The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-10-23

To the Democratic voters Of the State
Of Florida:
I am a candidate for the Office of
United States senator, to be voted for
at the primary election to be held In
1910. If elected, il will be my duty
to serve your interests, and it is your
right to know by what principles
will be guided in the performance Of
that duty l accordingly state my
views, upon what seem 70 me 70 be
some of the principal general ques-
tons which now agitate the country
and | ask a careful consideration of
them by you, to the end that, If you
find them acceptable to you, and be-
lieve that I will adhere to them, and,
to the best of my ability, seek to
serve you in the United States senate
in accordance win them, you will, by
your votes, select me for that purpose,
and for the purpose Of advocating
such other policies as may from time
to time be for the best interests Of
the people. This statement of these
principles is not exhaustive, because
there are many other matters of i'm
portance affecting the country and
you, but it will suffice TO indicate my
stand upon some Of the large matters
which interest you.
the SOnShttUItSns
l. l believe in a strict construction
Of the constitution of the United
States, so that the powers committed
by the several states through that in
strument TO the general government,
may be held TO be only those express
ly given, or necessarily implied from
those given. To permit considera-
tons of expediency or convenience to
determine the construction of any pro
vision of the constitution, means that
the rights Of the states and of their
citizens are to be fixed, not by the re-
striction intended by the makers of
the constitution, but by the shifting
policies and desires Of the party in
power, and means that by gradual ex
tension Of federal power those rights
will be Obsoured and finally lost.
Tariff for Revenue Only.
2. l favor tariff for revenue only
I regard a tariff for the purpose of
unconstitutional. I find no warrant
in the constitution of the United
States for the upbuilding of one class
at the expense of another, and I be
ieve that the only excuse for q tariff
is the necessity to raise money for
governmental expenses. Admittedly,
until some other adequate means be
devised, a large part Of such money
must be raised from tariff duties. The
sole legitimate purpose, how#er, be-
ing the obtaining of revenue Tor gov
ernmental purposes, that purpose
should be kept steadily in view, and
any benefit TO any particular class
should be only incidentally consid-
cred
In the settlement of great eco
nOmic problems, interests Of different
classes necessarily clash, and it be
comes important to determine which
should be preferred in considering
the results of any legislation dealing
with such problems. Thus in the
matter of the tariff, unreasonably
large profits to the manufactured
necessarily means relatively less
wages to the Iaborer engaged in man
and larger prices to theI
who include the laboTer
Tariff on Luxuries-
In a conflict between these, l think
that upon the principles of the great
est good to the greatest number, and
upon the further principle that no class
should be benefited by special legisIa-
ton, at the expense of another, the
rights Of the consumers. who include
all labOrers, ought to be regarded as
first. I believe, however, that if the
Of revenue require the lay
ing of a tariff, such tariff should be
laid first upon Injuries. Applying this
a tariff upon the importation
Of pineapples, oranges, tobacco and
like products, would not only be per
missibIe. but desirable. Such tariff !
is necessary to raise revenue, and ap- /
ply it to those articles to which, if ap-
piled at all, il should be applied
I believe also, that IL such tariff for !
purposes of revenue must be imposed /
on articles of necessity, manufactured !
or manufactured. it should be laid |
upon those articles upon which the /
profit TO the producer or manUfac |
CureT is small, and not upon those |
where the profits are, as in some
cases, enormous. An application of
this principle would inuTe to the bene-
At Of southern products and manu- /
features. such as lumber, naval stores /
and cotton. from which only scant !
profit by the producer is usually /