Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-13

classified civil service is free from poi
itics, and appointments and removals
have been put upon business basis.
Statistics show that there is little diff
ference between the tenure of the
federal classified employees and that
of the employees of private business
corporations. Less than one per cent
of the classified employees are over 70
years of age. and in the main the SER
vice rendered is vigorous and efficient
Where the merit system was of course
most needed was in the Philippine is
lands; and civil service law of very
advanced type has there been put IN
to operation and scrupulously obsev-
ed. Without one exception every APP,
pointment in the Philippines has been
made in accordance with the strictest
standard of fitness, and without heed
to any other consideration.
Finally we come to certain matters
upon which our opponents do in their
platform of principles definitely take
issue with us, and where. if they are
sincere, their triumph would mean dis
aster to the country. But exactly as
1T is impossible to call attention to the
present promises and past record of
our opponents without seeming often.
sive, SO it is impossible to compare
their platform with their other and
later official utterances and not create
doubt as to their sincerity. In their
private or unofficial ltterances many
of them frankly advance this insiacer-
ity as merit taking the position that
as regards the points on which | am
about to speak they have no intention
Of keeping their promises or of de-
parting from the policies now estab-
lished, and that therefore they can be
trusted not to abuse the power they
seek.
The Tariff,
When we take up the great CUES.
ton of the tariff we are at once con-
fronted by the doubt as to whether
our opponents do or do not mean what
they say. They say that protection
is robbery and promise to carry them
selves accordingly if they are given
power. Yet prominent persons among
them assert that they do not really
mean this and that if they come into
power they will adopt our policy as re-
CARDS the tariff; while others seem
anxious to prove that it is safe to give
NiiSiil poilidl PoWCl, DSGauoE IHc pOW-
er would be only partial and therefore
they would not be able to do mischief
The last is certainly q curious plea to
advance on behalf of O party seeking
to obtain control of the government.
| TAT the outset 1t is worth while to
say word as to the attempt to iden.
tify the question of tariff revision or
tariff reduction with solution of the
trust question. This is always sign
of desire to avoid any real effort to
deal adequately with the trust ques
ton. In speaking on this point al
Minneapolis on April 4. 1908, said:
The question of tariff revision
speaking broadly, stands wholly apart
from the question of dealing with the
trusts. No change in tariff duties car
have any substantial effect in SOLVING
the so-called trust problem. Certain
great trusts or great corporations are
wholly unaffected by the tariff Al
most all the others that are of any i'm
portance have as matter of fac
| numbers of smaller American compel
| 1tors; and of course a change in tn
tariff which would work injury to TIL
large corporation would work no
merely injury but destruction to it,
smaller competitors; and equally o
course such a change would mean dis
aster to all the wage-workers connect
ed with either the large or the small
4 corporations. From the standpoint o
those interested in the solution of tht
trust problem such a change would
| therefore merely mean that the trus
| was relieved of the competition Of it
| weaker American competitors. AM
thrown only into competition with for
eign competitors; and that the first eli
/ fort to meet this new competition
would be made by cutting down wage
and would therefore be primarily a
the cost of labor. In the case of som
of Our greatest trusts such a chang
might confer upon them a positiv
benefit. Speaking broadly, it is evi
dent that the changes in the tariff will
affect the trusts for veal or for wo
simply as they affect the whole coun
try. The tariff affects trusts only q
it affects all other interests. 1t make
all these interests, large or small, pre-
fitable: and it's benefits can be takel
from the large only under penalty O
taking them from the small also
A Disastrous Move.
There Is little for me to add to this
1t Is but ten years since the last al
tempt was made, by means of lower
ing the tariff, to prevent some peopl
from prospecting too much. The 81
tempt was entirely successful. TIL
tariff law of that year was among til
causes which in that year and 70
some time afterwards effectually prt
vented anybody from prospecting to
much. and labor from prcspering a
all. Undoubtedly it would be poss
BILE at the present time to prevent an
of the trusts from remaining prospe
GUS by the simple expedient of maxim
such sweeping change In the tart
as to paralyze the Industries Of til
country. The trusts would cease t
prosper: but their smaller competitor
would be ruined, and the wage-worl
ers would starve; while it would nc
pay the farmer to haul his produce {
market. The evils connected with tn
trusts can be reached only by ratlons
effort, step by step, along the line
taken by congress and the executiv
during the past three years. If ia
III law is passed under which the cou,
try prospers, as the country has pro
pered under the present tariff Law