The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-08-22
BRYAN DISCUSSES THE eS-si'
h'Ni TARIFF QUESTION
lcOntInued from Pace e.l

cause the English workman receives
higher wages than the German work.
man, although the German tariff is
higher than the tariff OF Great Britain
Protection does not make good
wages. Our better wages are due to
the greater intelligence and skill Of
our workmen. TO the greater hope
winch free institutions give them. TO
improved machinery, to the better con.
ultlons thai surround them, and TO
the organizations which have been
formed among the wage earners.
A revenue tariff will not bring a
panic; II will not inaugurate indus.
trial depression; it will not reduce
wages; ON the contrary II will slim
ulate business and give more employ.
ment, and larger demand for labor
VIII be a guaranty against the reduc.
iion OF wages. A reduction of the
tariff will reduce the extortion that Is
now practieed because of the high
schedules; a reduction In price will
enable more people to buy. and this
larger demand for the goods win put
more people TO work and increase the
number of industries A lower price
VIII greatly stimulate expectation, and
manufacturers who are nov crippled
by a tariff upon what they use will
be better prepared TO enter the con.
test for supremacy in the world S
trade.
We cannot hone TO invade foreign
markets to the extent we should. un-
tai we relieve our manufacturers Of
the handicap that protection places
upon them in the purchase of mate
rails they have TO use Neither can
We hope to continually Increase our
exports without increasing our i'm
ports. Trade must be mutual il IL IS
To he permanent. President McKin.
ley recognized this and in the last
speech that he made he pointed out
that we must buy from other nations
II we expect TO sell TO other nations.
The Democratic plan does not con
template an immediate change from
one system to the other; 1t expressly
declares that the change shall be grad
ral and gradual change is only pos
slDle where the country is satisfied
with the results of each step taken
We elect congress every two years
and a president every four years, and
the people can soon stop any policy
If the results of that policy are not
satisfactory. But we believe that the
experience che people have had with
protection for projections sake" has
led them to favor a restoration of the
tariff by gradual steps 10 a revenue
basis, and we are convinced that the
advantages following each step will be
so pronounced and that the benefits
will be so universally enjoyed that
there will be no cessation i'm the
progress toward a system under which
the tariff will be levied for the pur-
pose of revenue and limited to the
needs of the government. Tie low
tariff law of 1886 did not produce a
panic; on the contrary. It was so sat.
isfactory that when the Republican
party wrote its first platform ten years
afterward the protective principle was
not endorsed.
The Democratic party has declared
for an income tax as a part of the
revenue system, and for constitu-
tional amendment as a means of secur-
ing this tax Secretary Taft an.
nounces In his notification speech
that he is In favor Of an income tax
whenever the revenues are so low as
10 require H. and expresses his belief
that II Is possible to secure such tax
without q constitutional amendment
# h Is possible to frame a law which
will avoid the objections raised TO the
income tax law of 1894 we'll aud good
but that Is uncertain. II an income
tax is desirable. surely Secretary Taft
cannot consistently oppose the adop
tion of a constitutional amendment II
the principle is right and the tax wise
congress ought to have authority "a
levy aud collect such tax, and nc
supporter of Secretary Taft can op
pose our position without dissenting
l from the Republican candidate.
/ The whole aim OF our party Is TO Sc
cure justice in taxation We believe
/ that each Individual should contribute
to the support of the government IA
proportion 10 the benefits which he
receives under the protection OF the
I government. We believe that a rev
enue tariff approached gradually. ac
I cording to the plan laid down in on.
/ platform. will equalize the burdens Of
taxation, and that the addition OF ar
iincomS tax will make taxation still
more equitable II the Republican
party Is to have the support OF those
who find a pecuniary profit in the eN
ercise of the taxing power, as a pri
vate asset i'm their business, we ought
( to have the support o. that large ma
/ iOrlty of the people who produce the
nations wealth in time Of peace, pro
I iect the nations flag In time of war
and ask for nothing from the govern
ment but eVen-handed justice