Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-08
Maine and the Tariff.


The Bangor News offers some sensible
advice to those Maine Democrats who
are engaged in farming. numbering or
manufacturing of any kind. and points
out what would happen to them if the
protective tariff were removed or
tnkered with by the party whose plat
form denounces it as a robbery
Those Democrats may deceive them
sell, es into the idea that the election OF
next Monday involves only local issues,
and that they might as Well vote their
party ticket as usual since there is no
danger that the Republicans will be
beaten in either State or nation. But
they must know, if they stop to realize
things, that every vote for Cyrus w.
Davis next Monday, is vote for
Parker and for the st. Louis platform.
And every such vote is blow at the
prosperity Of Maine whose welfare is
SO closely dependent upon the protec-
tive policy which the Republican party
/
is the way the Bangor News emphasizes
this point and we hope every voter in
Maine will consider 1t well.
| No business man in Maine who hopes
| to make an honest living from his call
/g can contemplate the possible cleo
ton of the Democratic candidates with
out a Shudder. For the Democratic
| party as Il party and the Democrats as
acknowledgements all of them. at least
l-ara firmly committed to free trade.
lOf course the Democratic platforms
make feeble attempts to sugar coat the
motives of the leaders by vague
lphraseology. In 1854, for example, the
Democratic platform called for "a tariff
for revenue only" What this tariff for
revenue only meant when put in prac-
Itice was shown when Cleveland came
| in and the nation was forced to borrow
more, than two hundred million dollars
in one year. Jus; now the Democratic
lpiattnrm asks to have the tariff reduced
50 as to no more thar meet the running
Iexpenses of the government. This last
|, wording is particularly funny when the
same party which asks to have the tar
if reduced is complaining about the
ldeticit caused by the Panama canal
purchase. 49,
The Democratic platform asks FOL
free trade. the way Democratic plat
IformS have done ever since the close OF
the civil War. The central idea embOd
led in all Democratic platforms was
taken from the laws now in force il
England. and no matter how you may
| wood Then, their nt;lpinp is free, trade
And with the adoption of free trade
more than one-half of the industries o
Maine would have to close down OF b,
Carried on at n loss. With free lumber
such as Cleveland gave uS-our saw
mills and pulp mills would cease to op
crate. I.oafrrs would stand in crowds
on the sidewalks of Bangor and the of
fees of the employment agencie
- would be crowded with men who sough
work. Names new city of the woods
Millinocktt-wOuld be abandoned an'
RI hbits would eat the grasses in tn
streets. In AloOstOok county tn
farmers would cease to grow pOtatoe
land would strive to sell their holding
lin order to move to some place wher
they could get Il living. The scores o
cheese factories and butter factorie
and canncri-s would cease to operate
compelled to do SO by the cheaper prod
ucts imported from Canada and New
brunswick.
Q Those who passed through the dark
and dreary lays Of 1891 do not care
to repeat the experience. The way to
Iavoid a return Ia hard times and low
wages is TO give a magnificent majority
to William T. cobb a week from next
. | Monday and to do the same for the
=, Roosevelt and Fairbanks electors next
November. by voting the Republican
ticket and inducing others to do so. the
possibility Of hard times may be
avoided for ut least four years to come.