Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-23
HARMON ON THE TARIFF
Former Attorney General Believes
That t Is The Great Issue.
TINE FOR DEMOCRATS TO us|Tt
Have the Same Opportunity That the
Republicans Had in 1896 and Which
They q asped With Avidity-Taria
Child of Trusts.
tBy Associated Pressl

(By Associated Press)
NASHVILLE, TENN, Jan. 22-.Jud-
son Harmon, former attorny general
| OF the United States, was The princi-
pal speaker here tonight at II Bryan
meeting. He SPOKE in part as fol-
lows:
The result of elections does not de-
pend alone on the ideas advanced by
the contending parties, but one of
| them sometimes holds advantages
over the other which help TO turn the
| scale. The Republicans have during
the last twelve years had two such
| advantages over the Democrats.
The first Is false pretensa which
| circumstances have enabled them to
| use with effect.
Just lIteen years ago the wolf was
at the door OF Republican admins
tration. The times were bad and get.
ting worse. The public funds were
rapidly disappearing. a large amount
of bonds were engraved ana on the
point Of being issued but 1t was f.
naliy managed to skimp along through
the few remaining weeks.
Then the Democrats took charge.
they found the bottom OF the treas
ury staring Mt them and this pile of
nice new bonds all ready for use.
And as the troubles Increased. and
the crops failed. and the income tax
was overthrown. the Democrats had
finally 10 father those bonds in order
to maintain the credit of the country.
Sra. shtway, with the assurance
which only Republican politicians can
carry off. they laid everything to the
democrats.
We are now free once more to 70
before the people on equal terms with
our competitors And We shall gain
or lose according rs the policies we
propose shall attract or repel the con
adence of the people.
| believe the great standard ideas
Of Democracy We're never more at
'ractive to the people than they are
today. | may not stop to repeat them
and need not. Everybody knows
them. shall speak briefly of the
only. tariff reforms.
| believe the people. ut large are
suffering more from the exactions of
the tarin than from any other single
cause. The favored interests were
permitted. as everybody knows, to
write the various clauses In the Ding.
ley law to suit themselves, and they
were not at all stingy about it, either.
Iheir contributions had won the cleo
t'on and they were enjoying their
own.
For over ten years, in spite of enor.
nous increases In the amount of ar.
uoies taxed. the Republicans have re-
FUSED to reduce the rates OF taxation.
SO the part of what the people are
made TO pay which goes into the treas.
ury has, in spite of extravaganza in
all directions. filled 1t with idle money.
Hundreds of millions which do no.
body any good but favored banks.
While the far larger part of what the
people are made to pay which goes
10 the favored interests In the form
or arbitrary advance in prices to home
consumers has rapidly bred Illicit
wealth
When Havemeyer, the head of the
Sugar Trust, had to admit under oath
that the tariff is the mother OF trusts
there was loud protest all along the
line OF beneflclaries. They fell back
on their stock argument. Look at
the Standard OIL Company. the great
est of all trusts, with oil on the free
list.
confess that point did puzzle me
a little until discovered the facts.
| The only country which could export
oil in any quantity Is Russia which
puts an enormous duty on imports of
oil. So there was slipped into the
Dingley bill clause which provides
for the same duty on oil imported
here which the country from which
1t comes imposes on American oil.
or course, we have had no oil from
Russia though petroleum and its pro-
ducts are nominally on the free liat.
Folly OF country's Stadn.
1t Is folly to rail Mt the trusts and
pursue them with fines and injunc.
lions while we carefully cherish the
law which breeds and feeds them.
The way to stop growth is TO 20
at the root of It, And what reliefl
would the people get if the trusts
were all dissolved, without revising
the tariff? The men and concerns
which compose them would 90 right
on drawing separately .Le substance
of the people ~ means of these ex.
cessive tariff charges. II would be
only change of form with the same
result.
have seen careful estimate |
showing that every family in the !
United States contributes an average
of one hundred dollars per year TO
the gains OF the beneiciaries of the
Dingley tariff, in Increased cost OF
necessities alone. This explains why
those who live on wages and salaries
find themselves no better off, notwitn.
standing repeated increases in their
pay.