Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-07-21
JOHN s. WILLIAMSJUSTICE FIRST
MISSISSIPPI CONGRESSMAN ON
ON PROTECTIVE TARIFF.
Extract From Speech Of Hon. John Sharp
Williams. as Temporary Chairman Of the
Democratic National Convention. Discusses
Tariff Plank Of Republican Platform.

n
Democratic National Convention. Discusses
Tariff plank of P.ruh,;can pi.,form
"larlff rates should be readJusted only
when conditions have so changed that
the public interests demand the altera.
ton" :.
"Public interest, In this connection,
considering the voice which uttered tie
words, is good. "Public interest" from
the men who wrote it, and the conven-
ton which adopted 1t, really means
protected interests How can public
interest demand the alteration? How
can it make the demand heard? There
is only one way that l know Of to make
demand OF this sort heard, and that Is
to vote down the men who say that all
ls well enough" and that the gospel OF
humanity as Tar as the tariff IS concerned,
is all included in the phrase, "stand
pat" Is it possible that the people can
be deceived by empty verbiage like that?
Does not everybody know that the repub-
lican party has no idea OF making any
alterations IN the tariff unless 1t can
thereby purchase the support OF addi'
tional special interests, or 10 tie to those
already bought by special interests by
yet closer bonds?
Are there no conditions" demanding
any changes in any of the schedules Of
the present tariff law when dozens Of
highly protected steel and iron products,
including rails, locomotives, barbed wire
and agricultural implements of American
make are being so daily in competition
with the so.caAed pauper labor OF the
world in the home of this same pauper
laborer? More than that, when they
are being carried right by the south door
of Great Britain on through the Straits
of Gibraltar to Great Britain's own
colony of South Africa, and sold there,
and when, even more than that, they are
sold, after the freight has been paid, and
profit obtained, at a less p'ice than the
same things are sold to Americans in
American markets five miles from the
factory? Will any sane man say that
"public interest" has not demanded"
some alterations in the tariff? The
trouble is and will be as long as the re.
publicans are in power that private in
terests won't allow any.
The curious thing about q man who lie
ia that he insists upon playing two an
trial baron, boasting of having ICON
quered the markets of the world" and
OF being able to keep them because his
goods are better or cheaper. The next
day he is knocking at the doors OF the
committee rooms OF the national leglSa
ture begging a continuance of protection
market IN witch he actually already sells
hi ynn60 10
that will justify public interest in de
handing an alteration?
Suppose the following plank has been
presented to the republican convention,
does anybody believe that it would have
been adopted, namely, demanding a
reduction OF tariff taxation" upon trust
produced articles to the point where fol-
elgn competition may enterthe American
market which favors trusts and combines
seek to monopolize and raise their prices
to the American consumer above just
and reasonable profit, thus using the
American law as shelter to protect
them IN extortion upon the American
people While they charge them higher
price! than those CHARGED foreigners for
identical articles. Suppose that an
actual condition OF that sort had been
shown as 1t has been, would anybody
advocating an utterance OF tAe sort l
have indicated, with a view to meeting
that condition, have obtained any hear
ing from that convention?
The platform then goes on to say that
these alterations cannot be safely com.
mitled to any other hands than the re.
publican party. What has been the
matter with the hands OF the republican
party since 1897 or Tor the last four
years? Even if it were admitted that
friends Of the iniauitous determinations
and eXtortlons OF the present law, rather
than by the friends OF the general inter-
ests OF The commonwealth--which is the
same thing as admitting that the changes
ought to be made by the republican par