The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-08-25
CAN AFFORD TO WAIT
REPUBLICANS SHOULD GO SLOW IN
TARIFF CHANGING.
II n Return OF CaIamitous Conditions
Is to Come Through Alteration of
Schedules, Let the Democrats Take
All the ResponsibiIity

Schedules, Let the Democrats Take
All the ResponsibiIity.
Very often tariff ripping Republican
newspapers say in their agony that if
the Republican party does not revise
the tariff the country will put itself in
the hands of the Democratic party. so
determined is the country for tariff
reform" Former Democrats, at pres
ent acting with the Republican party,
are saying the same thing.
These utterances are not surprising
even coming from Republicans, for the
reason that many thousands of Repub-
licans are not protectionists except
when they are in distress.
Tariff ripping Republicans elected
Grover Cleveland twice.
There have not been Democrats
enough in the United States to elect q
president since the election of James
Buchanan. Cleveland owes his two
elections to Republicans, who carried
out their threat of turning the country
over to the free traders.
The last election of Cleveland was
performed by the tariff rippers when
the country was in the enjoyment Of
the greatest prosperity that had been
known since the discovery of America.
They said Cleveland did not have q
fair show the first time, being handi-
capped By n Republican congress. To
make sure of carrying out their pur-
poses they voted for Democrats for
members of congress. And WEN 1t
was all over and it was apparent that
Cleveland had been chosen and that
the Democratic tariff rippers had cap
tured both branches of congress there
was CONSERVATION throughout the
land. The manufacturers quit buying
raw materials and curtailed their out
put. Contracts for buildings were can
celed, and even before the Inaugural
ton Of Cleveland there was weeping
and wailing.
The high sounding phrases which the
tariff rippers had used in public ad-
dresses in relation to the way the poor
consumer was being robbed became
suddenly unpopular. Such phrases are
only popular when protection Is at
work making everybody prosperous.
Such speeches are never popular when
the doctrines advocated are in prac-
teal force. When q man is rolling in
wealth. has his pockets full of money,
good clothes on his back and plenty
to eat, the tariff ripper can talk to
him concerning the way he Is being
robbed by the high prices he has to
pay, but when the tariff ripper has
had his inning, has enforced his prin-
ciples and thrown the man out of
work, the tariff ripper is no longer a
welcome conversationalist.
Under the Dingley law more things
have been accomplished for the United
States than under any other law en-
acted by congress. Under the Dingley
law Uncle Sam has had money with
which to do business. He has not been
borrower. He has not asked Europe
nor an American syndicate to loan him
a dollar. When the Spanish-American
war was declared and it was necessary
to negotiate n temporary loan, millions
in excess of the demand were offered.
Suppose congress had then been en-
gagged in ''rcadjusting' the tariff to eft
changed conditions" Who would have
loaned Uncle Sam money? The gov
eminent has always had TO pay.s ruin
Gus rate OF interest when borrowing in
tariff ripping times. The Dingley law
was n proclamation to the world that
the American market was to be pre-
served for the American people, and
the world knew the American market
to be better than all others. Therefore
the world knew that Uncle Sam would
prosper and that it would he safe to
loan him money. When war tax was
levied the people paid it cheerfully be-
cause they were making money.
The great commercial nations never
began to respect the United States real
ly and truly until they discovered that
we had sense enough to know that the
American market is worth all the other
markets of the world and sense enough
to try to keep It, They would enjoy
the fruit of our folly If we should
change our course, but privately they
would have no respect for our judg
ment.
The threat to turn the country over
to the Democratic party should not
scare any genuine Republican protec-
ZIONIST If the tariff is to be revised
for the purpose of increasing importa-
tons from abroad, let it be done by the
Democratic party. If the country is
sufficiently anxious for tariff ripping,
the country should go Democratic.
Those Republicans who did not get
enough of 1t when they voted for Gro
yer Cleveland and a Democratic con-
gress should begin to vote the Demo
cratic ticket, and begin now.
1t Is the party of protection that has
made this country what 1t is, and the
protectionists can afford to wait A
demonstration is all that is needed to
show that America cannot prosper by
purchasing abroad with the romantic
hope Of selling abroad.
No Republican should be alarmed
when the threat is made that IL Repub-
Means do not reform the tariff ''the
Democrats will" The Democrats them
selves had the opportunity last year to
turn the country over to the revision
lists They had respectable candidate
In nd Dortar committed