The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-06-26
TARIFF AND TRUSTS
ISSUES OF GREAT MOMENT TO
THE VOTERS.
Democratic Party Stands squareIy for
the Granting Of Relief 10 the
Plundered PeopIe-Repub.
iicans Plan Evasion

II e impossible to say now what
Will be the paramount issue in the
! neg, campaign. 1t is, however, quite
! probable that the Republicans will try
| ana make some issue important on
| purpose TO prevent the voters from
thinking and voting on at least two is.
/ sues that give them much trouble 10
! OmlGt-namcly, the trusts and the
| ta'lG. AS far as the Democrats are
| concerned. there can be no evasion OF
| Il csc two issues, which are really one
iSSho Tor they have TO be considered
| tCG''hcr The tariff which protects
the trusts and allows them 10 plumber
the eople is a question of dollars and
cents and eXpediency. The Rcpub
Leans having been forced TO give up
their claim that the trusts do not
sell cheaper abroad than here, are
Therefore now forced to admit that the
time will arrive after the next cleo
tiOn-that is when the congress that
will be elected in the fall of 1909
comes into power-whcn tariff revi
sion must be considered The Taft
Roosevelt faction of the Republican
party are telling the voters that the
Republican platform will declare fol
tariff revision. The organ OF the pro
tectiye tarifr league dcridcs this pro
posed tariff reform declaration and
calls the opposing faction free traders
AS Republican platform promises were
as We were assured by that high Re.
publican authority, the late Senator
Hanna, made 10 be broken. II is i'm
possible TO have much faith In future
promises, II 1t suits the party leaders
to ignore them. Voters. therefore
who feel the pinch Of high trust prices
and the enormous increase in the
cost Of living will be chary of elect.
ing a Republican to represent them In
congress, or Republican president.
who although pledged by the platform
to favor tariff revision, at the same
time declares he stands for the doc.
trine of protection All the declara.
tons Of former Republican platforms
declare for protection as funda.
mental doctrine of the party, and even
those Republican congressman and
others who now say they favor reyis
Ing the tariff always qualify such re.
marks by declaring at the same time |
they believe in protection.
Now, the fact is that protecting the |
trusts much or little, is only matter |
of measure. As high protection plum. |
ders the consumers Of great deal OF |
their incomes. It follows that to re. |
duce the tariff will still plumber them !
to the extent OF the rates provided In !
the law. If we had tariff for rev. |
enue only as England has. the trusts |
and combines could not exist and pay |
Interest on watered stocks. They |
would be forced to reduce the price OF |
their products to meet competition |
from abroad and their profits would |
be so decreased that they would only
be able TO pay reasonable dividends on |
the actual money invested
The Republican talk of free trade is
only to try to brighten fools, and sen.
sible men laugh at such vaporlnEs.
Under our present system OF taxation
we shall be compelled to pay tariff
taxes, as England does, for the pur.
pose of raising revenue to support the
government
The tariff question to be decided ia
how much the present rates shall be
reduced and how much tariff taxes
can be produced by proposed reduced
schedules, and whether the tariff that
shelters trusts, which sell cheaper
abroad than here, shall be entirely
abolished or reduced TO revenue
basis? The voters cannot decide upon
all details. II they want real tariff
reform. they must vote for Democratic
II they want TO stand.
pat they must elect Republicans.