Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-09-26

many OIL IT'S rates, and, as to them a
least, unjustly and oppressively bur
dens the people. It-secures tc domes
tic manufacturers, singly or in combi
nation, the privilege of eXacting exces
,sive prices at home and prices fal
above the level of sales made regular.
ly by them abroad with profit, thus
giving bounty to foreigners at the ex.
pense of our own people. It's unjust
taxation burdens the people generally,
forcing them to pay excessive prices
for food, fuel, clothing and other nee
essaries Of life. 1t levies duties on
many articles not normally imported in
any considerable amount, which are
made extensively at home, from which
the most extreme protectionist would
hardly justify protective taxes, and
which in large amounts are exported.
Such duties have been and will contin-
ue to be direct incentive to the for
nation of huge Industrial combina-
tions, which, secure from foreign COM
petition, are enabled to stif1e domestic
competition and practically to mOnop-
olize the home market.
1t contains many duties imposed for
the express purs use only, as was open
ly avowed, of furnishing basis for re-
duction by means of reciprocal trade
treaties, which the Republican admin
istration, implicitly at least, promised
to negotiate. Having, on this, prom
lise, secured the increased duties, the
Republican party leaders, spurred on
by protective interests, defeated the
treaties negotiated by the Executive,
and no>syhe same interests cling to
the benefit of these duties which the
people never intended they should
have, and to which they have no NOR
al right
Even now the argument most fire.
quently urged in behalf of the Dingley
Tariff, and against tariff reform gen.
orally, is the necessity of caring for
our infant industries. Many of these
Industries, after hundred years of
lusty growth, are looming up as indi-
vidual giants. In their case, at least, |
the Dingley Tariff invites combination
and monopoly, and gives Justification |
to the expression that the tariff is the |
mother of trusts.
For aforementioned reasons, among
many others, the people demand re.
form of these abuses, and such reform
demands and should receive immed;- |
ate attention
The two leading parties have always |
differed as to the principle of customs |
taxation. Our party has always ad- |
vanced the theory that the object is
the raising of revenue for support of |
the government whatever other results
may incidentally flow therefrom. The i
Republican party, on the other hand,
contends that customs duties should
be levied primarily for protection, So
called, with revenue as the subordin-
ate purpose, thus using the power of
taxation to build up the business and |
property of the few at the expense of |
the many.
This difference of principle still sub
sists, but our party appreciates that |
the long-continued policy of the coun-
try, as manifested in its statutes,
makes it necessary that tariff reform
should be prudently and sagaciously
undertaken, on scientific principles, to !
the end that there should not be an i'm
mediate revolution in existing condi-
tions.
In the words of our platform, we de-
mand "a revision and gradual reduc-
ton of the tariff by the friends masses,
and for the COMMON veal, and not by
the friends of it's abuses, its extortions
and determinations"
In my response to your committee l
pointed out the method under which
a gradual reduction of customs dues
may be accomplished without disturb
ing business conditions desire
again to express the opinion that this
method should be followed
1t is true that the Republicans, who
do not admit in their platform that the
Dingley Tariff needs the slightest al
teration. are likely to retain a major
ity of the Federal Senate throughout
the next Presidential term, and could.
therefore if they choose, block every |
attempt at legislative relief. But 1t
should be remembered that the Repub-
ican party includes many revisionists,
and | believe it will shrink from defy
ing the popular will expressed unmis-
takably and peremptorily at the ballot
box.
The people demand reform of exict
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