The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-11-02
Senator Rayner Flags the
Protective Tariff System.

mass MEETING III pOudll vi wv
Democratic candidates in the
Third, Fourth. and Fifth Dis
trictf, and urged their election
as a blow al the policy of the
present administration and a vim
dicatirn of the Democratic posi-
ton on the tariff question. The
remarks of Senator Rayner were
with fine points and
brought forth great applause.
A great hit was made when he
said:
My friends. the Democratic
party was not born to die She
stands upon the rock OF the Con.
aud no siren voice can
tempt her from her mornings and
no agitator'S hand can cut her
adrift aud send her out upon the
wild sea of Iumult and disaster"
And again: The Republican
party was born and Graded in
the throeS of war. Our party
spraug from he loi of the Con
Stitution aud will survive as long
az the Constitution lasts"
After talking about the can
didacy of Mr.. Gill, in whose
special interest he has been en-
gagged, the orator came to the
question of the tariff, which he
discussed with his usual clear
ness
Il have already opened up the
way on the Eastern Shore for a
further discussion of this subject,
and | propose at this time to
enter upon a few interesting de-
tails to sustain the proposition
for which | am cOntending:
Let us see how the present
tariff law was framed. Let US
look at the travesti:
"The play is the thing
Tina VIII catch the Conscience of the
king "
The performance took place
in the Arlington Hotel in Wash
ing ton, and not a Democrat upon
the committee was admitted to
its hearings. Every protection,
isl and trust manager and mo-
nopolist Of the United States re-
ceived a hospitable invitation to
attend the carnival in protec
toms banquet hall, and the rev.
elry proceeded.
"What was the RESULT The
committee had finished its labors
and had constructed q protective
and prOhibitive tariff that suited
every tariff baron in the land.
"Word was sent down by Pres
ident Mckinley, in order to give
the proceedings some little gla.
mour of fairness, that there
ought to be provision for reci-
procity conventions. That fright.
ened the American Protective
League, and they sent their am
bassadOrs down in hot haste to
Washington to get at the mean
ing of this unpstriotic commun.
ication on the part of the Pres
ident.
Then the trick came in-the
sleight-Of- hand and legerdemain
that should be exposed at the bar
of public opinion, if the people
of this country have the intelli
gence 10 understand their rights
and the slightest courage to main.
tain them. Twenty per cent.
was piled upon the schedules
'Ossa ufOn Pelion" and the
reciprocity conventions were sent
to the Senate. The Senate de
clined to act, and today you
have the mOnstrous situation of
the tariff averaging about 90 per
cent, with hundreds of articles
running as high as 100 per cent.
embracing 20 per cent. over and
above the fullest protection to
the American manufacturer, and
not q single bill offered by a sin.
gle Republican for the purpose
OF Immediately revising the hid
eous feature of this abominable
law.
1.-The law is not only desecra-
ton to the memory of the mar.
tyred Mckinley, but it is an IN.
Justitiable reproach upon the char
acter of its author, who was a
man of answering personal and
political integrity, and who never
contemplated for a moment that
it should have this disastrous
result.
II am not revolutionist upon
the subject of tariff. | believe
In a revenue tariff, and l would
not destroy or impair single
business interest in this coun.
try that was making legit.
innate profit out of the enter.
prise in which they are engaged.
but am an inveterate enemy of
these colossal combinations that
are making their own prices for
the American consumers and who