Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1904-05-19

Some Of the leaders Of the Demo
cratic party in Congress are trying to
make the country believe that 1t
would be safe to trust that party in
the control Of the government.
"rhere is 10 free trade party in the
United States" says Champ Clark,
land Republicans ought to quit assert
ing that there Is" In recent maya
zine article John Sharp Williams, the
Democratic leader In the House OF
Representatives, says:
"As to the tariff, the Democratic
party stands for the principle hat
protectionism is a system Of taxation
whereby many are robbed in order
that few may be hot-housed by leg
islation into artificial prosperity. The
method whereby protection does this
Is by DETECTING capital and labor from
naturally profitable pursuits into pur-
suits which without legislation would
have been less profitable or perhaps
not profitable at all.
1.-THE ultimate goal Of Democratic
striving is tariff for revenue only
but in the striving toward this goal
common sense, good judgment and
conservatism will prevail, and time
will enter as a factor. Perhaps 1t
might be said that an ideal Democrat
lc tariff for revenue only would con-
sist In levying import duties upon all
or nearly all imports, dividing them,
however, into three classes: First,
necessaries of life and necessaries OF
industries; second, comforts, and
third, Injuries"
I'VE go forth to battle" says Champ
Clark, with tariff reduction and genu-
inc reciprocity inscribed upon our
banner. Our appeal is to the great
body Of the people. To them we pin
our faith without hesitation and with
out fear" But it was not long ago
that this same Democratic leader
said:
II repeat, so that all men may hear,
that | am free trader, and proudly
take my stand with Sir Robert Peel,
Richard Golden, John Bright and
Henry George. may be humble
member of that illustrlous company,
but It is better to be doorkeeper In
the house of honest free traders than
to dwell in the tents Of wicked pro-
tectionists."
It was this same leader that also
said that IL he could have his way he
would demolsh every custom house
In the country.
The principal reason for the present
moderation of Champ Clark and John
Sharp Williams is that they know the
country would not follow them in a
radical course; they want, therefore,
to make the country believe that they
are conservative, and that If put into
power they would act cautiously and
would not so change tariff rates as to
disturb business or cause trouble.
But the country will not be deceived
or misled. The best way to judge OF
the future is by the past. The Democ-
racy was put into complete power
in the election of 1892; they had the
House of Representatives. the Senate,
and the presidency for the first time
since the beginning Of the civil war;
they could do just what they pleased.
But instead Of passing a tariff bill
promptly, and so framed as to afford
relief, they boggled over the matter
for fourteen months and finally pass
ed a bill so bad that their own presi-
dent would not sign 1t, while lacking
the courage to veto 1t. And the long
delay in putting the measure through
and the vicious character Of the meas
are brought on the most disastrous
panic Of modern times, so that the
Cleveland administration actually had
to sell bonds and increase the bonded
debt to pay the ordinary running
expenses of government, and in all
the great cities Of the country char
table people we're compelled to estab-
lish free soup houses, so that the hon
est men and women who had been
thrown out of work by Democratic
maladmlnistratlon wouldn't starve to
death.
Trust the Democratic party to re-
wise the tariff? Not much!-Roches-
ter Post Exnress.