The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-13
.PRE:S|DENN FLAWS
THE DEMOCRACY.
Construed from Third Pagc.)

pointing out again that il on one great
issue they do not mean what they say, it
is hardly safe to trust them on any other
issue. But il they are sincere in this mat
ter, then their advent to power would
mean domestic misfortune and misery as
widespread and far-reacl,ns as hat
which we saw ten years ago. When they
speak of protection as robbery, they. Of
course, must mean hat 1t is imnlurta! to
enact a tariff designed ms is The present
protective tariff to secure to the American
nyage-wo,k Ell the. btncit OF the high
standard of living which we ,;aslre to. ste
/ kept UP in this country. No" TO speak of
41hea tariff in this sense as'robbery. there
by giving 1t a moral relation Is not mere
~ rhetorical; 1t Is on rs face false. The
question of what tariff Is best for our
people is primarily one Of expediency, TO
grounds but in the light OF experience.
IT is a matter of business: for funda-
mentally ours Is |, business poople--manu-
1acturers. merchants, farmers. wage
experience asa people in the past s,as
certainly not shown us that We could
afford In this matter to follow those pro-
fessional counselors who lave confined
themselves to study In the closet; for Inc
actual working OF The tariff has empha-
tcaily contradlcted their theories, From
time TO time schedules must undoubtedly
be arranged and readjusted to meet tie
shifting needs Of the country; BIZ, this
& can with safety be done only by those
who are committed to the cause Of tie
protective system, 70 uproot and destroy
1ration Of business, the closing Of FAC
tories, the imroyerishnent of the farmer,
the ruin OF the capitalist. and the. star
lection is indeed robbery. and # our
opponents really believe what they say,
then 1t is precisely TO the destruction and
uprooting of the tariff. and therefore Of
our business and industry, that they are
pledged. When our opponents last obtains
ed power 1t was on a platform declaring a
protective tariff 'unconstitutional;' and
the effort TO put this declaration into
practice was one Of the causes of the gem
eral national prostration lasting from lssEi
TO 1897 il a protective tariff is either 'un-
CONSTITUTIONAL or robbery. then it Is, just
as unconstitutional. Just as much robbery,
tive, as II would be to enact II. In other
words our opponents have committed
themselves to the destruction Of the pro-
tectiye principle, in The tariff using words
permitting this principle to obtain in even
The smallest degree.
Question of Reciprocity.
"Our opponents assert that they believe
~ reciprocity. Their action OH the most
important reciprocity treaty recently me-
out this assertion, Moreover there can
be no reciprocity unless there Is a sub
stantial tariff; free trade and reciprocity
are not compatible. We are on record as
fayoring arrangements for reciprocal
trade relations with other countries these
arrangements to be on an equitable lass
az benefit 10 both the contracting Itar-
Ties. The Republican, party stands pledged
no every visit and consistent method OF
Increasing the foreign commerce., Of the
s,. hA lFt In
snestic trade of this country exceeds In
Koume the entire export and import
,hrade of all the nations Of the world. the
Hunted States has In addition secured
tanore than an eighth OF the export trade
fiof the world, standing FIRST. among The
nations In this respect The United
Estates has exported during the last sever
wears neariyten Billions Of dollars worn
~ OF soods-zon an, average half rs mueE
again annually as during The rieNiqu'
nov years. when many of'our people aer'