Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1908-03-11

IL equality Of opportunity. JEFFERSON
VINO was the greatest advocate democ,
Tracy ever had and who was the
founder OF the Democratic party. was
the man who secured the abolition Of
1.-THE old laws Of enEkn aud prImogeni-
ture lp vifsinia Re also secured the
abolition OF religious establishment
In that State, and caused the adoption
OF the FIRST ten amendments to the
cOhstitutionsof the United States. He
hated special privileges, and fought
always for equal rights.
Among present statesmen, the one
man who approaches nearest to Jefief-
son is william L. Douglas, late Gov.
ernor OF Massachusetts. Jefferson
was a member of the great middle
class Of society;3so is Governor Doug
las. For years he has stood for cheap
or raw materials for the manufactur-
Ing Industries, for higher wages and
for reduction IN the cost Of living
for workingmen; and to that end has
advocated lower tariff duties as a
means Of protecting the multitude
against the exactions Of trusts, gener-
ated and protected by laws passed by
the Republican leaders.
Now, Governor Douglas is a manu-
facturer Of shoes, his factories being
the largest Of, the kind in the United
states--a fact which has compelled
him 10 investigate the yearly increas-
ing cost OF raw and partly manufac-
tured materials, and the cause Of the
increase In prices.
In one Of his speeches delivered
when he was running for Governor he
gave 10 the people the evidence he
had discovered Of the way the tariff
protects the trusts thus:
"The most successful, powerful and
injurious trusts are those that, having
10 tariff monopoly In our home market.
have secured possession Of the sources
Of production OF raw materials and
supplies, such as iron, steel, coal, oil.
sugar beet. lumber. lead, leather, salt.
borax, etc. Iiy restricting the output
and controlling the prices Of these
raw products. those trusts are able to
hold both manufacturers and con-
sumers ut their mercy.
ufNa voE,,l aakinnataa ~ tha tarlR
profits Of one OF these trusts, the Uni
ted States steel corporation, indicate
that they amount TO S162,0O0,0O0 for
the years 1902 and 1SO3--the total net
profits being $4,000, 900. These esti-
mates were based on the difference be-
tween the export and home prices OF
steel products and goods. the differ
ences being multiplied by the quantity
OF each kind Of products sold, as
given IN the annual report Of this com.
pany for the year ending December 81.
1903. This Sl62, 100000 is clear tarlfi
profit That is. had there been no
duties "a these steel products, and
had they been sold here a. the same
prices for which they were sold
abroad. they would have cost our,
consumers Sl62,OOO,OO0 less than they
did, AZ nearly all OF these are un.
iinlshed products. It 10 evident that
American manufacturer, TO whom
steel n a raw material have to PED
nearly 3sO,OO0,OO0 q year more for
these materials than IL paid by their
foreign competitors, even though both
buy steel OF our steel trust, This,
In itself, IL q great handicap upon
our manufacturers, especially when
attempting to sell goods In foreign
markets. II is this discrimination IN
favor Of foreign manufacturers. max.
ing Il much cheaper TO produce out.
side OF than inside Of our tariff wall,
that 10 mainly responsible for the
exodus OF America capital into for.
eign countries Sources OF branch
mills and factories. operated by AmeFt
cans, have, during the past few
years, been located abroad In order to
escape from the protection that means
dearer raw materials and higher cost
OF production. Had there been no
unnecessary duties on raw materials,
the great amount OF business trans.
acted In those American owned fore.
Ian mills would now be done In this
country. to the great advantage Of
our own workingmen."
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