The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-06-16

Iey's friead, Mark Hanna. Both these
leaders at times had had the misfor-
tune, not only to be maligned, but 70
be misunderstood, but they had con-
uuered all prejudice and died with q
full assurance of the confidence ana
affection of the whole American PEG
pie.
The last wo presidential contests
ragged around questions of finance ana
the standard Of value. Even the
most Jealous friend of free silver
coinage would not now care to battle
for an idea SO thoroughly discredited
nv the supreme test of experience.
And so it appears now that our oppo-
nents are inclined to again attempt
the disturbance of business condi-
tons by a renewed attack upon the
protective tariff.
This question is as old as the Con-
stitutiun and arose when congress
passed its second bill, which was an
act to raise revenue and encourage
manufactures in the United States.
From that time until the present
the people have been divided upon
this issue. At one time the pendu'
lum of popular opinion has swung to
one side and then to the other. Pro
lection is most popular when for a
time it is absent. Those things ana
persons most dear to us are better
appreciated when we fail to enjoy
their accustomed solace and comfort.
When the we'll goes dry we first real
ize its loss.
Once in While the people accept
the doctrine of our opponents and try
again the Old experiment and they
meet the old results. But when labor
is employed and the country is pros
porous it is then most easy to sow the
seeds of discomfort.
And it has come to pass that the
democracy again begin to make the
same old arguments that have been
disproved and discredited so often for
more than hundred years.
This year we will commemorate the
fiftieth anniversary of the organiza-
ton of the republican party. In no
way cam it be more fifty celebrated
than by reaffirning the principles Of
protection contained in the platform
upon which Abraham Lincoln was
elected IN 1860, and by choosing as
his own successor the vigorous, sa-
gacious, strenuous, brilliant and hon
est executive, Theodore Roosevelt
For three years he has been tried
andl he has shnMn himself worthy OF
the place TO which he has been called
He has fought the good fight. He
has kept the faith, bat ne has not fin
ished his course.
We have been RECALLED with much
discussion of the proper phraseology
of expression by which the doctrine
of protection should be defined. Our
party's history has been its platform
and its history has been the history
of the country for half century.
The thing which concerns the in
terests of the American people is
that however you may define it or de
scribe it, the thing itself may not be
disturbed But it may be of interest
in this connection, to note the Ian
guage of the fathers who dictated the
tariff plank of our party in 1860. II
says:
''Trnat, While providing revenue fol
the support of the general govern
ment by duties on imports, sound pol
icy requires such an adjustment o.
these imposts as to encourage the
development of the Industrial inter
ests Of the whole country; and we
commend that policy of national ex
changes which secures to the work
fngmen liberal wages, to agriculture
remunerative prices, to mechanics
and manufacturers and adequate re
ward for their skill, labor and enter
prise, and to the nation commercial
prosperity and independence"
Without qualifications or apolog!
the principle of protection was as
serted as an article of the faith of thu
founders of the party and upon tina
declaration and free labor in the ter
ritories the national triumph of 1856
was won.
1t gives courage to thus speak O
the past. 1t gives confidence in tn
present and hope of the future.
The platform and principles of 1856
are good enough for 1904. Goo
things may grow old, but they do no
grow out of date. The new corn eacl
year comes out of the old fields.
In 1892 we began our last lesson Il
abandoning the teachings of our pc
litical experience. Protection ha
proved it's value by results, but no
only was it abandoned but the plat
form upon which Mr.. Cleveland wa
elected that year declared that "cor
gress had no constitutional power I
impose and collect tariff duties. e1
cept for the purposes of revenu
only"
The results of the experience of tn
Wilson Act are too recent to need e.
tended notice. There ought to be n
danger that this interesting an
COSTLY eyneriment NAV he forpOtte