Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-08-22

ing the attitude of the two domi-
nant parties on the tariff question,
William j. Bryan, the Democratic can
didate for the presidency at the base
ball park in this city tonight, before
vast audience, fired the first gun of the
campaign.
He attacked the Republican tariff
revision and asked If the Democratic
party was not justified when it in
cluded in it's platform the declaration
that "the people cannot safely entrust
the execution of this important work
to a party which is so deeply obligated
to the highly protected interests as the
Republican party"
1.-THE whole aim of our party" he
said, in summarizing, SIS to secure
justice in taxation.
While Mr.. Bryan was speaking at
the ball park this evening the tenn
porary platform, on which were seated
several hundreN- people. collapsed.
Nobody was hurt and there was no
panic, but Mr. Bryan was interrupted
for five minutes while arrangements
were made for him to continue speak
ing from the grand stand, where he
finished his address.
Upon the conclusion of his tarifr
speech he addressed vast overflow
crowd in the auditorium and enpha-
sized his Views regarding the election
of senators by the vote of the people.
Mr.. Bryan made an unexpected call
today on Governor Cummins and was
cordially received.
During the day Mr.. Bryan announced
that on Wednesday next on his way
from Indianapolis to Topeka, he would
stop several hours at Salem, Ill, his
birthplace, and deliver a speech from
the porch steps.
Mr.. Bryan left at 1850 p. m. for
Chicago, where he will remain three
days and hold frequent conferences
with his campaign managers.
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men: In my notification speech stated
that, as the campaign progressed,
would discuss the question, Shall the
People Rule?" as it applies to the vari-
Gus issues involved in this campaign.
/ begin with the tariff question, because
IL is the most lasting of our economic
questions and the one upon which the
leading parties have most frequently
opposed each other. Other questions
may come and go, but questions which
affect taxation, like Tennyson's
Brook" "go on forever" AS the gov
ernment is not Lady Bountiful, with
unlimited means, but merely an organ
ization which must collect on the one
hand what 1t pays OUT on the other.
the subject of taxation is an ever
present one. We may discuss how we
should collect. what methods we should
employ in collecting, and how best to
distribute. through appropriations, the
money collected, but we are never far
removed from the subject of taxation
Iowa has been selected for the presen-
tation 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 Re-
publican party. l come among them to
define and defend the Democratic posi-
tion on the tariff question, because l be-
lieve it will commend itself to them
That the issue may be clearly stated,
shall read you the Democratic plank on
this subject, and then the Republican
plank.
The Democratic platform says:
Quotes from Platform
1--WE welcome the belated promise of
tariff reform now offered by the Repub-
lican party as tardy recognition OF
the righteousness of the Democratic
position on this question; but the peo-
pie cannot safely entrust the execution
of this important work to a party which
is so deeply obligated to the highly pro-
tected interests as is the Republican
party. We call attention to the signifi-
cant fact that the promised relief was
postponed until after the coming cleo
tion-an election to succeed in which
the Republican party must have the
same support from the DeneHclarleS OIL
the high protective tariff as it has al
ways heretofore received from them; \
and to the further fact that during
years of uninterrupted power, no action
whatever has been taken by the Repub-
lican congress to correct the admitted
ly existing tariff inequalities.
1--WE favor immediate revision of the
tariff by the reduction of import du-
ties. Articles entering into competition
with trust controlled products should
be placed upon the free list; material
reductions should be made in the tariff
upon the necessities of life, especially
upon articles competing with such
American manufactures as are sold
abroad more cheaply than at home: and
gradual reductions should be made in
such other schedules as may be neces-
sary to restore the tariff to a revenue
basis.
Existing duties have given the man
ufacturers of paper a shelter behind
which they have organized combina-
tions to raise the price of pulp and
paper, thus imposing a tax upon the
spread of knowledge.
1--WE demand the Immediate repeal of
the tariff on wood pulp. print paper, |
lumber. timber and logs, and that these
articles be put upon the free list"
The Republican platform declares:
"The Republican party declares un'-
for a revision of the tariff |
bv a special session of congress imme-