The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-28
PERIL IN THE REPUBLICAN PLAT
FORM.


FORM.
Hon. John Sharpe Williams, minor
ity leader of the House. declares there
is peril in the Republican platform
and that it menaces the South-is in
fact an echo of the force bill. 1t means
commercial losses and conflicts be-
tween the races. Mr.. Williams says
the platform contains nothing new ex-
cept a proposition to reduce Southern
representation in Congress. His re-
view of the platform is so clear SO
sensible, that we make room for it in
full as follows:
What about the Republican plat
form, do you ask? In the main, there
is nothing new about it, because there
is nothing new in it. 1t is simply the
old Republican game of claiming
everything good that has happened,
and denying the truth, namely, that
the Republican party has done moth
ing in two years except to stand pat,
as they call it, and spend money.
Gas usual, the Wilson-Gorman bill is
denounced as a Democratic tariff law,
based on free trade principles, when, as
a historical truth, it was further off
from free trade than any tariff law that
ever existed in America, except that
which bore the name of Mckinley ana
that which bore the name of Dingley.
The fact that there was no increase in
imports under the Wilson German bill
is proof of the further fact that what
ever depression in American industry
then existed could not have been oW-
ing to lowering of duties and compe-
tition of foreign products by the OPP
Grafton of that bill.
Revision of the Tariff.
1.-THE platform says in effect that
tariff reductions are not to be Safely
committed to any other hands than TIC
those of the friends of the inequalities
determinations, and eXtortiOnS of the
present law, because it says that they
ought not to be committed to any other
hands than the Republican party. We
think they ought to be committed to
the hands of the friends of the COM
mon veal.
1.-THE promise to reduce tariff taxa
ton whenever conditions demanded
any alterations is idle, deceptive YER
biage. Will any sane man assert thai
there are not conditions demanding
any alterations of any of the schedules
of the Dingiey bill? Has not the Re-
publican party had full power to make
those alterations? Has it made them
Does the Republican party think thai
the practice on the part of a manu-
facturer of constantly selling his pro-
duct cheaper abroad than at home
constitutes such a condition? Does il
believe that when schedule or the
tariff law shelters trusts in this prac-
tice there exists such condition de-
manding lowering of the rate at least
to the point where foreign competition
r. Ii frarTc nv
PLOTS the American consumer by ex-
tortionate and unreasonable prices
Who answers? Not the platform.
Old Historical Untruth.
"Then there follows the old histor-
zeal untruth that a Democratic tariff
has always brought about a depres-
sion and Republican tariff has al
ways brought about prosperity. Re-
member that the man who wrote this
pretends to be a historian, regardless
of whom you regard as the author OF
the platform. Senator Lodge, of Mass
achusetts, or the acting president. II
was the voice of the Massachusetts
Jacob. 1t may have been the hand OF
the Presidential Esau.
cas- a historian, he knew that the
panic of 1873 and the long depression
which followed it, if it was due to any
sort of tariff law at all. was due to the
then existing tariff law. which was Re-
publican; as historian he knew that
the country was growing in prosperity
by leaps and bounds during nine
tenths of the period which elapsed
from the Inauguration of Thomas JEFF
ferson, in 1901, down to that of Abra-
ham Linsoln, and that nearly all OF
that period was a period of tariff and
Democratic ascendency; as historian
he knew that James G. Blaine put
down in black and white the eternal
truth that even the Wings had recon
.ciled themselves to the Walker tariff
and confessed that the country had
had great prosperity under it.
Not Agitating for Protection.
1.-THE Republican platform says that
the only free trade country on earth
is now agitating for a return to pro-
lection. OF course, the author knew
that what is really being agitated in
England is a plan for retaliation
against protective countries with as
little protection in it as possible tC
have retaliation at all. He also knew
that the agitation had been signally
unsuccessful.
1.-The platform favors commercial
reciprocity, wherever it can be had
without injury to any American indus
try. Any is good there; think of it
Injury is good in that connection also
If the phrase means anything, it means
this: that the Republican party is not
willing to secure immensely larger
markets for the product of our farms
mines, forests, or even manufacturers
abroad, if, in return for that it shall
be compelled to admit into competition
with any even the least of our indus
tries, any articles of foreign growth
and production.
Cunning Ship Subsidy Plank.
sVTha Deople will note the cunning