Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-03-19
THE RAILROAD AND THE
TARIFF,

TARIFF.
Equal rights for all, and special
privileges for none" is certainly the
paramount political issue of 1908. 1t
is to this point that all discussion
tends. 1t is seldom, however, that
the real salient features Of the case
are presented with sacb clearness and
force as they are in the following
plain matter of fact article from the
Milwaukee Journal:
1.-THE war on Special Privilege Is
right and must go on TO the END
Practically all of the people are agreed
upon that.
but why is it that this war, as II
has been conducted TO date, is almost
solely against the railroads? Appar-
emily the railroads have been made the
gcapegoats for all the special privilege
interests. Why is it?
"The worst offenders against a
square deal in business and Industry
are not the railroads. AS matter OF
fact the railroads have been the vic
tins of greedy special interests, pro-
tected by the government, and OF pow
erful rebate seeking corporations.
The worst offenders are the men and
corporations that have been piling up
their millions by the aid of the protec-
tive tariff. To these corporations the
railroads have been compelled TO pay
tribute just as has been the case with
the Individual citizen. Think for a
moment of the enormous tax which
the steel trust has been aole to levy
upon the railroads, because of its
"protection" by the tariff. And at
the same time recall the vast sums for
which the railroads have been held up
by rebate seekers like the Standard
Oil Co. The roads have caught it
coming and going. Yet for long
time the fire of those fighting Special
Privilege has been conferred upon the
railroads. Why is this true?
perhaps the great mystery is the
attitude of the roads toward the trusts
and corporations that have pilfered
their treasures. That in the past the
roads have been the allies of the tariff
projected trusts cannot be denied
Neither can it be disputed that the
roads have helped shield the rebate
seekers. Where did the roads come
in for profit, pressed as they were
from both sides by these selfish and
powerful interests?
"Of one thing The Journal feels GER
tain. The war upon the railroads is
not due to a fanatical prejudice of the
masses of the people against the rail
roads The people have not wished
to single out the roads for special at
tack. However, railway combinations
and manipulatiOns such as Hartman
has promoted have done much to stir
up Indignation against the roads and
to encourage the adoption of drastic
railway legislation. What the people
the special privilege regime. 1t is for
this reason that there is now such an
overwhelming demand for revision
of the tariff. We believe that the
men who have been leading in the war
upon The railroads have not given ex-
preston to the full thought and de-
sires of the public. They cannot do
this as long as they ignore the ques-
ton of tariff reform.
president Roosevelt has been un-
wavering in his demand for railway
regulation and for the abolition of
railway abuses: In this he is sup
ported by the mass of the people, but
why does he not attempt to carry out
that other insistent demand of the
people and attempt to reform the tar
if? Either he fails sadly to under
stand the temper of the American peo-
pie, or he Intentionally refrains from
doing what the people want him to do
and insist shall be done at the earliest
possible moment.
sit is plain to any one who thinks
about it for moment that dispOsing
of the railway question will not dis
pose of the special privilege question.
The center of the special privilege
power is the tariff. Unless the evils
of the tariff are abolished and the
government Is divorced from the bus
mess of promoting private gain for a
few favorites at the expense of the
many, Special Privilege will be as
powerful as ever. There will be no
real relief from exorbitant prices and
industrial oppression.
THE railroads have great influence
in the affairs of the country. Is il
not time for them to use this influence
to help overthrow the special priv,
lege interests that wax fat through the
operation of our protective tariff? II
is not hard to believe that the tariff
pets, fearing attack upon themselves
have helped in the attack upon the
railroads. They ha' hoped to es,
cape for while longer by trying tC
concentrate attention upon the rail.
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