Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-05-08
Tariff Reform in 1905.


evelt's recommendation TO congress
| that alcohol for use in the arts be
placed on the free list is a blow aimed
at the Standard Oil monopoly as direct
~ as the temporary suspension of the
| tariff on coal during the great anthra-
cite strike of three years ago was at
the coal trust Both are concessions
TO the democratic principle that high
protective tariff fosters monopoly and
places in the hands of monopolists
vast powers of oppression and eXtor-
ton.
In the anthracite strike of 1923 the
protective tariff on coal helped the
coal baronS to prOlong their quarrel
with the miners. regardless of the CON
venience or welfare of the masses,
who daily needed coal for industrial.
commercial or domestic uses.
The suspension of the coal tariff was
sharp reminder that the government
was not wholly impotent TO protect the
citizen against the reckless sacrifice
of private interests to monopoly greed.
Ii seemed. also. TO suggest the reserve
powers that might be brought into
play under the antitrust act. The re-
suit was an immediate easing off in
coal prices. which gradually settled to
something like the normal level.
The presidents recommendation of
untaXed denaturaliZed alcohol is aimed
To break the Standard Oil company's
monopoly i'll articles of universal utili-
ty. But if such mOnopolieS can be
broken by removing props which lesis-
lation has set under them. why should
not all such props be removed? Why.
i'll fact should Legislation ever set up
such props for monopoly to build
upon?
The democratic party holds, and Will
proclaim in the congressional cam
paigns of this year, that the whole sys
tenn by which special interests are Civ
en- the right to rob and Cypress all
other interests is false in principle
and vicious in practice. The republi-
can party. it is now evident. will not
bulge one inch from its traditional pc
sition that the manufacturing interests
of this country should have the right
to levy tribute upon all other interests
and industries regardless of their
economy of the country.
The republican leaders prefer that
the democratic party should win in this
years elections on tariff reform plat
form rather than that the growing tar
iff reform sentiment among republican
voters should find expression through
a republican congress. They prefer
that tariff revision shall be undertaken
by democrats rather than by republi-
cans.
The democratic party accepts the re-
sponsibility and is likely to make tariff
revision a paramount issue in 1906
Democrats do not hold that American
industries should be exposed to foreign
attack or discrimination. In the entire
history OF government antedating the
advent of the republican party there
was hardly a tariff act in which some
protection, direct or indirect, was not
extended 10 nascent American indus
tries.
The doctrine that tariff should be
shaped. not to protect American indus
try, but TO give TO certain of those in
dustries the right 10 fatten and grow
rich at the expense of all others. had
its birth with the republican party
and it is doctrine which the demo
Gratis will never accept.
The keynote of democratic action in
1906 was sounded by the democrats of
Kansas in their state convention. de
claring that the Dingley tariff is the
greatest of all CRAFTS and the source of
the despotism which the people suffer
at the hands of the trusts. 1t is a di
rect challenge of the republican claim
that unnecessary and burdensome
taxes on everything that enters into
general use are a good thing for the
people who pay the taxes. And the
nomination of ex-senator Harris EN-
phasizes the position of Kansas demo
Gratis in this matter even more strong
ly than does their platform.
The democrats propose in this cam
paign to generaize the special rene
dies which President Roosevelt applied
10 the coal trust and which he desires
TO apply to the Standard Oil monopo-
ly. To the big stick of President Roos-
evelt the democratic party prefers the
Jeffersonian principle of Equal rights
to ALL special privileges to none"