Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-09-04


to receive and as to the length OF
time during which the guaranty ID
to extend. If the votes are to be
bought the purchase price, at least.
should be made secure. II the EN-,
ployes' heritage -citizenship-s to
be sold, he ought, at least, to be-
sure Of his mess Of pottage.
But the whole system Is vicious.
Business should not be buik upon leg
islation; It should stand upon its own
merit, and when 1t does stand upon
its own merit we shall not only have
purer politics, but we shall have less
fluctuation in business conditions and
a more equitable distribution Of the
proceeds Of toll.
cannot pass from this part OF
my subject, without calling atten-
ton to the fact that Secretary Taft
has allowed himself to be drawn
into the use of an argument which
the beneficiaries of protection have
been employing for a generation.
Speaking of the gradual substitution
of a revenue tariff for the protect
i've system, he says in his notifica-
ton speech:
THE introduction in power of a
party with this avowed purpose,
cannot but halt the gradual recov-
cry from our recent financial depress-
ion and produce business disaster,
compared with which our recent pan
ic and depression will seem small in
deed"
Here is a threat Of a panic if the
Republican party is not retained in
power. This panic argument was
worked overtime in 1896, but l am
surprised that a Republican refers
to it in the present campaign.
We have had three panics since
the Republican party was born: the
panic of 1873, the panic Of 1898 and
the panic Of 1907. The panic Of
1873 came after the Republican par
ty had been in complete control Of
the federal government for twelve
years, and eleven years before our
party succeeded In securing control
OF the executive branch Of the gov
eminent. The startling panic and
depression" of 1873 occurred in the
very midst Of Republican rule, Just
after a Republican victory and under
a high tariff. Is 1t not strange that
Secretary Taft should forget this
panic, when he warns us to beware
Of any departure from the protect
i've system?
The panic of 1907 came after the
Republicans had been in complete
control of the federal government for
more than ten years. They had had
an opportunity to do everything that
they wanted to do and to undo ev-
erything that needed to be undone,
and we were under such a high tar
if that even Secretary Taft admit
ted the necessity Of revision. This
panic was so bad that banks. felt
it necessary to do something that
they had never done before, namely,
arbitrarily limit the amount Of mon
ey that depositors could draw on
their own accounts. Ex-Secretary
Shaw says that the stringency oil
1907 was "the severest the world has
ever Witnessed With this panic
fresh in his mind, is 1t not strange
that he should argue that his cleo
ton is necessary to prevent a pan
ic?
have referred to two or thre'
panics, both of these coming unde
, conditions which compel the Repub
lican party to accept the responsible
ity for them. Now, let us conside
the panic Of 1898. II that could b.
, properly charged to the Democrat
| party, it would only be one Democrat
! ic panic to two Republican panics
But can 1t be fairly charged to tn
> Democrats? 1t came, 1t is true,
, few months after the Inauguration O
/. a Democratic president, but It cam
. while the Mckinley high tariff wa
| still in effect and before a single R,
5 publican law had been repealed, an
| 1t came from causes that were
4 operation before the election. |
D fact, 1t was the failure of the Repul
;. lcan party to do its duty and satisf
e the people that brought about
Democratic victory, and these cause
r would have brought on a panic, @
!. en- If the Republican party had r
B NAMED in power. Now this is tn
S record, and yet, in spite of this re
:. ord, the Republican candidate Or
sumes to threaten a panic in cas-
4 Of Democratic success.
The third proposition which Il
y protectionist must establish. namel