Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-04

| to lay and collect taxes. duties, imports
and excuses was intended for any other
purpose than to raise revenue for the
support of the government.
II am not unaware that the consti-
tuition and the powers of congress
Hereunder and the duty of the citizen
in respect thereto are never referred to
In convention of our opponents. They
regard the constitution as an ancient
document, composed and written by
men of little comprehension and not at
all suited to these modern times.
They assume that no body of Amer
ican citizens has any right to call in
question the powers of congress under
the constitution except by an appeal to
the courts. And as for the citizen, he
is not expected to inquire. 1t is his
business to follow his party flag and
| no question make as to who is the
standard bearer or where the process
/ sion is headed
Des Moines Scored.
! And in this city where political cor
ruption is INDUCED In with unblushing
effrontery: where proposition to take
wrongfully from the public treasury
| thousands of dollars to improve pri-
yate property is accepted with bound
less enthusiasm: where public officers
openly violate the laws they are sworn
to enforce and where one must take his
| life in his hand If he goes upon tn !.
public streets after the sun goes down.
the constitution and the high duties of
the citizen imposed thereby would be a
strange and an unwelcome theme.
! 1T was an Ill omened day for us and
our country when the national congress
began to levy duties on imports for the
benefit of special class of the people
1t was meant and intended to give them
an advantage over the rest of their
Icountrymen. 1t was the diverting of the
taking power Of the nation from its
proper functions to that of aiding its
beneffciaries to increase their profits at
the expense of all the rest
"And II any republican statesman in
ispired by the early achievements and
traditions of his party raises his voice
! against this modern monster he is at
once marked and doomed for It's politt-
cal gufllotine.
| Secretary Blaine became a discred-
| ited republican statesman from the mo-
ment he proposed system of freer
trade with the South American repub-
| lies. And when our senior senator
first entered congress and knowing the
wrong and injustice It was visiting on
his fair state raised his voice against
| it, he was at once black listed and no
| further promotion allowed him. and
| from that day to this his thrift has only
followed his fawnine. I have noticed by
the press dispatches sometime ago that
one of our congressman from Iowa ve-
heinently declared in congress that he
and his republican colleagues from this
state were opposed TO the 'Iowa idea."
| I'VE all knew that before he said It.
The thought that republican In con-
gress from Iowa should have or enter
/ tain an Iowa idea or try to advocate
such an Idea has long since passed from
THE minds of the people. The last of
such ideas that republican advanced
in congress was by our senior senator
La generation ago. They do not bur-
den themselves with such thoughts.
THEIR ideas are brought to them ready
made by the trusts and combines and
other special interests They do not
need TO digest them. Their ideas are
predigested. 1t Is their business to only
stand pat and If this monstrous wrong
Is assailed from within or without
their party to follow the lead OF some
modern Demetrius and cry Great Is
| Diana of the republicans. 1t was no
revelation to us for this republican
congressman to so vehemently declare
that he was opposed to an idea from
Iowa. The people OF this great state
1ought to feel at least a tinge of humflia-
al tc 1aai 1D{ ~, lie
of our national congress.
Resistance to any change In our Gus
| toms duties renders that mode OF taxa
ton constant menace to the prosper
| ity Of the people. If by reason OF an
| increased volume of trade the custom
receipts are excessive the business of
the country must bear the unnecessary
burden. however great 1t may be, for
no one in the republican party dare ad-
vocate kts reduction.
"On the other hand, III by reason of a
decreasing volume of trade deficit in
the public revenues is threatened, no
readjustment of the schedules can be
had TO increase the income to the gov
ernment without long continued
struggle with an INSCRIPTIONS foe.
"The welfare of the people or the
dangers to the country of depleted
treasury are of no concern to such
foe
.'Its own selfish interests are It's sole
guide and no higher motive does 1t
ever entertained.
"The history of our recent past amply
proves the truth of this position.
During the three years last past the
people have been required TO pay into
the national treasury annually nearly
thirty per cent of the money they have
had with which to conduct their busi-
ness and support their local govern
ments. That is out of every hundred
dollars cash there has been taken near
ly thirty dollars for the federal treas
ury. A greatly excessive sum which
has been a constant menace to their
prosperity. but the 'standpatter' re-
sists all relief.
During the last half of President
Harrisonfs administration by reason of
high tariff rates the volume of imports
greatly increased which before the end
of his term of office depleted the treas
ury, precipitated a panic and greatly
impaired the public credit. And he sur
rendered the nation, distracted and de-
pressed with disordered finance, a
bankrupt treasury, ruined credit and