Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-02

manifest drift to socialism, and means,
II carried to successful conclusion,
nothing less than revolution. But it is
dangerous issue. 1t is as old at
least as Caesar, this appeal to put pow
er In the hands of the government in
the interest of the people. BY it Ma
poleon won against the ancient regime
and made himself emperor. 1t will be
singular anomaly, the democracy ad.
vocatlng putting such powers in the
hands of the central government as
shall not only wipe out the last YES
tlge OF states rights, but shall make it
SELF perpetrating and omnipotent. Once
strengthen an administration by ad-
ding to it's present power that of the
railroads alone, and the days of free
republic in America are over. There
VIII be no change than Of administra-
ton except by revolution. Power
goes by what it feeds on. 1t can and
always does justify the absorption Of
new powers to strengthen itself. To
the railways would be added express
companies, the telegraph and tele-
phone, which in turn would control
the press. Then would follow other
pubic utilities, the banks and the
markets, until we should have state
socialism, realization of what Ed
ward Bellamy dreamed in his Look
ing Backward" and what Herbert
Spencer justly and graphically char
acterized as "The coming slavery"
The republican party is the only an.
tagonist Of and safeguard against So
cialism In America today AS the dem
ocratic. party was absorbed by popu-
lism, so is it on it's way to socialism,
and the way is not long nor far. Rep
resentative government as the guard
ian OF civilization has no other cham
pion but the republican party in Amer
lea today. 1t should be remembered
that every step taken by the President
and congress has been in beaten
paths, under the old forms,
IN exact conformity with the
constitution as the fathers
made 1T and as Marshall interpreted
it nearly century ago. Whatever
may be the views of others. republi-
cans are not ready to abandon the con
situation, they do not believe that re-
publican institutions have been tried
and found wanting, they do not believe
that representative government ought
to be overthrown, either beneath the
aggressions of the trusts, or by any
socialists schemes to overthrow
them.
Protection VS.. Free Trade.
The great struggle between protec.
ton and free trade which has now last.
ed for more than a century still contin-
ues. In the worlds forum the cause of
protection has won signal victory.
The free trade, tariff for revenue idea
Is an abandoned theory, discarded by
every civilized nation in the world ex.
cept England and even her great self
governing colonies have joined the rest
Of the world in adopting the principle
of protection.
In America the cause of protection is
again triumphant, with such signal
fruits of victory that it would ap-
pear as if the cause of free trade could
find no champion who would dare es-
pouse its cause or wage its battles.
But such is not the case. Today its
champions are in the field, waving its
banners and rallying their shattered
columns for fresh attack.
In this campaign, and in the national
campaign impending, if 1t were left to
the leaders Of the party upon what is
sue the campaign should be fought, the
vote In favor of the tariff would be al
most unanimous.
The grounds upon which the democ.
racy attacks the present protective
system are SO various and shifting that
it is hard to drive them to an issue.
AS fast as their petitions Of grievances
are demurred out of court, new ones
are filed. and the cause has to be re-
argued before lAe forum of the people.
Just now, and during the last session
Of congress, their favorite ground of
attack seems to be the old charge that
the protective tariff shelters trusts, IA
vors monopolis, is the fortress Of spe-
cial interests, and the "citadel" of priv
ilege.
Does the Tariff Shelter Trusts?
Many things have concurred to make
this favorite ground Of attack at this
time. The disclosures Of corporate mis-
doings have incensed the public mind
against all combinations of capital
and resentment is SO strong that if it
can be made to appear that these hat
ed interests are created or fostered oy
a protective tariff, it would suffer in
their behalf.
There is serious difficulty in the
matter however. The particular inter
ests which have most grievously Of
Tended the people are not affected by
the tariff. Even the trusts whose evil
practices are most abhorred are not IA
vored. The product Of the Standard
Oil Co. is on the free list and the meat
trust favors revision in order to obtain
cheaper cattle from Canada and Mex
leo. The steel trust. is said to favor
lowering rates upon it's product be-
cause its American rivals are less able
to stand foreign competition than it is.
But the question at once recurs, why
strike at the tariff to cure the inia-
uities of the trusts? Why call in for.
eign powers to help us when we have
ample power to right every wrong our
selves? IT ia true the protective tariff