The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-09-15


In our previous history. The manufac-
turer could not keep his factory running II
Ii were not for the protective tariff. The
wage worker would do well to remember
be punished accordingly he will b. the first
TO pay the penalty, for either he will be
turned adrift entirely or his wages will be
cut down to the starvation point. As con-
clusively shown by the bulletins Of the
bureau of labor, the purchasing power of
the average wage received by the wage
worker has grown faste1 than the cost of
living, and this in spite of the continual
INFLATED savings of the workingmen of the
country, as shown by the deposits in the
savings banks. have increased by leaps and
bounds. At no time in the history of this
or any other country has there been an era
so productive of material benefit alike to
workingman and employer during the
seven years that have just passed.
Prosperity of Farmers.
The farmer has benefited quite as much
as the manufacturer, the merchant and the
wage worker. The most welcome and i'm
pressive fact established by the last census
is the wide and even distribution of wealth
among all classes of our countrymen. The
chief agencies In producing this distribu-
velopment of manufactures and the appli-
cation of new inventions to universal use.
The result has been an increasing interde
pendence of agriculture and manufactures.
Agriculture Is now, as 1t always has been,
the basis of civilization The 5000, 900
farms of the United States, operated by
men who, as class, are steadfast, single
minded and Industrious, form the basis Of
all the other achievements of the Ameri-
can people and are more fruitful than all
their other resources. The men on those
tariff what they most need, and that Is the
best Of all possible markets All other
classes depend upon the farmer, but the
farmer In turn depends upon the market
they furnish him for his produce.
Conditions change and the laws must be
modified from time to time to fit new ext
gencies. But the genuine underlying prin-
ciple Of protection, as II has been embodied
In all but one Of the American tariff laws
for the last forty years, has worked out
results so benehcent, so evenly and widely
spread, so advantageous alike to farmers
and capitalists and workingmen, to COM
American people, II they show their usual
practical business sense, will insist that
when these laws are modified they shall be
modified with the utmost care and conser-
vatism, and by the friends and not the
enemies of the protective system. They
cannot afford to trust the modification to
those who treat protection and robbery
as synonymous terms.
Nails Deficit FaIIacy.
Our opponents ccntend that the govern
ment Is now administered extravagantly
and that whereas there was "a surplus of
SS0,OOO.OOO In 1900 there Is - Gehcit Of
more than S40,000,O00'' in the year that
has Just closed
by including In the ordinary current ex-
penses the sum OF 100000 which was
paid for the right of way Of the Panama
Canal out Of the accumulated surplus IL the
treasury. Comparing the current or ordin-
airy expenditures for the two years. there
was a surplus of nearly $4,000, 600 for the
year 1900 and OF only a little more than
IS, 0OO, 600 for the year that has Just closed
n m IF
was brought about designedly by the aboli-
ton OF the war taxes In the interval be-
tween the two dates. The acts of March o
1901. and April II, 1902, cut down the in
ternal revenue taxes to an amount esti-
mated at $1O5O00.0O0 year. In other
words. the reduction Of taxation has been
considerably greater than the reduction in
the annual surplus Since the close of the
war with Spain there has been no substan-
tial change in the rate of annual expendi-
lures. AS compared with the fiscal year
ending In June. 1901; for example, the fiscal
year that has just closed showed a relative
ly small Increase In expenditure (excluding
the canal payment already referred TOT.
while the year previous showed a relatively
small decrease
The expenditures of the nation have been
managed In spirit Of economy as far re-
moved from waste as from nigga rdliness
and in the future every effort will be con-
consistent with efficiency. Once more orr
opponents have promised what they cannot
or should not perform.
Question of the Philippines.
Our opponents promise independence to
the Philippine Islands. Here again we are
confronted by the fact that their irrecon-
ciable differences Of opinion among them
selves. their proved liability to create a
Constructive policy waen in power and
political expediency, to abandon the prin-
ciples upon which they have insisted as
essential, conspire to puzzle us as to wheth-
IL do raf.t f~,%A
to carry out this promise II they are given
control Of the government. In their plat
form they declare for independence, appar-
ently-for their Language is little obscure
without qualification as to time: and in
deed, a qualification as to time is an abb
surdity, for we have neither right nor power
to bind our successors when Ii Is impossi-
BILE to foretell the conditions which may
confront them, while IL there is any prin-
ciple involved In the matter 1t is Just as
wrong to deny Independence for a few
years as to deny IT for an indefinite period.
But in later and equally official utter
ances by our opponents the term self-gov-
eminent was substituted for independence.
the words used being so chosen that in
their natural construction they described
precisely the policy now being carried on.
| The language Of the platform indicated a
radical change of policy; the latter utter
ances indicated a continuance of the pres
ent policy. But this caused trouble in their
own ranks; and In q still later, although
less formal utterance. the self-government
promise was recanted. and independence
at some future time was promised in its
place.
They have occupied three entirely differ
ent positions within fifty days. Which is
| the promise they really intend to keep
They do not know their own minds, and no
one can tell how long they would keep Of
| the same mind should they by any chance
come to a working agreement among them
selves. II such ambiguity affected only the
American people IL would not so greatly
matter: for the American people can take
care Of themselves. But the Filipin0s are
| In no such condition.
Policy One of Progress.
The great issues which are at stake and
upon which / have touched are more than
mere partisan issues, for they involve much
| that comes home to the individual pride
| and Individual well-being Of our people
| Under conditions as they actually are good
Americans should refuse for the sake OF
| the welfare OF the nation, to change the
national policy. We who are responsible
| for the administration and legislation un
| der which this country during the last
seven years has grown so greatly In well
being at home and in honorable rerute
among the nations Of the earth abroad dc
| not stand inertly upon this record, do not
| effort to meet new conditions. On the con
| trary, we treat the record OF what we have
| done In the past as Indictment to do ever
better In the future We believe that the
| progress that we have made may be taker
as measure Of the progress we shall con
| the government Of the nation 20 our hands
| We do not stand still. We press steadily
| forward toward the goal of moral and ma
terial well-being for our own people, Of just
and fearless dealing toward all other PEG
| pies, In the interest not merely Of this
country but Of mankind. There Is not q
| policy, foreign or domestic, which we art
now carrying out which 1t would not be