Evening journal., 1904-09-12
ROOSEVELT
ARRAIGNS DEMOCRACY


Continued from Fifth Page)
tempt was made by means OF lower
ing the tariff to prevent some people
from prospering too much. Tie at
tempt was entirely successful. The
tariff law of that year was among the
causes which in that year and for some
time afterward enectually prevented
anybody from prosperlng too much and
Tabor from prospecting at all.
The question OF what tariff is best
Tor our people is primarily one of eX-
pcdiency, to be determined not on alb
stract academic grounds. but in the
light of experience. 1t is n matter OF
business. From time TO time schedules
must undoubtedly he rearranged and
readjusted to meet the shifting needs
VI the country, but this can with safe
" be done only by those who are COM
mitted to the cause of the protective
system. To uprOot and destroy that
system would be to insure the prostra-
tion of business, the closing of factO-
ries, the impoverishment of the farmer,
the ruin of the capitalist and the star
vation OF the wageworker. Yet II pro-
lection is indeed robbery" and If our
opponents really believe what they
say, then it is precisely to the destruc-
tion and uprooting Of the tariff, and
therefore Of our business and industry,
that they are pledged.
Reciprocity.
Our opponents assert that they be-
lieve in reciprocity. Their action on
the most Important reciprocity treaty
! recently negotiated. that with Cuba,
does not bear out this assertion. More
over, there can be no reciprocity unless
there is n substantial tariff. Free trade
and reciprocity are not compatible. We
are on record as favorlng arrange
| ments for reciprocal trade relations
with other countries, these arrange
ments to be on an equitable basis of
benefit to both tbs contracting parties,
The Republican party stands pledged
to every wise and consistent method OF
increasing the foreign commerce of the
/ country That it has kept its pledge is
proved by the fact that. while the do
nestle trade Of this country exceeds in
/ volume the entire export and import
/ trade Of all the nations Of the world,
the United States has in addition Sc
cured more than an eighth of the ex-
/ port trade Of the world, standing first
among the nations I'm this respect.
1t Is a matter of regret that the pro
tective tariff policy, which during the
last forty odd years has become part
Of the very fiber Of the country, is not
now accepted as definitely established.
These forty odd years have been the
most prosperous years this nation has
ever seen: more prosperous years than
any other nation has ever seen. Be
yond question this prosperity could
not have come IL the American people
had not possessed the necessary thrift,
energy and business intelligence to
turn their vast material resources to
account But it is no less true that il
is our economic policy as regards the
tariff and finance which has enabled
us as nation TO make such good use
Of the individual capacities of our citi.
zens and the natural resources of our
country. Every class Of our people is
benefited by the protective tariff.
The farmer has benefited quite as
much as the manufacturer, the mer.
chant and the wageworker.
The Farmer and the Tariff.
The future Of American agriculture
q is bound up in the future Of American
j manufactures. The two industries hav,
become under the economic policy OF
our government so closely interviewer
so mutually interdcpendent. that nei
: ther can hope TO maintain itself at the
high water mark Of progress without
y the other. Whatever makes to the adj
j. vantage Of one is equally TO the advan
= tage of the other.
So 1t is as between the capitalists
. and the wagewOrker Here and ther,
there may be an unequal sharing as be
tween the two in the benefits thai
have come by protection. but benefit,
have como 10 both, and a reversal il
y policy would mean damage TO both
: and while the damage yyould be heay,
il TO all it would he heaviest and it woul,
l. fall soonest upon those who are paid il
4 the form Of wages each week or eacl
month for that weeks or that month'
- work
Conditions change. and the law
must be modified from time TO time 4
III new eXigencies But the genuine
underlying principle of protection as
has been embodied I'm an but one O
the American tariff laws for the las
forty years has worked out results s
benehcent so evenly ana widel-
rpread. SO advantageous alike TO farm
ers and capitalists and worlSingmen. I
commerce ana trade Of every Kind
that the American people. if they Show
their usual practical business sense
will insist that when these laws ar
modified they shall be modified witt
J the utmost care ana conservatism an,