The Washington times., 1904-01-24


subject Of an interesting paper by Rep
resentative John Sharp Williams in the
current number OF 'Everybodys Maya
zine" Coming from the minority leader
Of the House. the views expressed may
be regarded as an authoritative state
ment Of the policy OF the Democratic
party on the political ISSUES now before
the country MIR. Williams says in part:
THE two great parties are funda-
mentally divided as jefferson and Ham
ilton were Issues change with chang
ing conditions from year TO year. but
issues are, after all. but the applica-
ton of fundamental principles to con-
ditions.
LAS 10 the tariff. the Democratic party
stands for the principle that protection
ism is n system Of taxation. whereby
many are robbed in order that few
may be hot-housed by legislation into
artificial prosperity. The method where
by protection does this is by denect-
ing capital and labor from naturally
profitable pursuits into pursuits made by
legislation profitable, pursuits which
without legislation would have been less
profitable. or perhaps not profitable az
all.
The Ultimate Goal.
The ultimate goal OF DcIuocratic
striving is tariff for revenue only. but
i'm the striving toward this goal COM
mon sense. good judgment. and eonserv-
atism will prevail and time will enter
AS factor. Perhaps IL might be said
that an ideal Democratic tariff for reve-
nue. only would consist IN Iey-ying i'm
portant duties upon all, or nearly all.
imports. dividing them. however. into
three classes: frst, necessaries Of life
and necessarics Of Industries; secondly.
comforts; and third. luxuries-
The tariff reformer who would do
things recklessly or too suddenly would
run the risk of destroying the very end
which ne had in contemplation by fur
nishing object lessons which would not
help but would hurt him, and in con-
sequence Of which he and those OF his
opinion might be hurled out Of place
and deprived of the yower OF doing any
thing
There is also a tariff revision by
piecemeal. which is d handmaiden OF
the other system. 1t is very important
in its place. although il ought never
to be permitted to handicap the larger
movement by general legislation This
is tariff revision, by reciprocal trade
agreements nth other nations.
Action by Piecemeal
Much can be done along this piece
meal line OF tariff revision under a
Democratic. or approximately Demo
cratic. law Some things along this line
can be done even under the Dingiey law.
with nothing but the small 20 per cent
margin OF elasticity given in that act
Chamberlainism in England and. in her
wisely executed policy Of that sort. and
with an advantage incalculable to
American producers, whether on The
farm. in the mine. or in the factory.
while at the same time benehting Amerf-
can consumers of British products TO
the extent OF 20 per cent.
The trainers OF the Dingley bill them
selves confessed that they had placed
the duties on level 20 per cent higher
than was Necessary. even IN their own
opinions and from their standpoint OF
| high protecticnism.
A Revenue Tariff.
"A Democratic Interstate and Foreign
Commerce Committee would produce a
bill under which some things that we
now see could not happen; IL would be
made impossible. for example. for the
| great railway systems TO make a re-
bate OF 80 1-3 per cent upon iron and
steel. when carried for export. and re-
coup for that reduction BY increasing
| freight charges on commodities from
| Chicago To the seaboard per cent.
"A Democratic tariff law would not.
I even from the beginning. contain rates
/ OF duty above a mere revenue point, in
cases where IL is so self-evident THAI
the existing duty serves only the pur-
I pose OF home extortion. as il is in those
/ where the producer here. still receiv-
I ing the benefit in the nome market of
/ the tar1n tax. Is actually selling abroad
/ in competition with so-called pauper
/ labor.
The same old principle OF Democratic
| equality, of approximate equality, OF
/ benefit and OF burden, ought to show
/ that the Democratic party could not
very well stand in finance for the
Aldrich bill or the Fowler bill-cer-
tainly not for any proposition look
ing toward the giving out for circula-
/ ton of GOvernment-guaraut cur
rency upon the deposit OF the bonds Of
/ private corporations-thus making the
Government q partner I'm the affairs
and in the maintenance OF the credit of