Carson City daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1907-1930, 1910-12-16
A Domineering Oligarchy

MANY years ago Horatio seymour uttered mis- phiIipics against
the merciless rule of the tariff. Sey mour has passed away but his words
still live, as does the tariff. The oh noxious features which he points out
and hays with his mercIess logic are more in evidence to-day than
when he opposed them. and they RI ten times as obnoxious. His COM
parhon Of slavery to the tariff is worth reading. He says:
"Thc protective tariff is to be utterly destroyed because, like slav-
cry. it has established in this Repu bile a domineering oigarchy, which,
assuming sovereignty in some thin IS, encroaches at all points upon pre-
negatives that belong to the Cover nment alone.
Things came o such a pass in the days of slavery that nc legsla-
ton OF any subject could be entere ed upon unless the slave olgarchy
were taken into account 1t had e established here a power that vas Co
equal with that of the Government ITSELF So nov the tariff olgarchy
rules the country. and born Ameri cans VINO go to Washington and with
uplhted hand swear soemnly ito SUI pport the Republic md its laws. has
ten to make their peace with the de spohc power and straghtway enter
into its service and forget their o this.
"The tariff oigarchy rules the land. At its order taxes, prices. in
dustries, politicians, rise and fall Al its command public expenditures
increase Or decrease. 1t fills the tr easury or it empies it. Its interests
determine every policy adopted. Not a bill of any importance I've
reaches the President of the Unite d States for signature that has not at
some stage received the approval OF this odious power. Pensions, pub
lie improvements, bountes, subsidies, silver legslaton-al of the things
with which Congress ever con Germs itsef-represent no longer the
ascertained will or the undoubted intrests of the people. They indicate
and measur the bargains and bib es that tariff has been able to efectu-
This tariff olgarchy, like the lave oigarchy is a compact power
based upon consuming greed and depending upon the ignorance, pre-
occupation Or the delusion of the people for success. Like the slave
olgarchy also, it lends itself most naturally to the support of most VIC
ious causes, for, as the history of all criminals shows, a alliance De-
tween comparisons in crime, either of whom al convict the other,
is likely to be closer tan any other relation known among men. The
man having a wicked scheme to pr omote reckons n o more with the peo-
pie, but with Tariff. If Tariff finds in it a opportunity to attach a
Congressional district OF a state to its following, Tariff assents. and the
bill becomes a law. If there is no thing in a measure for Tariff, it dies,
because. no matter how meritoriou it may be, Tariff rules the land! Its
voice is the voice Of authority to- day!
Tariff stands, ass slavery stood ever with a bride in n hand to
entce weak men to its side. Tri # stands, as slavery stood, eve with
a bludgeon in the other hand to in timidate cowardly mn ito its service.
1t is OF a thing that the masseso of the people ire attached to. 1t is an
ohgarchy composed of a few swoll e scoundrels who rule by bribery. by
deception, by intimidation, by lies, by fraud. Destroy the institution n
der which they have gained this in iquitous power and they only will
suffer, while all others, relieved of an incubus that has Slapped the life
and virtue of the Nation. will boun d forward Ito lev conquests in
merce. industry and liberty"