Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-10-27
ter of whic, you have, or may have.

Look into your poekelbook, notice
yoursd Ives the question: Is this much
talked of prosperity real or is 1T IN
a large degree al empty statement?
Again, in this connection want to
call your attention TO an authority
that ought to have some weight. at
least, with our Republican friends.
Mr.. Blaine in his Twenty Years in
Congress, at page 1913, in referring to
the tariff act OF 1928, said: The vote
showed, as all tariff bills before had
and as all since have shown, that the
local interests of the constituency de-
of the representatives; that planting
sections grow more and more towards
free trade and manufacturing sec
tions more and more towards protGc-
tion." In the natural order of things
this statement ought to be as true
1t and it is only misapprehension
on the part OF many who live in the
agricultural and stock raising sections
that creates different condition.
The product of all agricultural and
stock raising sections of this and all
ket of the world unfostered by any
kind of protection that is worth a
farthing Why should the agrcultur-
al sections of our country tend toward
free trade? Simply because 1t is TO
the best interests of the people in
of the manufacturing sections cry
loudly for protection because it is to
their interest to have protection
There is certainly something beth
strange and unique in the fact that
the farmers OF the great agricultural
ly vote for q high protective system
which bui' Is up and f. sters the very
evils that they cry out against with
great vehcmcnce. viz: Combines
Mcnopolics. Trusts and many other
evils of which complaint is justly
made.
Our Republican friends sometimes
twt us by saying that the Democratic
party is always behind and continual
ly taking positions abandoned BY
them. but they should remembcr, at
least when they think soberly that
this is not true. This claim is usual
ly made when we quote from some
great Republican leador. 1t is true
liat some great leaders of that party
have boldly and couragcously invaded
Democratic ground and told some tell
ing truths, but they have never been
able TO lead their party into the right.
way and have been uniformly rele-
gated to the rear. Democrats always
ilno" when their domain has been
entered and their doctrines advocat-
ed and are ever willing to give credit
to whomsoever the credit is due One
notable instance for the purpose of IL
lustration is Mr.. Blaine, the great
champion OF Reciprocity which is the
Republican name for free trade. One
great difficulty all meet in discussing
the tariff question Is that the real point
al issue is not we'll defined and this
w III III cNGIy case ICdu 10 IHlSSLuIC
ments and misunderstanding AN
thoughts, when written, must be ex-
pressed in language and all words in
language must be taken in the ordi.
nary meaning affixed to them by com
mon consent. "Free trade" does not
mean and never did mean the aboli,
ton of all tariff duties and no party
In this country, not even the Demo
cratic party, has ever proposed such
measure, or Incorporated IL into amy
PLATFORM or declaration of principles
Free trade simply means that the tar
itf placed upon imported articles shall
be sufficient revenue to dcfray the
expenses OF administering the affairs
of the Government honestly and eco.
nomically. Democrats maintain that
this kind OF Il tariff gives incidental
protection to our home products that
is amply sufficient. While the ordi-
nary meaning OF protective tariff is
that the tariff shall be placed SO high
that it will give an absolute monopoly
OF our home markets to certain pro-
ductive industries and bar competi.
tion from abroad. This system gives
the manufacturer in this country an
opportunity to fix the price ON his
wares to suit himself and sell to the
home consumer at eXorbitant prices
and invade foreign markets and sell
the same goods for lower prices than
he receives at home and still make
q good profit. This is unfair to the
home consumer That this has been
done and is continually being done no
one can deny. III there ever was a
time when the manufacturing inter
ests needed protection in excess Of
what tariff for revenue would give
that time has long since gone by.
This is no longer an infant country
and we have no infant Industries and
manufacturing can be carried on in
this country as cheap and at as great
is matter of common knowledge
that the most stalwart manufacture
ing Industries in this country are re-
teiving the highest protection, as in
stance the Steel Trust. This being
the condition, what is the remedy?
1t is plain. Reduce the tariff.
Trusts and Transportation.
Another question that is before the
voters for discussion and solution is
the question of Trusts" which is by
no means of less Importance than
those before referred to in this let
ter. Closely allied to this is the
question of transportation. which will
ha discussed I'm cnnnnction thornwith