Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1909-05-20
HOLDS TO OLD IDEA
HENRY WATTERSoN WOULD DO
AWAY WITH PROTECTION.
But the Trouble Is the Democratic
Party Cannot Be Brought to See
the AdvisabiIity of Such
Move.

Mr.. Watterson has closed his win
ter residence in Florida and returned
to the banks of the Beargrass. The
buds are opening in Kentucky, and the
land will soon be very fair to see. But
Mr.. Watterson is familiar with it, and
is less occupied with the beauties of
the unfolding paradise than with the
tariff debate here in Washington
What are the boys in congress saying?
What are they doing? What are the
chances through Republican misrule
Of a return of the Democracy to
power?
Replying to the Stars citation to
him of Mr.. Underwood's declaration
that the rank and file of the Demo
cratic party are opposed to free trade,
and that only here and there may be
found Democrat who favors that
policy, Mr.. Watterson says:
I'VE have not Mr.. Underwood's re-
marks before us. He comes from the
iron-belt of the south and we take it
was pleading for the coal and ore
duties, along with as much protection
for pig as he could get. Thus far he
does not differ from the representa-
tives of the home interests in general
verifying Gen. Hancock's much de-
rided description of the tariff as "a
local question
THE argument is simple enough,
nor is 1t unworthy of honest revenue
reformers. If there is to be protec
tive tariff there is no reason why it
should not be shareand-shar alike
among all who demand special legis.
lation of the government.
Well, this excuses all those Demo
Gratis in the house who have been
working and voting to share in the
Payne bill, and have succeeded in do
ing so. Louisiana stands justified by
this in what is in the bill for her;
Georgia In what for her The Repub
licans were in charge. Protection was
the rule of action and it was not "un.
worthy of honest revenue reformers"
to get their work in. AT any rate,
worthy or unworthy, they landed"
and the bill as it has gone to the SEN
ate is thoroughly acceptable on local
scores to many Democrats who for
years have been classed as foes of
protection.
At the same time Mr.. Watterson
still holds to the old faith. Were the
Democrats in power and responsible
for legislation he would insist upon
bill fashioned severely on revenue
lines. This is his idea:
LAS we'll seek to bail the Atlantic
ocean with a dipper as to revise the
tariff and leave a single schedule to
mark the trail of its surprising impo
sition and tell the tale of its fathom-
less irony. The words of Hamlet must
be literally applied, reform it alto
gether,' not a classification left to
tempt and mislead, not robbing de-
tail to mystify and make outcry, one
straight scale of revenue duties, so
that he who runs may read and he
who pays taxes may know may read
as out of an open book of big type
and words of one syllable; may know
to dollar just what he has to pay for
what he eats and drinks and wears
by reason of the tax"
Very clearly and frankly stated but
where is the Democrat in either house
of this congress who would write or
father such a measure? There was no
such man in either house of the Fifty.
third congress, although the Demo
cratic party had been returned to
power on platform which as inter
preted by many of the party's spell
binders had pledged what Mr.. Waiter
son now describes. The Wilson bill,
even before Mr.. German laid his pro-
lection hands on it, was not acceptable
to Mr.. Watterson. He thought that a
surrender to protection, and still
thinks so.
The Wattersonians, led by him, have
carried several national conventions
with their tariff proposition, and once
in 1892-Seemed to carry the coun-
try, but they have never carried con.
gress. Will they ever be able to do
500 The proof of the pudding is in the
eating. Mr.. WatteIson strongly recon-.
mends his dessert. But congress re.
fuses to put it on the card.-Washing.
ton Star.