nothing is bad that the re-
publican party favors and nothing is
| good that il opposes. In 1861 II
thought it patriotic to steal the presi-
1ency: in 1883. il thought il duty
| to buy the election: and now il can sec
mo improperly in sending a cabinet
minister. that was. and cabinet min
lister that is to be- into precincts of mo-
Inopolies to solicit campaign funds to
| be employed to continue in power an
administration whose duty il is 10 dis
discipline and restrain monopoly.
| In his letter of acceptance Mr.. Roose-
Ivelt surrenderS completely and abject-
lily to the corporation monopolies MIR.
ICortelyou is now soliciting He re-
cants all he has said. all he mas bcliov-
| ed all he has written, concerning the
Itariff, and stand pat with Aldrich i'll
the senate and Dalzell in the house.
| Not only is ne Jealous in the cause of
protection. but he even falls into the
Icant of governmental privilege and
would not have tariff abuses reform
ed" by others than those who profit by
the abuse. and therefore if stress of
politics or deficiencies of revenues
lshould force a reimbursement of our tax
laws. tariff monOpolies should have the
privilege of writing the "reformers
Into the tariff schedules, and that is
Ionly "A fulfillment of the republican slo-
gan-'the tariff must only BE- reformed
| by its friends" and thus the steel trust
IshaT write the metal schedules. the
Heather trust the leather schedules, the
Icotton spinners the taxes on cotton fab
rics. the lumber trust the duties on
lumber, and so on. and so on. Just as
the shahs of Persia and the proconsulS
|of Rome levied tribute on conquered
peoples do our favored monopolies
write in our tariff laws the tribute they
would levey on the producers and con
Isumers of our country.
There never was moment of its eX-
Iistcncc that the republican party was
a majority of the American people. aud
never one moment that II was any
thing otner than sectional party. Ii
is at once the slave and master of no
InopOIies, and grants 50 much OF privi-
Ilege in the law for so many votes in the
college. Nobody has better expressed
1.-THE republican policy thah did the late
John J. Ingalls,. when he advised that
1.-THE protected millionaires of Pittsburg
be put on the fire AMI enough fat
fried out of them 10 buy the election. /
don't know whether Mr.. Cortelyou has
fried any fat out of them or not
but as secretary of commerce and Ia.
Dor. he had opportunity to prepare
himself To become the most brilliant
and most successful "fat-frycr" til" re-
publican party ever produced.
| Subsidies Ind"rsed.
/ The republican national platform
contains this passage
1--WE therefore favor legislation
which will encourage and build up the
! American merchant marine. and we
cordially approve the legislation of the
Hast congress which created the mer-
lchant marine commission to investi-
gate and report upon this subject"
J That is as nearly an endorsement of
THE ship subsidy bill of the United
States senate as the republican party
dared to venture. The taking of one
Iman'n property and giving it 10 an
Iothcr IS cardinal principle of the re
publican party. and the ship subsidy
IonIy mean8 that the government shall
take from the man in rural New York.
| who grows hUpE, or produces butter. or
has a vineyard. or an orchard, and
gives it to a man in Maine. who builds
islips. That is the ship subsidy, and it
/ is q fundamental republican doctrine.
/ The republican convention when j.
made that platform knew exactly what
the merchant marine commission in
tends TO report, ana what IL was Gre
ated to report-that the taxpayers Of
America snail be required 10 swell the
profits Of an industry, cOnfessedly pau
Ipcr. and no better than any other in
Idustry that the republican party in
tends to tax for this beggar's benefit.
! And Mr.. Roosevelt in his letter Of
acceptance has this 10 say about it:
In closing. what nave to say about
1.-The system Of promoting American in
Idustrv. let me add a word Of cordial
agreement with the policy OF in some
way including within its benefits, BY
appropriate legislation, the American
} merchant marine IL Is not creditable
10 us as a nation that our great export
and import trade should be well nign
exclusively in the hands of foreigners
That may mean everything. or moth
!ng. but in view of the fact that the
lOnIy cure for PROSTATE marchant ma
rine the republican party has ever sug-
gnstcd is q subsidy paid TO our ship