The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-08-22

cast aside. The Republican leaders
I are no longer arrogant and insolent;
| they cannot longer defy tariff reform.
Their plan now is to seem to yield
| without really yielding.
1 submit that the Democratic plat
| form accurately described the Repub-
| lican position when it refers to "the
| "belated promise made by the Repub-
lican leaders as "a tardy recognition
of the righteousness Of the Democrat
ic position on this question: The
Democratic party in it's platforms and
through it's representatives in Con-
gress has for years pointed out that
the tariff schedules are excessively
high and ought to be reduced, but the
Republicans have, until recently, re-
fused to admit that there was any ne
cessity for reduction. They now con-
fess, through their platform and thro'
their presidential candidate, that the
need for revision is so great as to JUS
tify the party in declaring "unequiv-
ocally for revision of the tariff and
the need is so urgent that the work
is to be undertaken at "a special ses-
sion of congress Immediately follow
ing the Inauguration of the next pres
fdent.'' The use of the word "une-
quivocally' indicates that those wno
wrote the platform recognize that
they are under suspicion. They want
to distinguish this promise from the
unkept promises of the past by add
ing as emphatic an adjective as can
be found in the dictionary. If former
Republican promises had been con-
scientiously fulfilled, it might not
have been necessary to thus streng-
then the promise made this year. The
use of the word Immediately after
the Inauguration is evidence that
the Republican leaders are conscious
that the patience of the public has
been strained to the point of break
ing, and it is almose pathetic to note
the solicitude which they now feel
wflful neglect, might have been done
at any time during the last ten years.
Are we not justified in saying that
1.-The people cannot safely entrust the
execution of this important work to
la party which is so deeply obligated
to the highly protected interests as
is the Republican Party? The "fat-
frying" process has become familiar
to the American people. Pressure has
been brought to bear upon the pro-
tected interests every four years
and to a less extent in the COMPRESSION
al campaigns between presidential ell
ections-to compel contributions to
the campaign fund in return for for
mer favors and in anticipation of fav-
ors yet to come. 1t is difficult to over
troduced into the political life of the
nation by this partnership between
the government and the favored in
dustries. The literature circulated in
support of protective tariff has stu
diously cultivated the idea that suf-
frage should be employed to secure
peculiary returns, and the appeal
made by the Republican leaders has
come to more and more a selfish one.
Every man engaged in protected in
dustry has been approached with the
proposition that it is dollars in his
those who could not possibly trace
any tangible benefits to themselves
have been beguiled with the assur-
ance that it was all matter of pub
lie spirit and that they ought to sup
port the system out of patriotic love
of country. If attention was called to
the fact that the farmer was taxed
for the benefit of the manufacturer,
the triple answer was that it would
| come back to him indirectly; that 1t
| did not amount to much for each far
mer anyhow; and that man was
small minded who would begrudge
so Insignificant a contribution to the
nations prosperity. The plan has
been to keep the taxpayers quiet by
keeping them in the dark as to the
operation Of the law, and then to con-
centrate the votes and influence OF
the tax-eaters in favor of a continua-
ton of high tariff legislation. II a
tariff of fifty per cent was imposed
upon given article of merchandise,
1t was assumed that those engaged
in the production Of the article would
contribute literally to keep up the
tariff. 1t was also assumed that the
Iemployees would vote with their en-
ployers to keep from having their
wages reduced, and 1t was expected
would also vote for the fzrin becznse
Of the busfness brought to the conn
munity by the protected Industry.