Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-21

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that have resulted in the ample and
satisfactory circulating medium of
today When in 1896 our opponents
proposed to go back to the period
covered by the sixteen years following
1852 the republican party risked all in
opposition to such folly.
Our opponents a fortnight ago,
while they in great measure acquiese
in the wisdom of the republican party
on this subject, had determined
that their platform should be silent
upon the subject Of the gold standard
1t was only four years ago that they
declared that their opposition to the
gold standard was of paramount inn
portance; that all of their political
hopes were risked upon that question;
that the free and unlimited coinage of
silver at the ratio of sixteen to one
was policy that was essential to the
prosperity and happiness of our peo-
pie. Yet it was their purpose in their
platform of this year to be silent on
these questions Their candidate,
however who had had that silent plat
form before him for nearly day prior
To his nomination, during which period
he manifested no concern, suddenly af-
ter his nomination was an assured fact
assured by majority of more than
two-thirds, assured by the fact that
the party was SO beset with conten-
tons and dissenslon that no other re-
suit than his candidacy was possible
suddenly woke up to the fact that the
democratic platform on this subject
was not an expression of democratic
principles and policy and by simple
telegram put the convention into such
an attitude that it was compelled to
declare itself as having nominated
candidate whose conduct would be en-
tirely agreeable to them and in har-
lnony with their wishes, should he per-
sue the extreme republican view en-
tertained now and four years ago by
the republican party.
During all of this period the repub-
lican party was not unmindful of it's
duty and obligation to labor. In its
early struggle it said that all terrific
ries and new states should be dedicat-
ed to free labor Later on it said that
all labor should be free; that it should
not be owned by capital In the con-
tests between labor and capital it took
The side of labor and declared that Ia
Dor should own itself. 1t early took
counsel as to how to increase the wage
of labor and determined that for the
time being at least, securing the home
market and excluding the competition
of foreign labor would enhance the
price at home. So we have the various
protective tariff laws all of them in
tent upon stimulating the demand for
labor; increasing the home competi-
ton of labor; making wider and wider
the home labor field. We have never
cared about schedules so that they
were sufficient for these purposes. We
have changed the schedules a dozen
times, treating them as inconsequent.
ial so that we held fast to the home
market for labor. We have resisted
all assaults upon this system. We
have known that tariff for revenue
purposes did not secure the home
market or prevent the foreign compe
| tition against labor. For these pur
poses tariff for revenue is utterly
non-effective. A tariff for revenue re
quires the adoption of the highest
rates of duty that will admit of the
| largest measure of importation. II
stimulates competition instead Of pre-
venting it, and so far as protection is
misunderstanding the home market
for our own labor-we might as vel
have no duty as that duty that is bes
adapted to producing revenue. Two
weeks ago our democratic opponents
| in their national convention again an
nounced their hostility to protection
again denounced it as robbery and sig
nif1ed their intention of utterly de
! stroying it, declaring themselves IL
| favor of tariff for revenue purposes
They have made this question the par
amount issue for this campaign, ant
it is to be a contest in defense of thai
prosperity that is the result of the
Dingley tariff bill of seven years age
that the democratic party invites us
The national barking system il
peculiarly the work OF the republican
party. For years cur antagonists as
sailed it, but with gradually diminish
ing vigor While il still meets with
the denunoiaticn Of resolution ant
speech in democratic gatherings yet il
is probable that it lreets the hearty
/! approval Of Il great majority of indi
vilual democrats.
Through the ,Ifiueroe Of the repub