The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-08-22
BRYAN OFF THE TARIFF.

last night Mr. Bryan failed to explain
the ambiguity of his tariff platform,
but rather increased the doubt as TO
It's real import. In his speech Of ac-
ceptance he declared that the plat
form Is the last word and anyth ing a
candidate promises. not specifically
set forth in the platform. is obiter
dictum. Yet. Mr.. Bryan made a free
trade speech lsst night. and his plat
form is not a free trade platform. He
urges all the Old stock argument Of
the free trader; but evidently chast-
ened by former experiences. after
proving to his own satisfaction that
the principle of the protective tariff
is wrong and that free trade is the
only honest s. stem, he hedges in
these words:
"The Democratic plar does not con
template an immediate change from
one system 10 the other: il expressly
declares that the change shall be
gradual. and gradual change is only
possible where the country is satisfied
with the results OF each step taken. -
We may assume then that tho
trainers Of the platform are not surc
Of their ground
When he says; But the peop'e
cannot safe.y entrust The execution
of this important work to a party
which is so deeply obligated to the
highly protected interests as IS the
Republican party" ne forgets that
the Republican party was put in
power by the people, and that as far
as the government is concerned tn
Republican party is the people-the
majority-and merely Carrying out
THE policies endorsed year after year
by the people of the country. On.v
once in forty years WITH the tariff
issue prominent every time. and NJ
Bryan prominent nearly half the
time, have the Republicans lost. and
that time. instead of fasting in the
wilderness. as Mr. Bear suggested
for the Repub Jean leaders. the cour-
try repented on free soup and NJ.
Bryan will not maze aay votes by
hanging out that free soup sign this
year.
In the course Of his argument Mr..
Bryan said: "The Democratic party
, in its platforms and through its rep
resentatives I'm congress has for years
pointed out that the tariff schedules
are excessively high and ought TO b.
reduced. but the Republicans have.
until recently. refused to admit that
there was any necessity e.. reduc-
ton"
That is positively false. except rs
TO the fact that Republicans did nos
admit that all the Dingley schedules
are too high. or any great number OF
them. Further along in his Obscure,
Mn Bryan quotes Mr.. Taft and Other.
exctly on this point.
The principle of free trade is that
the cost comes off the consumer and
that the protective tariff imposes an
extra cost on protected goods. that
the consumer must pay to the Ameri-
lean producer An honest advocate OF
that principle would favor a direel
tax on property to conduct the opera
tiOns of the government; for even a
tariff for revenue only imposes a bur
den upon the consumer.
A man. who objects to fthe p-o-
tectiye principle, and advocates an
import tariff is not fair with him
lself. Yet, the Democratic platform
nowhere discusses any principle r.
VOWED; but because the Republican
party has declared that a tariff twelve
years old needs revising by schedules,
the Bryan platform insists that such
declaration is an admission that De
was right all along. and Bryan pro-
ceeds to argue that a party always
lopposed 10 the protective principles
should be allowed TO revise the tariff.
And here is how II would revise the
tariff:
with a president who, toward tic
ic'ose OF his term, admitted the neces.
sity for tariff revision. with a two.
thirds majority in the senate, and
Htd+ll oU udJoiit. III Nuf Hoh-Hs iUf
Republican party has refused 10 per
nit any revision whatever. Mr.. W.
llams. the leader OF the minority ir
the house. introduced a bill proyid-
ing for a reduction OF the tariff to ION
per cent. wherever Il Is row more
than 100 per cent. II would loob
like the Republican party might hsv.
taken this step toward tariff revision.
The Republican party c'ings to ti'
protective theory and would leave me
.thousands OF schedules to the consil.
Grafton of experts. The Bryan iiel
is to sash al schedules exactly t.,
same. regardless of differences in con
Idltions surrounding them Paint
sugar, wood. pictures, cloth. engines,