The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-22
Bryan FIres Fl1st Gun of tbe
 Cambalgn OF 7arJ1 QueShon
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

O~O~@SNNo1s.-- ~--'-0 that, as the campaign progressed l would discuss the question. Shall the People Rule, as it applies to the various issues Involved in this campaign. begin with the tariff question, because it is the most lasting of our economic questions and the one upon which the leading parties have most frequently opposed each other. Other questions may come and go, but questions which affect taxa ton, like Tennysons Brook go on Tor ever As the government Is not Lady Bountiful with unlimited means, but merely an organization which must col 1ect on the one hand what it pays out on the other, the subject of taxation is an ever present one. We may discuss how much we should collect what meth ods We should employ in collecting, and how best to distribute, through appro- priations, the money collected, but we are never far removed from the sub ject of taxation. Iowa has been selected for the presentation Of what l desire 10 say upon this subject, because the Iowa republicans were pioneers in the effort to secure tariff revision at the hands of the republican party. l come among them to define and defend the democratic position on the tariff question because ] believe it will commend itself to them, That the issue may be clearly stated l shall read you the democratic plank on this subject and then the republican plank:
 'The democratic platform says:
 !" We welcome the belated promise of tariff reform now offered by the repub- iican party as a tardy recognition of the righteousness of the democratic position on this question; but the people cannot safely entrust the execution of this im- portant work to party which is so deep ly obligated to the highly protected in- terests as is the republican party. We call attention to the significant fact that the promised relief was postponed until after the coming election-an election to succeed in which the republican party must have the same support from the beneficiaries of the high protective tariff as it has always heretofore received frorA them and to the further fact that dur ing years of uninterrupted power. no action whatever has been taken by the republican Congress to correct the ad- mittedly existing tariff iniquities.
 Tariff Revision.
 We favor immediate revision of the tariff by the reduction of import duties. Articles entering into competition with trust-controlled products should be placed upon the free list; material re- auctions should be made in the tariff upon the necessities of life, especially upon articles competing with such Amer lean manufactures as are sold abroad more cheaply than at home; and gradual reductions should be made in such other schedules as may be necessary to restore the tariff to a revenue basis.
 Existing duties have given the man. ufacturers of paper a shelter behind hax r1fza6 porObiT1 n lions to raise the price of pulp and paper, thus imposing a tax upon the spread of knowledge.
 We demand the immediate repeal of the tariff on wood pulp. print paper, lumber, timber and logs. and that these articles be placed upon the free list
 "The republican platform says:
 The republican party declares un- equlvocally for revision of the tariff by a special session of Congress imme- diately following the inauguration of the next President and comments the steps already taken to this end in the work assigned to the appropriate committees of Congress. which are now investigat- ing the operation and effect of existing schedules. In all tariff legislation the true principle of protection is best main- tained by the imposition of such duties as will equal the difference between the cost of production at home and abroad together with a reasonable profit to American industries
 We favor the establishment of max lmum and minimum rates to be admin istered by the President under limita- tions fixed in the law, the maximum to De available to meet discrminations by foreign countries against American goods entering their markets and the minimum to represent the normal measure of pro- lection at home; the aim and purpose of the republican policy being not only to preserve, without excessive duties, that security against foreign competition to which American manufacturers. farmers and producers are entitled. but also to maintain the high standard of living of the wage earners of this country, who are the most direct benefieiaries of the protective system.
 Between the United States and the Philippines, we believe in a free inter- change of products, with such Hrnita- tlons as to sugar and tobacco as will afford adequate protection to domestic Interests
 Taft's Ideas.
 Secretary Taft refers to this subject prlef1y in his notification speech-only prlefy-but as l shall quote such passages rom his speech as are pertinent to this discussion, it is not necessary to read his remarks in full.
 Vt will be noticed that the republican party has abandoned the earlier argll- ments advanced in support of a high tariff We hear no more of the infant industries that must be tenderly cared TOT until they can stand upon their feet there is no suggestion that the foreigner pays the tariff and nothing about the home market These catch phrases have had their day-they are worn out and cast aside. The republican leaders are no longer arrogant and insolent; they can- not longer defy tariff reform Their plan now is to seem to yield without really l yielding
 T submit that the democratic platform accurately described the republican posi-. tion when it refers to the belated prom. ise' made by the republican leaders as a tardy recognition of the righteousness of the democratic position on this ques. ton The democratic party in it's plat. forms and through it's representatives ir Congress has for years pointed out that the tariff schedules are excessively higt | and ought to be reduced, but the repub. licans have, until recently, refused to ad. init that there was any necessity foi reduction. They now confess, through their platform and through their presi. dential candidate, that the need for re. vision is so great as to justify the party in declaring 'unequivocslly for a revision of the tariff and the need is so urgent that the work is to be undertaken at special session of Congress immediately following the inauguration of the nexi President The use of the word 'un equivocally indicates that those who wrot, the platform recognize that they are un der suspicion. They want to distinguish this promise from the unkept promsei of fba cf by odd o,