The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-04-17
REPUBL|CAN|SM DENOUNCED.
HARMON AND MARSHALL Ey.
POSE PRETENDED TARIFF
REVISION.
Democratic Governors, Speaking In
New York Assail Majority's Course
With Regard to Protection.


the tariff legislation now pending in
congress as a pretense and q sham
formed the keynote Of the addresses
at the annual dinner of the National
Democratic club tonight. in celebra-
ton OF the 166th anniversary of the
birth OF Thomas Jefferson.
A portrait Of Jefferson hung over
with American flags dominated the
guests table at which Cows. Harmon
OF Ohio and Marshall of Idiana. SEN
ator Chamberlain. State Senator
Grady. John Fox, the clubs president;
Richard Croker. Alton B. Parker,
Chas. F. Murphy. leader of Tammany
Hall. and Former State Supreme
Court Justices Morgan ]. O'Brien and
d. Cady Herrick sat.
Elsewhere at six longitudinal tables
sat 400 Of the elect Of the Democratic
party
introduced by John Fox. president
OF the National Democratic Glib, as
one OF the most potent infiences for
good In the Buckeye State" Gov. Har-
mon aroused the enthusiasm of his
hearers by declaring that every citi-
zen OF the nation was entitled to 100
cents of government for every dollar
paid by him In taxation.
Growing enrichment of special priv
ilege at Washington. especially as en-
bodied In tariff legislation. was the
keynote Of the address Of Gov. Judson
Harmon Of Ohio. Asserting that the
reductions in the pending tariff would
be but a mockery Of the demand for
relief Gov. Harmon declared that the
relief never would be secured except
under legislature and executive fol-
lowing Jeffersonian rules and treating
taxation as means OF public revenue
ana not OF private gain.
The steady tendency since the Civil
war has been to exalt the federal gov-
enrment at the expense Of the State,
said the speaker, one result being the
neglect OF economics and the embark
alton Of the government into extrava-
CANT enterprises. He instanced the
action of the last congress in appro-
priating $4,000, ,0OO.O 900 and the raising
of salaries Of officials in the face of
growing shortage of revenues, and
continued:
"Now instead Of seeking methods
OF retrenchment to meet a present
confessed deficit Of more than $780,
100000. the president and congress
are devising additional taxes to exact
from the diminished means of the
people and proposing to issue bonds
besides. State officials who would
propose such a course would not dare
to go home to their constituents and
would be forever disgraced If they
should take it.
After IL years Of false pretenses,
at last confessed. have bred and fat
tened countless monopolies and trusts,
IT Is proposed not to shake off their
grip. but Just to loosen 1t trife here
and there so the people may not be
utterly devoured."
or the way the party lines have ben
obliterated in the fight in congress
over the tariff, Judge Harmon said:
1T Is hardly fair for Republicans,
at least, to charge with inconsistency
Democratic congressman who take a
hand in this selfish scramble. In the
last campaign the Republican candi-
date for president openly offered a
share Of tariff spoil for Democratic
votes. When special favors are the
order Of the day it is natural for a
representative to think he ought to
secure share forsnterests at home.
TO do otherwise requires high courage
and we are proud of the many who
show 1t In face Of the generalization
which legislation for private instead
oi pubic interest always produces.
Judge Harmon attacked the policy
of spending hundreds OF millions of
dollars for a canal at Panama on
the part of what, he said, was a coun-
try practically without ships, taxed
against the possibility OF building any.
and with the only proposed means of
encouraging shipping the payment Of
direct subsidies to a fovored few out
of money raised by taxes on all the
people. The speaker added:
And why tax the people to build
costly canal and secure ships for
foreign commerce. while a tariff sys-
tenn Is maintained whose purpose and
effect are to discourage or kill foreign
commerce. except such as consists in