Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-10-12
PRESENT ISSUES.
WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC HAND
BOOK CONTAINS.

The Tariff Issue Is Fairly Presented The e.
feet That Republican Rule Has Had on the
Wage Rates and Cost Of Livins-The Pres.
idenf Shown to Be a Trimmer In Politics
Relative Position Of the Two Parties on the
Interests Of Labor.
Bearing the motto Equal rights to
all, special privileges to none." on its
title page, the Democratic campaign
book for use in the approaching Con.
gressional campaign was issued on the
I'd inst, by the Democratic Congress.
sional Committee. 1t is voluminous,
being composed OF 243 pages and con-
tanning vast amount of matter de-
signed to combat the claims and pol
icies of the Republican party, while at
the same time it upholds all the prin.
ciples for which Democracy contends.
After quoting in full the platform
adopted by the National Democratic
Convention at st. Louis in July, 1904,
the book enters into an exhaustive
history of the protective tariff system,
going back to the first act OF 1889. 1t
is declared that the Republicans refer
to this act with unremitting joy, be-
cause OF the preamble that it is neces.
sary for the support of the govern.
ment, for discharge of the debts OF the
United States and the encouragement
and protection of manufacturers, that
duty be paid on goods, wares and mer-
chandise imported" Various tables
follow, giving a list of the articles upon
which in the earlier days duty was i'm
posed. while paralleled with them is a
table showing rates under the Dingley
tariff act.
The tariff history, it is maintained,
disproves the Republican platform
contention that the Democratic tariff
has always been followed by business
adversely. Republican tariff by busi-
ness prosperity" and with respect
hereto the book has this to say:
"That hoary Republican misstate.
ment has been reiterated in every cam
paign since the war, but it remained
for Senator Lodge to embalm it in q
Republican platform and to have it
approved by President Of the United
States. It is asserted that all the
psnics in this country have occurred
under Republican auspices. and with
the highest protective tariff, and that
in France the same conditions pre-
vailed. while in free.trade England
there has been only one panic since
1873. Numerous instances of Repub.
lican tariff changes are quoted from
which the deduction is made that in
forty.five years the Republicans have
changed or revised the tariff law forty.
eight times.
"But at last" the book states, " the
Republicans and their allied friends
and providers OF fat campaign barrels,
the protected monopolists, secured a
measure tina. has go fostered and fat
tened the corporations that they are
quite willing to stand pat, especially
as they have succeeded in defeating
the reciprocity treaties, to provide for
which the tariff schedules were pur-
posely increased 20 per cent. beyond
the rates that the protected monopo.
lists ma med as sufficient to protect
them from competition.
Hence the people are now bur.
deued with this extra rate plus . reve-
nue. and protective rate-tbreefold."
BY reason Of the shelter of the tariff,
it is declared, the trusts and combines
have advanced the prices OF their
products and at the same time sell
lower to foreign countries than to our
our own people. Reference is then
made to the speech of Speaker Can.
non At Danville, ILL.,, August 16 last.
when he furnished statistics of wages
and incomes for the fifteen years be.
tween 1880 and 1905, in which the
speaker is quoted a. acknowledging
that in that time average yearly wages
increased slightly less than 9.4 per
cent. 1t is asserted that during the
same period the value OF manufactured
products increased 58.7 per cent. and
the inquiry is made Do Mr.. Cannon
and the other stand.pat Congressman
cali that fair deal? An increase of
58.7 per cent. for the trusts aud only
an increase of 9.4 per cent. for the
wage-earners?" It is insisted, there.
fore, that "Speaker Cannon in bis
fight with labor should avoid stats.
tice, for they are two.edged sword in
the hands OF anyone that does not un.
derstand their significance, as Mr..
Cannon evidently does not"
In order to chow chow the tariff
plumbers those who have limited in.
comes" the book has this to say:
"Those whose incomes are station.
ary and who got no increase to CORE.
spond with the increase of the cost of |
living are in worse plight than other
people. Nothing remains for such un-
but the pinching economy
that comes hard, when comfort should |
be the rule. The grasping trusts and
are, through monopoly,
treated by protectionism. sucking the
life blood of those with limited in.
comes to the tune Of AZ per cent.