Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-10-27

impailfng the eaiciehcy Of our Gov
eminent. Voters, what do you think
about els proposition? snould it he
done? Can it be done?
Let us see where some Of this mon
cy went that helped to augment this
unparalleled waste OF the peoples
money by the report of j. L. Bris-
tow. Fourth Assistant Post Master
General on the postal frauds investi-
cation these startling facts Sfe d.
sulged: Over orc million Cellars
have been stolen from the people
within the last nine years and this
Investigation extended to only ono
branch OF the postal department and
In many eases the report does not
give the enormity of some of these
predatory raids on the public treas
Try. This report closes with these
significant words: "For the purposes
OF this report the investigation order
ed by you (meaning the president)
cn March 9Th, has been completed.
In the preparation of cases for trial.
where indictments have been found.
information may be secured which
VIII necessitate further investigation
and possibly involve persons not now
Implicated" rhis last remark clear
ly indicates that there are other
frauds that ought to be investigated
This Investigation was not ordered
until it had become matter of com
mon knowledge among the people
n Wroc Il
pie i'll general that corruption was be-
ing practiced in tins department
This investigation. reluctantly begun
and summarly stopped, uncovered al
most every conceivable kind of fraud
such as padded pay rolls. swollen
bills, charges for work never per-
formed, blackmail Of illegal enter
prises, blaclsmail Of employees, double
salaries for favoritcs, and many 9th
ers too numerous to mention. We
can only cite you to the report Itself
for further information. Can it be
doubted by any intelligent American
citizen that this corruption was
known to the officials in high place,
and whose duty it was to protect the
people? Why was this investigation
SO suddenly stopped? Why was il
rot probed to the bottom? Why was
resolution No. lis, offered in the
house by Representative Hay OF Vir-
ginia, to continue this investigation,
defeated by Republican Congress?
II this be the condition of a single
branch OF one department, what must
be the condition in all the branches
in all the departments OF the Govern
ment? Does this not suggest TO think
ing mon where large part OF this in
creased expenditure has gone?
The tariff.
In presenting my views on this
great issue of tariff reform now be-
fore the American people and my be
lief as to what ought to be done with
this question that has Deen an issue
from the foundation of our Govern
ment up to the present date, the
thought occurs to me that it is out
fully as its Importance requires in a
letter OF this character, and, there
fore. l can only present some OF its
most salient features, which will in
dicate what ought to be done in de
tail.
am unaltcrably opposed to & pro
tective tariff that lays tribute upon
the great mass OF consumers and
serves no other purpose than to en-
rich favored few of its direct ben
eficiaries, which has now become a
startling condition in our body polite.
| make the declaration without fear
of contradiction that large majority
OF the voters among the American
people are in favor of tariff reduc
tion and this condition prevails among
them without regard to past or pres
ent political affiliations. 1t will be.
| come apparent to all who will inves.
tigate our tariff system and laws that
the tariff has been continually in.
creased on the general average for
the past forty years and chiefly
through that organization known as
the Republican party, until the rates
have become exceedingly high and
burdensome to the people and there
are none now insisting upon the pres.
ent, or higher rates, except a part of
that organization.
1t follows as a necessary result that
the large business interests of the
country have become. in a measure,
adjusted to this condition, so that /
believe that the tariff should be re-
duced by gradual steps and as rapid
ly as the business interests may be
adjusted thereto, until we reach a
| common level of tariff, sufficient only
to defray the expenditures of the Gov
eminent when economically admins.
tered. The claim made by the high
tariff beneficiaries and so-called
"stand-patters" that our prosperity,
past and present, is the result of the
protective tariff system, must stand
aside when the facts of history and
better reasoning is applied. Our
country has prospered whenever it
has been in prosperous condition,
not by reason of, but in spite of this
why is it that the greatest periods OF
| prosperity We have ever enjoyed was
during the times we had low tariff
Take for instance the period from
1901, then the old extravagant Fed
| eralist party was put out OF business
by the Democratic party and Thomas
Jefferson became president, took the
reins of Government and introduced
the practice Of econOmy and Demo-