Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-09-03

I
Be Lowered So Long as Those Who
Profit Furnish the Republican Party
With the Sinews of War--A Revenue
Tariff VIII Not Reduce Wages or
dates Mastery Address at Des
Moines, la.
Mr. Chairman. Ladies and Gentle
men-In my notification speech stated
that as the campaign progressed l
would discuss the question, shall the
People Ruler as it applies to the va
rious issues involved in this campaign.
begin with the tariff question because
it is the most lasting of our economic
questions and the one upon which the
leading parties have most frequently
opposed each other
1t will be noticed that the Republican
party has abandoned the earlier argu-
ments advanced in support of high
tariff We hear no more of the infant
industries" that must be tenderly cared
for until they can stand Upon their
feet" there is no suggestion tIIat the
foreigner pay the tariff and nothing
about the home market" These catch
phrases have had their day. They are
worn out and cast aside. The Repub-
lican leaders are no longer arrogant
and insolent; they cannot longer defy
tariff reform. Their plan now is TO
seem to yield without really yielding
/ submit that the Democratic plat
form accurately described the Repub-
lican position when ii refers to THE
belated promise made by the Repub-
lican leaders as "a tardy recognition of
the righteousness of the Democratic
position on this question. . The Demo
cratic party in its platforms ana
through its representatives in congress
has for years pointed out that the tar-
if schedules are excessively high and
ought to be reduced but the Republic
ans have until recently refused to adj
nit that there was any necessity for
reduction. They now confess through
their platform and through their presi-.
Dental candidate that tile need for re-
vision is SO great as 10 Justify the par
ty in declaring ''unequiyocally for a
revision of the tariff : and the need is
SO urgent thar the work is to be under
taken at "a special session of congress
Immediately following the Inaugural
ton of the next president"
High Tariff Corrupts Politics.
Are We not justified in saying that
"the people cannot safely inhust the
execution of this important work to a
party which is so deeply obligated to-
the highly protected interests as is the
Republican partyT The fiat frying
process has become familiar to the
American people. Pressure has been
brought to bear upon the protected in
terests every four years. and to a less
extent in the congressional campaigns
between presidential elections. to COM
pei contributions to the campaign fund
in return for former favors and in an
ticipation of fayors vet to come. 1t is
difficult to oyerestimate the corrupting
influences introduced into the political
life of the nation by this partnership
between the government and the IA
vored industries The literature circu
lated in support of protective tariff
has studioGsly cultivated the idea that
suffrage should be employed to secure
pecuniary returns, and the appeal
made by the Republican leaders has
come to be more and more a selfish
one.
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 in
fiuence of the tax eaters in favor of a
continuation of high tariff legislation
Ii tariff of 30 per cent was imposed
upon given article OF merchandise it
was assumed that those engaged in the
production of tile article would con
tribute literally to keep up the tariff
1t was also assumed that the employ
ees would vote with their employers to
keep from having their wages reduced,
and it was expected that the business
men of the town would also vote for
the tariff because of the business
brought to the community by the pro-
tected industry Those who are ac-
auainted with the tariff fight know to
what an extent the pecuniary argu-
ment has been used. The recent Re
publican platform is a bugle call to
avery beneficiary of special privilege to
enlist again under the Republican BAN
ner, and when the election is over and
the Republican committee publishes
the list of contributors late to
make the information valuable it will
be found that the Republican party has
again SO obligated itself to the protect
ed interests as TO be unable to make
revision in the interests Of the con-
sumers.
Republicans Refused to Act.
With president who toward the
close of his term admitted the neces-
sity for tariff revision. with a two-