Monroe City Democrat., 1908-07-16

in America, I do not ADMIT that the
growth would not have been substanti-
ally as great, as it would certainly have
been far more healthful, if it had been
economic principles. The advocates of
the existing system give undue
egedit the 10 ne 1ae prevailing policy
fully, not because of an excessive tariff,
Superinducing unnatural trade cOndi-
tiOns, but in spite of it The evil incl
dent to the concentration of industrial
enterprise and of the nations wealth in
a few hands, and the corresponding and
resultant evil of industrial monopoly
brought about through the crushing out
of competition and the enforced surren-
der to the trusts of weaker rivals, are
things easily traceable to our tariff
laws. These laws ought to be radically
revised in the interest of common
justice, common honesty and a square
deal. The revision of course should be
made wisely, carefully and conservative
ly so as to do justice alike to manufact-
urers, wage-earners and consumers. The
rights Cf all should be conserved as tar
as possible, but laws which operate as
a shield to monopoly must be wiped
from the statute books.
Again l ask, when can the country
reasonably expect a reasonable revision
under republican auspices? In tact, can
it ever be expected? For twelve years
that party has been in undisputed power,
from every QuHrter for revision; and
from no quarter have these demands
come in greater volume or with more
vigorous inSiStenCe than from republican
sources in the great agricultural states
of the west. But year after year, ana
Congress after Congress, these demands
have been ignored. Men like Cannon,
Payne, DalZell and other leaders OF the
House, and men like Aldrich, Gallinger,
Lodge and other leaders of the Senate,
have turned a deaf ear to all appeals
There have been republican representa-
tives in both houses from the middle
states, who, knowing the sentiment OF
their constituencies, have urged a revis-
ion upon their party colleagues, out TO
no avail. Not long ago., the GLOBE
Democrat, one of Speaker CannonS most
admiring friends, whose Washington cor
respondent had interviewed the Speaker
on the subject, declared that:
The speaker gives no encourage
ment to tariff revision agltatlon.
Neither does he assent to susgSs-
tion put forward recently that the
next Congress commit itself to future
revision by resolution.
That is a fair statement of Mr.. Can
mons .well-knoWn attitude If the next
house should be republican, Cannon Will
be the Speaker again. He would agaln
name the committees, organize the house
and conduct its business by the same
arbitrary methods which have dlstln-
guished him in the past. Congressman
Dalzell of Pittsburg, one of the ablest
members of the House, and Mr. cannon 5
chief lieutenant, recently declared IN
substance against tariff agitation as the
height of folly, and proceeded to say
that if a revision should be had at all
the work would be done by those who
believed in protective policies and along
protective lines, and added that the re-
vision would more likely be upward than
downward. 1 could quote perhaps a
hundred similar expressions from almost
as many men potent in republican coun-
ellis. With such influences dominant in
the House, and like influences dominant
in the Senate, what sort of gray matter
has a tariff revisionist in his head VINO
votes the republican ticket in the hope
that these men have in some mysterious
way become inoculated with the spirit
of reform? Of course, I am conscious
that even with a democratic president
and house of representatives, any tarlh
act possible of passage would, because
of the republican senate, be in the nature
of a compromise. But one thing is sure,
if the presidency and the House should
be given to the Democrats, tarlH DILL
drawn with the greatest possible care
and framed on just lines, would be sent
to the Senate, and public sentiment
would compel some measure of pubic
relief. The only hone of an honest
tariff revision is through the Democratic
party.