Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-09-29
PARKER ACCEPTS
THE NOMINATION
HIS LETTER TO THE DEMOCRATIC
NOTIFICATION COMMITTEE.
VIEWS ON PUBLIC POLICIES
Says the Tariff, Imperialism, Honesty
in Public Service and Economy in
Governmental Administration
Are Paramount Issues.

are issues.
Judge Parker's formal letter of accept
ance to the democratic notification COM
mittee is a document of some 5000 words,
and is addressed to Hon. Champ Clark and
other members of the committee. In the
opening paragraph Judge Parker says he
wishes his remarks made at the time of his
notification to he considered a part of his
response. Continuing, he says:
Grave public questions are pressing for
decision. The democratic party appeals
TO the people with confidence that ita
position on these questions will be accept
ed and Endorsed at the polls. While the
issues involved are numerous, some stand
forth preeminent in the public mind.
Among these are: Tariff reform, imperial
ism, economical administration and hon
esty in the public service. l shall briefly
consider these and some others within the
necessarily prescribed limits of this letter.
Imperialism.
"Wkiie l presented my views at the nc.
~tihcation proceedings concerning this vital
issue, the overshudowing Importance Of
this question irnpels me to refer to it again.
The issue is oftentimes referred to an
constitutioualism VS.. Imperialism.
III We would retain our liberties and
constitutional rights ~unimpaired, we can
not permit or tolerate. at any time or for
any purpose, the a%rrogation Of uncon-
stitutional power by the executive branch
mindful of the words of Webster: Lib
erty is only to be preserved by maintain
ing constitutional restraints and a just
division Of political powers,
Continuing on the same subject, he says:
THE people Of the United States stand at
the parting of the ways. Shall we follow
the footsteps of our fathers along the paths
of peace, prosperity and ~contentment,
stitution which they framed for us, or
shall We go along other and untried paths,
hitherto Stunned by all, following blindly
new ideals, which, though appealing with
brill'ancy to the imagination and ambi-
ton, may prove a will O. the wisp, leading
us into difficulties from which it may be
impossible to eXtricate ourselves without
lasting injury to our national char
acter and Institutions"
The Tariff and the Trusts.
Turning to the subject of the tariff, and
the democratic demand for reform in that
line, he says:
Tariff reform is one of the cardinal prin-
ciples of the democratic. faith, and the
necessity for it was never greater than
at the present time. 1t should be under
taken at once in the interest of all our peo-
pie.
''The Dingley tariff is excessive in many
of its rates, and, as to them at least, un
justly and oppressively burdens the peo-
pie. 1t secures to domestic manufacturers,
singly or in combination, the privilege of
exacting excessive prices at home and
prices far above the level of sales made reg
ularly by them abroad with profit, thus CIV
ing a bounty to foreigners at the expense
of our own people. 1t levies oppressive
and unjust taxes upon many articles form
ing, in whole or part, the so-called raw
material of many of our manufactured
products, not only burdening the con-
sumner, but also closing to the manufac-
turer the markets he needs and seeks
abroad. Its unjust taxation burdens the
people generally, forcing them to pay ex.
cessive prices for food, fuel, clothing and
other necessaries Of life. 1t levies duties on
many articles not normally imported in any
considerable amount, which are made eX-
tensively at home, for which the most ex-
IRENE protectionist would hardly Justify
pr mde t. and which in large
been and will continue to be a direct in
centive to the formation of huge Industrial
combinations, which, secure from foreign
competition, are enabled to stif1e domestic
the home market.
Even now the argument most frequent
ly urged in behalf of the Dingley tariff
and against tariff reform generally, is the
necessity of caring for our infant indus.
tries. Many Of these industries, after a
hundred years of lusty growth, are looming
up as industrial giants. In their case. al
least, the Dingley tariff invites combina.
ton and monopoly, and gives justification
mother of trusts.
"Fo the aforementioned reasons,
among others, the people demand re-
form Of these abuses. and such reform de-
mands and should receive immediate at
tention.
in the words of our platform, we de-
mand "a revision and a gradual reduction
of the tariff by the friends of the masses,
and for the common veal, and not by the
friends Of its abuses, its extortions and
determinations
Trust Remedies.
II pointed out in my earlier response the
remedy which, in MY judgment, car effect
ually be applied against monopolies, and
the assurance was then given that if eX.
listing laws, including both statute and
common law, proved Inadequate, contrary
to my expectations, l favor such further
legislation, within constitutional limita.
tions, as will best promote and safeguard
the interests, of all the people.
whether there is any common law which
can be applied and enforced by the fed.
eral courts, cannot be determined by the
idency.
THE determination of this question was
left by the people in framing the consti.
tuition, to the judiciary and not to the ex-
ecutive.. The supreme court of the United
States has recently considered this cues.
ton, and, in the case of the Western Union
Telegraph company VS.. the Call Publish.
ing company, to be found in the one hun.
dred and eighty-first volume of the United
States supreme court reports, at page 90
it decided that common law principles
could be applied by United States courts
In cases involving interstate commerce. in
the absence of United States statutes spe.
officially covering, the case. Such is the
Reciprocity.
He says reciprocity is demanded by the
best interest of both manufacturer and
consumer, and that reciprocal trade treat
les would enure to both. He quotes ex.
tensively from President McKinley's last
address at Buffalo to show that he appre-
ciated the fact that the so-called Stand
pat policy must give way, and that there
must be a reduction of duties to ENABLE
our manufacturers to compete in foreigr
markets. Continuing. he says:
THE persistent refusal of the repub.
lican majority in the federal senate to rat
~ the reciprocity treaties negotiated in
pursuance of the policy advocated alike
by Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Mckinley. and ex.
pressly sanctioned in the Dingley act If.
self, is a discouraging exhibition of bad
faith. AS already mentioned by me. the
exoroitant duty imposed on MANY an inn
ported article by the Dingley tariff was
.avowedly intended by its author not to
De permanent, but to serve temporarily az
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