The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-10-03
DAVIS LETTER
or ACCEPTANCE
[Continued from first page. ]


thoughtful and patriotic minds The,
must be regarded as the first fruit
Of imperialism and show how. fast W.
are drifting toward absolutlsm an;
fuutdera of the republic, and 70 i'm
essel waj Washington with the I'M
portance OF keeping aloof from thu
affairs of other nations that In his
farewell address he warned his coun
tr3men especially Gglins foreign on
taugllng alliances. Imperialism is
hurtful and abhorrent in free gov
eminent and subyersc Of free instltu
tions Tho policy Of Imperialism il
! IL can be said 10 have polcy-is
always dangerous 20 liberty Its pow
ers are first exercised in far-off terri
/ tory and on conquered people. bu'
once adopted for acquired and distant
possessions, IL becomes sooner or lat
er. the rulc Of the homo government
! Liberty ana free government have al
/ Way been secured at the cost Of
great sacrifice, but history teaches us
taat both can be easily lost without
the knowledge of the people.
The Tariff.
Our Federal Constitution has APP.
prepriated to the exclusive use OF
The general government the power Of
indirect taxation. covered by the 20.
pular designation of tariff duties
Ia excluding the states from this DO
maia dr taxation. there Is an implied
and wise partition CT he taxing power
between the states and the federal
government. Except in the exgencics
OF war the taxing powe" has been eX-
ercised by congress largely IN the d.
reetiun of the imposition of duties up
on imports No one expects To change
This Arrangement, which has proven
50 convenient 10 the general govern
menl and so conducive to the inter
ests CT The state7. whose resort to-
ether fources OF revenue Is left
Hltrammelcl Indirect taxation, how
ever convenient. needs, by reason Of
It's inairectness. to be watchfully
guarded. lest abuses should attach
Themselves unknown by the people
That aaany Of tho existing tariff
rates are exces i've and enable pow
erful combinations 10 eX, ri Unjust 4
a1i craresriyc tribute from the p2o
pie caunc. be cJatroycrtci. The tar +
if is undoubtedly too high upon such /
articles as enables the manufacturer /
to sell his products abroad cheaper
thar al home. Steel rails are a con
snicuons example In tnis respect. 1t 4
is admitted tna1 they are being made I
for $l5 q ton. A few years ago they
we're freely sold in this country at
ST. a ton. They are nov selling al
The mills hero Tor home con umpiioa +.
ar s2S ton, and for the foreign mar /
ket g. from siS to s22 a ton. This
unjust discrimination against cur PEG
ple is made possible only by tariff
nat On this article / entirely too
nigh.
Prices 20 Fer Cent Higher.
The average selling price OF hun.
lred articles, taken principally from
ne iron and steel lis is found to be
sl,out 20 per cent. higher in this coun-
~ than abroad. Relief from these
conditions will come only through the
uccess az the democratic party,
, hich .tands for a wise. conservative
nj gradual change IN the tariff laws.
which will equallze the burdens of
ayation ana make honest competition
~ ible But n making such changes
Is purpose will be TO legisiate WIKI
due reg.rl for tho labor and capital
evolved In industrial enterprises. II
mould not be forgotten that In TIE
DIS regime Of the democratic parry,
rom the days Of Jefferson. in 1909,
o the day II Lincoln. in 1890, dur :
ag which # administered the gov
lnment to the peace and prosperity
{ the country. the expense OF It's
was paid almost entirely
rem revenue produced by wise CTS
ON laws. while Row nearly hall OF It
ones from informal taxes. Uater
nose democratic tariH cnac tIclt-.
ae people were prosperous and con
au.ea. no unlawful trade combine
ions existed. and competition was
zee AID untettered.
The Trusts.
II IS estimated that here arc In
nc United states between two and .
lree hundred combinations 81 capital
nd corporate interests, known as
-usts. which have grown mp IN the !,
lst few years under republican rule.
hey are not all antagonistic to the
sblic welfare. but some Of them are
5aducied az to be pernicious and
armful TO 'he general interest With
he power they are able to exert, they
ar lessen competition. control prices
ID, HTaffs .-s-,, a HssI-s q 81. F..