Gilpin observer., 1909-08-19
Tariff RevIsIon-And Living.
Tariff revision, up or down."

Dangerous" said William Jennings
Bryan in many speeches during his
third race for the presidency of the
United States and tho populace
laughed and jeered.
Bryan's words have proven prophe-
tic. The Republican platform did not
promise whether tariff revision should
be up or down, and, true to the poll.
cies of the Republican party, the
revision has been up-to the discom-
fort of the working man.
Every day the newspapers of this
country are carrying the bits of news,
the uneasy, uncomfortable and un-
comforting information that Cloth.
ing will be higher in price and poorer
in quality"
Shoes, hose, eatables" will be
higher in price and poorer in quality.
And this the banner year of the
last decade in crops. What a grim
joke upon the condition of the slave
who is today styled the great Am
erican working man.
And this the banner year for the
prosperity of this nation, SO the
trusts would tell us in trying to ex-
plain away the anamoly of increa.s-
ed living expenses and banner crops
Has the tariff been revised? 1t has
TO the sorrow of he who is with.
out the convenient millions.
Has the promise of the Republican
party been kept? 1t has-to the sor-
row of thousands of people who this
year face coming winter with less
money than they had last year, and
the prospects of dearer clothes and
poorer quality.
And all this being the means to an
end of protecting "our infant indus.
tries.''
So ho! And while these same "in-
FAINT industries" grow to elephantine
proportions, thriving and growing sod
den fat on the hog-milk of political
protection, drawn from the mother
swine lazing in the shade of the Re-
publican tariff hedge. the anxious
illy-clad American father and mother
spend their prayers for their child.
rem and lose their sleep wondering
and worrying about what will become
OF them through the cold and hard.
ship of rapidly approaching winter.
Tariff revision. Yes indeed, and
human misery.
Tariff revision. Yes indeed! and
woe betide the man who works by
his hands.
Prosperity. Yes, indeed! and thous.
amos Of men in Denver haunting the
employment agencies begging for
work to keep them from the streets
and from hunger.
The banner year for crops. Yes In.
deed! and thousands of women, hun
dreds of them in Denver and hun.
dreds in every other big city of this
country resorting to the carbolic acid
bottle for relief, or to immortality for
suStenance.
Fine, isn't it. Where is the won.
der that men are turning Socialists
and women turning scarlet when we
hear and read and talk of the BAN
ner crops, the greater prosperity and
then turn to our hove!s and our hum
cry ones to eluda the grocer's bill
and the butchers demand for money.
Tariff revision. The people wanted
1t. And they got it-where McCartyis
chicken got the axe.
Tariff revision. The people demand
ed 1t and they elected the RepubM.
can ticket to get it and with grim
humor that hog-fat gentleman named
American Trusts" sits at his desk
and with the complacent grin of Sc.
curity hands it out to them. and
breaks into mirthless laughter at the
shouts of the multitude.
Tariff revision. Yes, we got it, al
right, but it was up.
What are we coming to? What is
our country drifting into. What Is the
working m n to do this winter?
where is our much-vaunted pros.
perity? Where is that long-sought re.
lief and the easing of money condi.
tions?
These are questions for you to pom.
der over, Mr.. Workingman, while you
figure and worry how You are going
to meet your rent, your grocery bin,
your meat bill and your taxes and
still have enough to keep the little
feet of your loved ones off the snow
while you rake and scrape to pay
tribute Of your faith in Republican
tariff revision in increased prices
and inferior quality.