Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-04-13
Should Be Inspiration to Pres
ent Democratic House on
Tariff Legislation
CONDITIONS ARE SIMILAR
Tariff For Revenue Urged,
Levied Upon Luxuries, Not
Necessaries of Life

the national capital, the following
will be of interest, and its careful
study is urged upon the Democratic
house. 1t is the tariff message of the
last Democratic president to the last
Democratic congress, transmitted to
the house of representatives
by President Cleveland. Decem-
Der 4, 1898, and in every word and
line it voices the tariff sentiments of
the last Democratic National conven-
ton;
After hard struggle, tariff re-
form is directly before u.s. Nothing
so important claims our attention and
nothing so clearly presents itself as
both an opportunity and a duty-an
opportunity TO deserve the gratitude
Of our fellow citizens. and a duty i'm
posed upon us by our oft-repeated
professions. and by the emphatic man.
Gate of the people. After full discus
sion, our cOuntrymen have spoken
in favor of this reform, and they have
cOntided the work of its accomplish.
ment to the hands of those who are
solemnly pledged to it.
"If there is anything in the theory
OF representation in public places
Of the people and their desires, if pub
lie officers are really the servants of
the people, and if political promises
and professions have any binding
force, our failure to give relief so
long awaited will be sheer recrean-
cy. Nothing should intervene to dis
tract our attention. or disturb our
effort until this reform is accomplish
ed by wise and careful legislation.
while We should stanchly adhere
to the principle, that only the neces
sity of revenue justifies the mposi-
zion CT tariff duties and other FEEDER
al taxation, and that they should be
limited by strict economy, we cannot
close our eyes to the fact that condi-
tions have grown up among us, which
in justice and fairness call for dis
eliminating care in the distribution of
gencies OF our government actually
demand
'Manifestly. if We are to aid the
people directly through tariff reform.
one of its most obvious features
should be reduction in the present
tariff charges upon the necessaries of
life. The benefit of such a reduction
would be palpable and substantial,
seen and felt by thousands who would
be better fed, and better clothed, and
better sheltered. These gifts should
be the willing benefactions of a gov
ernment whose highest function is
the promotion of the welfare of the
people.
NO less closely related to our
peoples prosperity and well-being is
the removal of restrictions upon the
importation Of the raw materials nee
essary to our manufacturers. The
world should be opened to national
ingenuity and enterprise. This can
not be while Federal legislation,
through the imposition of high tariff,
forbids to American manufacturers
as cheap materials as those used by
their competitors. 1t is quite obvi-
Gus that the enhancement of the
price of our manufactured products
resulting from this policy, not only
confines the market for these pro-
ducts within our own border, to the
direct disadvantage of our manufac-
turers, but also increases their cost
to our citizens.
In my great de-
sire for the success of this measure
| cannot restrain the suggestion that
its success can only be attained by
means of unselfsh counsel on the
part of the friends of tariff reform,
and as result of their willingness
to subordinate personal desires and
ambitions to the general good. The
local interests affected by the propos-
ed reform are so numerous and so
varied, that if all are insisted upon
the legislation embodying the re-
form must inevitably fail"