Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1904-08-25
THEY DRAW THE LINE
DEMOCRATS MAKE THE MAIN Ia.
SUE PLAIN.
BY Declaring In Their Platform That
Protection Is Robbery, They De-
clare Anew That They Are Welded
to the Doctrine of Free Trade.

convention has declared that "protec.
ton is robbery of the many to enrich
the few" The Republican party in
national convention has declared its
belief in and support of protection, as
essential to the prosperity Of the
American people.
Practically all Of the issues men
toned in the platforms of the great
parties this year will have little con.
sideration in the campaign except this
squarely drawn line of difference be-
tween them on this elementary prin.
ciple In the economic policy of the
American republic. 1t will be useless
for the leaders of the Democratic par
ty to attempt to make an issue over
alleged violations Of principles OF the
United States Constitution by Presi-
dent Roosevelt and his party, when 1t
Is a fact perfectly apparent to all
thoughtful American citizens that the
complaints made by the Democrats in
respect to these alleged issues have no
real foundation. In an attempt to get
away from the overpowering influence
of sweeping defeat in two great ma
tional campaigns on the issue Of the
monetary standard, the Democratic
party, through its delegates, in nation
al convention assembled, has, by elecr
ing to maintain absolute silence on
the subject of the money question,
sought to eliminate that question from
among the issues to be discussed dur
ing the campaign. With so many still
unsettled problems intimately associ-
ated with the financial system, such
as national banks of issue, and pro-
visions for increasing the monetary
supply, 1t seems incredible that a par
ty which casts six and half million
votes in a national campaign only four
years ago, while declaring against the
single gold standard, should so far
admit defeat on that question as to
desire that there shall be no further
discussion of it, But whether the par
ty shall be successful in this attempt
to evade an issue which its leaders
forced upon the country during two
national campaigns, remains to be
seen. At this time, when there Is dis
cussion of the question whether the
tariff law Of the United States shall
BIO revised, and when that revision
shall be made, 1t certainly becomes a
paramount issue in the campaign when
the two parties are lined up with for
NAL declarations, the Republican party
for, and the Democratic party against,
the doctrine of protection.
In its course upon the money ques-
ton, the Democratic earty in national
convention. at different times during
the past fifteen years, has made ,decla'
ratlons, positive and unequlvocal at
one time, to be followed by evasion,
equlvocation and silence at other
times. The party has heretofore de-
clared that the principle Of protection,
which has been the fundamental prin-
ciple underlying every tariff act since
the first tariff law was signed by
George Washington, is an unconstitu-
tlonal principle, and directly hostile
to the basic law Of the republic. In
its platform declaration this year the
Democratic party does not say that
protection is unconstitutional, but vlo-
lently assails 1t as robbery. Surely,
II would seem that principle OF gov
eminent, or of taxation, that Is sub
ject to denunciation as severe as
would be applied to criminal offense
consisting of one person violently TAX
ing the property of another, must not
only be unconstitutional, but de-
serves to be uprooted from the law Of
the land without the slightest hesita-
ton.
The Republican party declared in
its platform at Chicago its faith In and
support of protection as essential to
the prosperity Of the American people.
The Republican party in that platform
recognized the present public discus
sion Of tariff revision to the extent of
saying that changes in the tariff
should be made whenever the good
to be derived from such action would
not be overbalanced by the evils which
might flow from the agitation incl
dent TO such changes. What was more
important In connection with the tar.
IN issue OF the time was the formal
declaration in the Republican plat
form that when changes in the tariff
are made the work should be intrust.
ed to the friends of protection, not to
the enemies OF protection. 1t is the
belief of protectionists that the ex.
perlence Of the American people un-
der the revision Of the tariff made by
the Democratic party in 1894, which
was attended by great industrial dis
aster-the closing Of mills and facto-
rles, and the throwing OF thousands
Of men out Of employment, and caus-
ing widespread loss to American
worklngmen in reduction Of wages, as
we'll as In loss Of employment-war-
rants them in saying that when the
tariff is to be revised It should not
be revised by the Democratic party.
That the Republican party viii read
Just the tariff when II is necessary.
and do It upon protection lines, Is
demonstrated by the experience of
the past.
Tho panuhiican nartv baa navar hos.