Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-09-04
TARIFF
SPEECH

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In my notification speech stat
cd that, as the campaign progress.
ed, l would discuss the question,
"Shall The People Rule" as it applies
to the various issues involved in this
campaign. / begin with the tariff
question, because it is the most last
Ing of our economic questions and
the one upon which the leading par
ties have most frequently opposed
each other. Other questions may CONT
and 90 but questions which affect
taxation, like Tennyson's Brook "go
On forever" AS the Government is
not Lady Bountiful, with unlimit-
ed means, but merely an organization
. which must collect on the one hand
what 1t pays out on the other, the
subject Of taxation is an ever pres.
ent one.We may discuss how much
We should collect, what methods we
should employ in collecting, and how
best to distribute, through appropri-
atoms, the money collected, but we
are never far removed from the SUBJ
jsct of taxation. Iowa has ben Sc
lected for the presentation of what
desire to say upon this subject,
because the Iowa Republicans were
pioneers in the effort to secure tariff
revision at the hands Of the Repub-
hcan party. 1 come among them to
define and defend the Democratic po-
sition on the tariff question, be-
cause l believe 1t will commend it.
self to them. That the issue may
be clearly stated, I shall read you the
Democratic plank on this subject
and then the Republican plank;
The Democratic platform says
"We welcome the belated prom
ise of tariff reform now offreed by
the Republican party as tardy rec
ssnitiehs oi the Righteousness Of the
Democratic position on this question;
but the people cannot safely entrust
. the execution of this important work
to a party which is so deeply obll-
gated to the highly protected inter-
ests as Is the Republican party. We
call attention to the significant fact
that the promised relief was post
poned until after the coming elec-
ton, an election to succeed in which
the Republican party must have the
same support from the beneficlaries
of the high protective tariff as it
has always heretofore received from
them; and to the further fact that
during years of uninterrupted pow
er no action whatever has been TAX
en- BY the Republican congress to COR
rect the admittedly existing tariff in
iquities.
"We favor immediate revision of
the tarif by the reduction of import
i, duties. Articles entering into com
petition with trust-controlled products
should be placed on the free list; ma
terial reductions should be made in
the tarif upon the necessities oi
life, especially upon articles compel
ing with such American manufactures
as are sold abroad more cheaply than
at home, and gradual reduction should
be madein such other schedules as
may be necessary to restore the tarif.
to a revenue basis.
existing duties have given the
manufacturers of paper ashelter be
hind which they have organized com
binations to raise the price OF pull
and paper, thus imposing a tax upor
the spread Of knowledge.
"We demand the immediate repea
) Of the tariff on wood pulp. print pa
per, lumber, timber and logs, ant
that these articles be placed upol
the free list
The Republican platform says
sThe Republican party declares
unequivocally for a revision Of tn
tariff b. a special sessionof congress
Immediately following the inaugura
ton of the ne1t president and com
mends the steps already taken u
this end in the work assigned II
the appropriate committees Of con
gress which are now investigating tn
operation and effect Of existing schec
ules. In all tarif legislation the tru
principle Of protection Is best man
tained by the imposition Of such d.
ties as win equal the difference bs
tween the cost Of production at hom
and abroad together with q reason
able profit to American industries.
@We favor the establishment Q
maximum and minimum rates to b
administered by the president unde
limitations fixed in the law, tn
:. maximum to be available to meet di'
examinations by foreign eountrie
against American goods entering the
markets and the minimum to repr'