Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-28
Parties and Records.

Bee: The two great parties have held
their conventions, adopted a platform and
nominated a president and vice president.
There are a good many good points in
both platforms, but nominees and plat
forms cannot be depended upon. The peo-
pie must look into the past history of
the parties and ascertain what they have
done for the good of the people. The
majority Of the voters are familiar with
the record Of both parties. The repub-
lican party took the shackles from the
slaves. gave protection to American labor.
enabled the building Of many mills and
factories. They have also given us a sound
money basis. All Of their public acts have
been in the interests of all the people.
During the last forty years they have gone
upward and forward and have taken no
downward step. During the last forty years
the democratic party, when in power. gave
the people only ruin and hunger: when IN
power they did not try 70 assist the people
and build up the country. but their every
effort was to belittle the manhood Of
the people by laws they enacted.
The republican party believes in lower
ing the tariff, but not below a protection
basis. The democratic party believes in
lowering the tariff, leaving sufficient only
to pay expenses, without any protection
In their platform they have placed lum-
Der on the free list. which. to my way
Of thinking, would disturb the prosperity
OF our people.
Under protection our mills can keep run
ming for probably twenty-five years and
the prices on lumber will not likely be
any higher than II we had absolute free
trade. Under free trade a cargo from
British Columbia will be sent to San Fran
cisco and sold in competition with Ameri-
can lumber. The lumber dealer takes a
look at the specifications of the various
cargoes from British Columbia and the
states and selects a cargo that will suit
his stock. The price for the same grades
from British Columbia and the states will
be the same.
If our mills and factories can run during
the next twenty-five years the people may
find a substitute for lumber. Even now. in
the great cities. but a small amount of
lumber is used in the construction of
buildings. The s~ixty-two-story building to
be constructed in New York will contain
no lumber except for doors, and even those
may be composition. Any kind Of wood
imitation or marble imitation can be made
from pulp stained as desired and pressed
so hard that it can be polished the same
as marble, and this pulp composition is
more durable than wood. The pulp tires
OF the wheels NJ passenger cars show the
durability and strength of this compo-
sition. Had we not better hold to protec-
ton on lumber until we absorb all the
surplus timber, for the day is coming when
little lumber will he used for any purpose?
The people of the world are daily demand
ing something more substantial. and even
at the present time steel, cement, stone,
marble and glass are largely being used
in the construction OF buildings and for
other purposes.
Under protection, our mills can run until
we have consumed all surplus timber.
Under free trade, only a short time would
elapse before many of our mills must be
closed. If British Columbia and Canada
should send 10 this country so per cent
Of the consumption our people would lose
80 per cent of the value, and we would
not be gamers OF a single cent.
As I am a middle man" I should be
for free trade, but as l witnessed the out
come of free trade in 1884, when a large
portion. Of the mills and factories were
closed and thousands were forced out of
employment, 1 cannot make myself believe
that free trade in any item that we can
produce or manufacture should be al
lowed. As the people OF our country nave
built up the largest chain Of mills and
factories in the world they need protec-
ton to keep them in operation and to
protect both their domestic and foreign
business. The republican party has al
ways been a friend Of labor, and they
given them protection at all times,
and the small difference on account of
- A. A-.Na -
the iaborer, as they will eventually find
that they need injunction just as much as
the corporations.
The colored people should not take Of
Tense at the republican party simply be-
cause the republican president discharged
a company of colored soldiers. Had the
company been white and commanded by
the presidents son, they would nave been
discharged under the same circumstances
The democrats are in full power in the
south and the colored people cannot ride
in the street car with white people; in
most places they cannot attend theaters
where white people congregate. All the
liberty of the colored race has been given
them by the republican party and no act
of a president should keep them from be-
ing friends of the party that has given
them everything they now possess.
Both candidates for president are men
of education and morality, but the people
do not vote for individuals, they vote
for the party that dominates the indi-
vidual. The platform is given to the peo-
pie, subject to change, and It is for this
reason that the records of a party are
more substantial than the platform Of the
members of the party. My opinion is that
all our people will be best subserved by
holding up the republican party, as this
party has been a great friend of the peo-
pie for more than forty years. Yours truly,
II. n. JEWETT.
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