The Topeka state journal., 1908-02-11

VIII prove 10 DC a oot oA n
equally beneficial with that OF the
thirteenth and fourteenth amendments
20 the unfortunate, downtrodden.
struggling race, to whom, in view OF
the circumstances under which they
were brought to this. country and the
eonoltlon or bondage in which they
were continued for more than two
centuries, we owe every obligation Of
care and protection. That which has
been done for the benefit of the ne
gro race Is the work Of the Republf-
can party. 1t is one Of those great is
sues presented by the exigencies OF
the war which the party has had the
hrmness and courage to meet. The
party has not yet been entirely sue
cessful in fully working out the prob
lem, but nearly all that has been
done has been done at its instance or
with its aid.
Question OF Money.
Another issue which the Republi-
can party found itself pursued by as
an outgrowth of the war was the
question of money, and on that the
party showed a marked capacity for
reaching a unanimous and sound con-
clusion after much controversy with
in its ranks. In order to maintain
the government during the dark days
of the war. we departed from the gold
and silver monetary medium and is
sued currency, paper promises of
the government to pay. The students
OF finance today are disposed generally
was not necessary to sustain the gov
ernment, and that it might have been
possible to conduct the enormous
operations of the war and still retain
gold and silver coin. However, this
may be. We found ourselves at the
end OF the war with a great volume Of
greenback currency and no means of
redeeming it. For time many mem
bers of the Republican party seemed
to think that the wise course to pursue
was to reduce the evil by increasing
our frredeemable obligations. They
imbibed the theory of fiat currency,
that the government might create
money and pay all it's debts by mere
ly printing promises to pay. Gradual
ly the greenback hersey was elinni-
mated. The Republican party took off
its diseased members and took the
firm. solid and righteous position that
1t would redeem every dollar of its
bonds and of its other Indebtedness
in coin Of the United States. On the
first of January, 1876. specific pay
ments were resumed. and the paper of
the government became as good as
gold.
In the decade between 1880 and
1890, the greater production of silver
had cheapened the metal in compari-
son with gold, and quick remedies for
financial troubles, in the form Of the
greater use Of silver money, seized a
large part of the electorate, both Re-
publcans and Democrats. The sill
yer question was fought out for twelve
or fifteen years, and in that time many
OF the Republican leaders supported
doctrines which now would seem
AereStcal. Gradually, however, the
lines were formed. The Democracy
under Mr.. Bryan advanced the theory
that the free coinage Of silver, which
was in effect reputation Of half of
every deft. was the solution of all our
difficulties, while the Republican
party, gradually and reluctantly, took
it's position in favor OF the single gold
standard and against any deprecia-
ton Of it to make easier payments of
debts. In the great battle of 1896
the maintenance Of the integrity of
the nation. The fight was against
o dds produced byAa great industrial
depression, and . against the most
sophisticaI arguments. The Republi-
can party maintained a campaign of
education among the wage earners
and the farmers which ultimately led
to the complete defect of this sec
ond financial heresy which had
threatened the Integrity of our busi-
ness structure.
Protective Policy.
One of the great policies to which the
Republican party has been pledged
from the beginning has been the pro-
tective system, by which industries
have been diversified and domestic
manufactures and farm productions
have been enormously developed. The
method consists in the imposition of
customs duties upon imported products
equal to the difference in the cost Of
producing the articles in foreign coun-
tries and in this country, allowing for
a reasonable profit to the home pro-
ducer. Our whole business structure
rests on the system, and the wage-earn-
ers dependent on 1t are myriad The
system has continued without a break
from the time of the Morrill, tariff in
1861 until the present day except that
during the second administration of
Mr.. Cleveland an attempt was made to
pass revenue tariff, which failed, but
resulted in the passage Of a tariff
which illustrated no theory Of taxation
at all and only brought disaster.
There was put in force by the Repub-
hcans a new tariff in 1890, called the
Mckinley tariff, which was repealed by
the German Wilson tariff in 1898, which
in turn was repealed by the Dingley
tariff Of 1897. In the ten years which
has elapsed since the enactment Of the
Ongley tariff, the conditions have SO
changed as to make a number Of the
schedules under that tariff too high and
some too low. This renders it neces-
sary to re-examine the schedules in or
der that the tariff shall be placed on q
purely protective basis. By that mean.
1t should properly protect. against for
eign competition, and afford q reason
able profit to all manufacturers. farm
ers and business men, but should not
be so high as to furnish temptation
to the formation Of monopolies to ap-
preciate the undue profit OF excessive
rates. .ri
In 1898 came the war with
spain. While both parties lent
their aid in congress and there was
an outburst of patriotism in all sec
tions, the war. for which we were so
little prepared, had to be conducted
by the Republican party. Whatever
efficiency was displayed in Its main
tenance was due to that party, and
the ability with which 1t could meet
a new issue.