Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1909-08-27
LET'S HAVE LIGHT
ON The TARIFF

III COueS WITH peculiarly Dlu grace
upon the part of certain republican
newspapers like the Star, and some
self-seeking republican politicians. to
criticise the attitude of the democratic
party OH the revision of the tariff and
matters of taxation.
The position of the democratic party
has always been reasonable. always
consistent. from the Walker tariff of
1874 to the present day. The party has
stood for u tariff for ven only,
never for q tariff for protection. 1t has
always believed that the government
should IN economically administered up
OH the duties received from imports, and
that duties sufficient for the expenses of
the government should he levied and
impartially collected. The democratic
party still stands for theS,. prin .iples
because it believes them to b. right.
and. furthermore. because it believes
that in their operation lies an equity
for all of the people.
On the other hand, the republicans
have consistently stood by the mass of
inconsistencies which the tariff for pro-
lection has cngcndered. The rcpubli-
ran party has always been loyal In the
perniciOns habit of ~lcgislating money
from the hand of the producer into the
pocket of the manufacturer. The chief
idea of the republicans has taken
various guiSeS-sOmctimcS measures for
the protection of American labor against
foreign, sometimes a war tax upon the
necessities of life, with every rich
interest exempt. and sometimes special
privileges in the form of largcss. like
the bounty given to the wealthy sugar
planter.
At last the country has found this
condition Of things unbcarable. 1t is
turning to the democratic party for
relief. The statement that the tariff is
il republican question which will be
settled within the republican star
chamber proceedings is too prepostcrous
for consideration, an insult to the in
tclligcnce of the American people. The
tariff is III "All American question"
and all the American people are going
to give it tn the democratic party for
settlement. No hope lies in the camp
of the insurgents. The recent vote of the
immortal sever senators against the
Aldricli- Payne bill was not so much to
encourage democrats npon the broad
plan of revision downward as 1t was tC
compel Aldrich to grant certain change.
in the schedule. Cummins, Deliver,
Beveridge ct al, do moi differ materially
from the s%tandpattcrs. They differ il
degree, not i'll kind. They are higl
protcctionistS, every one of them. Pub
licly they have scorned to be classc,
with those who are fighting revision
downward on principle. Their ide;
was not SO much to serve the peopl,
rs TO protect certain vested interests
IT the insurgents We're asked tomorrow
to give the country IN earnest of thci
intentions they would issue u statement
So vague, " %nebulous. 81 lacking il
sense that it would not he worth after
ton.
The country knows where the demo
cratic party stands upon all these issue,
The democratic party has a reason fo
the faith that is within it. The part
will put brave men to stand upon bold
stated issues. The party will have
man in every congressional district il
the United States to meet the issues q
the enemy. There will be no mist
ness of statement, no c]quivocatior
The democratic party has determine
that the people shall know the wrong
of the tariff, and the party knows tina
mo question is ever settled until il
settled right."-Kansas City Post.