Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-08-22
GREAT OVATION
GREETS BRYAN'S
FIRST ADDRESS
NOTED MEBRASKAN RENDERED
INCOMPATIBLE WELCOME
DIES MONIES RECEPTION GRAND
EST IN STATES HISTORY
Democratic Leader Makes Eloquent
Speech to Vast AssembIa9e,
LucidIy Expounding the
Tariff Question

Continued from Page oneI
into the political life of the nation by
this partnership between the govern"
ment and the favored industries The
literature circulated in support OF
protective tariff has studiously cultl-
waited the idea that suffrage should be
employed to secure pecuniary returns
and the appeal made by the Repubn-
can leaders has come to be more and
more a selfish one. Every man engaged
In a protected industry has been APP
proached with the proposition that II Is
dollars In his pocket to maintain the
system, while those who could not
possibly trace any tangible dement's 70
themselves have been beguiled WIN
the assurance that 1t was all matter
of public spirit and that they ought 10
s1nport the system out of patriotic
love of country. If attention was calleo
to the fact that the farmer was taxed
for the benefit of the manufacturer
the triple answer was that it would
come back to him indirectly; that 1t dld
not amount to much for each farmer
anyhow; and that a man was small
minded who would begrudge SO insig-
nificant a contribution to the nations
prosperity. The plan has been to keep
the tax payers quiet by keeping them
in the dark as to the operation of the
law. and then to concentrate the votes
and influence of the tax-eaters in 1aVor
of a continuation of high tariff legisla-
ton. If a tariff of so per cent was I'M
posed upon a given article or merchan-
disc, it was assumed that those en-
gagged in the production of the article
would contribute literally to keep up
the tariff 1t was also assumed that
the employees would vote with their
employers to keep from having their
wages reduced, and 1t was expected
that the business men of the town
would also vote for the tariff because
of the business brought to the COM
munity by the protected industry.
Those who are acquainted with the
tariff fight know to what extent the
pecuniary argument has been used
The recent Republican platform is
bug1e call to every beneficiary OF spe-
cial privilege, to enlist again under
the Republican banner and when the
election is over and the republican
committee publishes the list of con-
tributors-too late to make the infor-
nation valuable-it will be found that
the Republican party has again so
obligated itself to the protected inter-
ests as to be unable to make a revision
in the interests of the consumers.
With a president who, toward the
close of his term, admitted the neces-
sitv for tariff revision, with a two
thirds majority in the senate and
nearly sixty majority in the house, the
Republican party has refused to per-
init any revision whatever. Mr.. VIII
liams, the leader of the minority in the
house, introduced bill providing for a
reduction of the tariff to 100 per cent,
wherever it is now more than 100 per
cent. 1t would look like the Republican
ov4x iol1f have taken this StRD to-
ward tariff revision, had it been deeply
in earnest; but no, the bill was not
even reported from the committee
Whenever attention was called to ar
indefensible schedule, the answer was
that they could not afford to open tht
subject for debate just before cam
paign, but there is no force in this OBJ
lection because the house rules are SC
framed that the majority can cut on
debate, prevent amendment and silencs
opposition.
Claims Credit for Fine
The administration has claimed credit
for the fine against the Standard Oh
company in the case which was lately
reversed but no effort has been mad'
to relieve the people from the tint
which is imposed upon them every day
by the Standard Oil company through
the operation of the tariff law which
cent protection against it's chief rival
Russia. What faith can real tariff
reformer, whether he be Republican
or a Democrat, repose in the Republi
can leaders, when they deliberately pu
off all reduction until after election
and then call for contributions, witt
the understanding that the pubic shal
not know the names of the contributor
until after the polls are closedY
The Republican platform says tina
the tariff is intended for the Ameri
can manufacturers, farmers and pro
dueers, and especially for the wag
earners. If the farmer and the wag
Garner are really the chief beneficiarie
of the protective system, will the Re
publican candidate explain why tn
farmer and the wage Garner have con
tributed so little to the Republican
campaign fund? Is he willing to pub
Iish a list of contributors on the l5tl
day of next October and allow tn
relative advantage of protection TO Tn
manufacturer, the farmer and the wag
Garner to be measured by the con
tributions received from each class
Why is ii that the manufacturers ar
expected to furnish so large proper
ton of the money to run the campaign
IL. as the Republicans claim, the farm
ers and the laborers enjoy so large |
proportion in the benefits of the sys
tenn? Is it not significant fact tina
the farmers and wage earners who ar
always put in the foreground when tn
blessings of high tariff are being emu
merated are in the background whei
the collections are being made? Is l
nat significant also that the wage earn
ers, instead of the manufacturers, arr
always described as the most direc
beneficiaries of the protective system?'
But let us suppose, for the sake o
argument, that the Republican part,
sincerely repents of its delay in begin
ming tariff reform. repudiates it's obi
cations to the contributing manufac
turers and honestly begins revision.
What rule is to govern the revision
The Republican platform says:
an all tariff legislation the tru'
principle of protection is best main
tanned by the imposition of such dutie
as win equal the difference between TIL
cost Of production at home and abroad
together with a reasonable profit t
American industries"
Mr.. Taft indorses this rule and say
that "in a number of schedules tn
tariff now exceeds this difference, an,
that the excess offers a temptation 4
those who would monopolize the pro
duction and sale Of such articles Il
this country" He adds, however, tina
"there are some few articles on whicl
the tariff Is not sufficiently high +