The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-10-01


until the last preceding Republican
tarlff law got all our tin rlate from
Wales. There was no compl Int about
the price. While that law was being
framed this man and his associates,
then men Of small means, seeing a
chance to levy toll on every household
in the country, asked the committee
to put duty of two cents a pound on
tin plate, They represented that this
would enable them to establish
new industry here, and then
sell at a less price than the
importers. OF course. the re-
quest was granted. That was what
the committee was for. And they left
pig tin on the free list, so 1t could
be had cheap. The duty was put only
on the steel in the plates, which could
be made here The industry was start
ed all right but, with the Welsh plates
ruled out and the market thus con-
trolled, much higher price has ever
since been exacted. The present law
maintains the duty, reduced only half
cent per pound, Notwithstanding
protests from all over the country.
| The parties to the scheme quickly
| gained immense wealth. The Steel
trust adopted this infant. And the
| buyer Of the necklace recently died
worth thirty million dollars.
have picked one instance out of
many. They all belong to the same
litter the offspring Of the vicious
system of lending the taxing power to
be used merely for private advantage
| The government, in this case, as In
| many others, gets but little revenue,
| because the tax Is SO nigh that only
| small part of the plate we use Is
imported. When such things are
done. though 1t be under the forms
of popular government. Will any one
"SwoIIen Fortunes"
Yet we hear men scolding about
"swollen fortunes" and predatory
wealth." who for years Lave controlled
the government, but Lave ade no
effort to reach the breeding ground
of these evils. Mr.. Taft proposes
now to go look 1t over, If elected, but
it must not be disturbed In fact,
contend that the people rule?
some of the nests should have more
lining.
The use Of the taxing power to
build up private fortunes. with the
trust monopolies which result from 1t
is the most widely harmful of the
wrongs which must be corrected. 1t
takes from every one part of his
means of support. bearing hardest on
those who are least able to respond
It subjects to suspicion, or worse than
suspicion, the trainers Of our laws. II
taints the purity Of the ballot. II
spreads discomfort throughout the
land. We can endure the inequalities
of fortune unless they are aggravated
l by law.
Difference in Platforms.
Time does not permit me to speai
in detail Of the platforms unanimous
ly reported and adopted by our con
ventions. Join with the Democracy
of the state and country in accepting
them. But call attention to strik
ing difference between the Democratic
and Republican platforms. What thu
former proposes is, in every instance
plainly designed to free the people a
large from monopoly, injustice and op
preston. The latter seeks to justif.
excuse and belittle the causes of popu
lar complaint and propose to leave
them substantially unchanged
Mr.. Bryan, we are told by his op
ponents, ia theoretical and not prac
tical. He has, indeed, done tremen
dous amount OF thinking Throughout
his career, but he has never advanced
an idea or suggested a step which
was not directed toward the good o
all. True, he has been denied th'
opportunity to try his hand at admin
istration. But now, when others hav'
, long been exploiting his ideas, the de
termination is growing throughout TIN
country to give him chance to pu
them into practice himself.
Mr.. Bryan says reduce the tarii
taxes to promote the interests of al
the people. Mr.. Taft insists on raising
some of them and keeping all higl
enough to insure profits to the favored
lew, while all others have to TAX
their chances Of loss.
Mr.. Bryan says all trusts are inde
fensible in principle and bad In prao
tice, because they are unnatural com
binations, whose purpose and effec
are to create monopolies. Mr.. TAT
, asserts that some Of them, at leas,
are praiseworthy and that the trus
, principle is a necessary development
of modern methods of industry.
Mr.. Bryan proposes a banking meas
ure to protect the people Of the en-
, tire country, restore confidence an
thereby enlarge the stream whic
turns the wheels Of commerce for tn
common benfit. Mr.. Taft appears will
Q brief ON behalf Of some Of the banks
, setting up objections which mus
! seem largely fanciful to a people al
! honest and fair as ours
Bryan's Pure Motives.
Granted that there Is room for ar
5 gument about measures as yet un
| tried. Suppose we grant. too, tina
some OF them may prove disappoint
> Ing In whole or In part. The fac
/. remains that every one proposed b.
| Mr.. Bryan Is IN the right direction
a and for the common interest of all
' and our practical people, once started
I always work out the desired result u
, the end. His opponents, on the con
trary, propose nothing. They simpl,
!, deal in generslities which do not eveI
! glitter, They stand. as they have al
| mo ,tS stood IN, clasa faVorS and sDe