Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-09-27
FIT. Wayne (Ind.) Daily News.

that public ownership should begin
where competition ends" and that he
stated his conclusion that railroads
were a monopoly and must ultimately
become public property. Therefore he
concluded that while regulation should
be given a further trial he was salts
fed it would be unavailing and that
nothing short of public ownership would
do.
Il still advocate strict regulation
he said to his Louisville audience, land
shall be rejoiced if experience proves
that regulation can be made effective.
And yet l would rot be hon
est with you if 1 did not frankly adj
NIT that observation has convinced me
that no such efficient regulation is pos
sible and that we must in
the end look to government ownership
for relief"
This comes pretty close to another
unequivocal declaration for government
ownership, but evidently it was not so
intended 1t was intended to be what
the other gamblers call a hedge" He
found that he had been going too fast.
He concluded that it would be wise for
him to ''slow up" a little. He wanted
to be consistent" but he also strove
to retreat.-CEicago Chronicle.
Democratic p: rty and the Tariff.
In 1892 the Democrats said the coun-
try needed a change, and in their plat
form this is what they promised to do,
If successful:
I'VE denOunce Republican protection
as a fraud, a robbery of the great ma
jority of the American people for the
benefit of the few. We declare it to
be fundamental principle Of the Dem
ocratic party that the Federal govern
ment has no constitutional power to
impose and collect tariff duties, except
for the purposes of revenue only; and
we demand that the collection of such
taxes shall be limited to the necessities
of the government when honestly and
economically administered"
The natural result of this tariff pol
icy followed on the heels of its inaugu-
ration just as winter follows summer
You remember the result of the Wilson
forman tariff act:
No work
No sale for goods.
Prices reduced on everything the
farmer had to sell.
Interest rates increased.
Savings in banks decreased
Frequent sheriff sales.
Free sOup-hOuses opened.
Crime increased.
Deficiency in treasury.
National debt increased.
Everybody hard-up.
Tramps thronging highways.
National panic.
Rlind to the ruin and misery caused
in the COS by their tariff policy, the
Democrats promise again in 1906, if
successful, to force on the country the
same old Cleveland tariff program.
Here's their 1906 tariff plank:
We denounce the hypocrisy of the
Republican party which, while pre-
tending to legisIate against these con
ditions, deals only with the symptoms
and not with the disease. The unfair,
tyrannical features Of the so-called
protective tariff have made these
things possible, and no permanent re-
lief can be secured until its obnoxious
features are removed. We demand that
this be done by tariff for revenue
only
The natural result Of this same tariff
policy which the Democrats promise 20
force on the country again if success
full will follow in 1907 just as surely
as it came in the 90's.
Our experience with the Cleveland
tariff is a warning which cannot be
disregarded. We take it no citizen
would willingly vote for the calamitous
results outlined. Yet they would follow