Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-10-18

w EsE1 the Editors
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Instead Of discussing the real issue
namely, a revenue tar.T rs. a protec
/ tive tariff, thvy would have The voters
believe that absolute free traCe Is tie
! only alternative to a protective tariff
There is 10 party in this country al.
Voca'ing free trade, and this is we'll
/ known by those who profess to view
any reduction Of the tariff as the be
ginning of free trade policy. 1t is
/ worth while, therefore, 10 present the
real Issue and TO challenge the Rerub
Iicans, both sjandpatters and Pro
/ gressivcs to meet that issue.
/ \ twenty-five per cent. duty on a
/ given article gives protection, to that
J 'Xlent, TO those who manufacture a
competing article. whether the twenty
! i've per cent. is collected for protection
! OF for revenue, but it makes a great
! deal of difference to the public whether
/ the dE,y is fixed Tor the purpose OF
| raising a revenue or for the purpose
} OF giving protection, and the difference
: may be stated III this way:
\ revenue tariff is levied for the pur-
bose of collecting revenue: it is so laid
Is to raise revenue, and those who
levy the tax for revenue purposes stop
! when the necessary revenue l.
secured. 4 protective tariff, on the
/ other hand, is levied primarily for pro
| lection, the revenue being incidental;
it may be so levied as to lay heavy
| burden upon the people without rails
ing any revenue at all; and those who
levy taxes for the purpose OF protec-
| tion never know when to stop.
The Democratic platform demands
a reduction in the tariff. 1t clearly
sets forth the party's position when
it says: We declare it to be fun
damental principle of the Democratic
| party that the federal government,
under the constitution, has no right
or power to impose or collect tariff
except for the purpose of revenue"
| The party makes its appeal to the
American people to support us in our
demand for tariff for revenue only
| But this return from a false econ
omic system to correct one is not to
be sudden or abrupt. The platform
says I'VE recognize that our system
of tariff taxation is intimately con
nected with the business of the
country, and we favor the ultimate at
| tainment of the principles We advo-
cate by legislation that will not injure
or destroy legitimate industry There
| is to be a RETURN, and the end in
view is frankly stated, but the pro
gress toward that end is to be gradual,
because industry. relying upon the
promises held out by an evil system,
has tried to adjust itself to that sys-
! TEN.
The Democratic platform not only
states the ultimate purpose and puts
limitations upon the speed to be en-
ployed in the accomplishment of that
purpose, but it specifically states the
order in which reduction should be
made. First, material reductions
should be made speedily in the tariff
on the necessaries of life. Second.
articles entering into competition with
trust controlled articles should be put
upon the free list, and to the free list
also should be added the articles which
are sold abroad more cheaply than at
home.
! leaders as means of collecting large
campaign contributions, and that, in
return for these contributions, the
! The public knows better now than
ever before that the protective system,
however honestly believed in by the
rank and file of the Republican party,
| has been employed by the Republican
F., leaders as a means of collecting large
campaign contributions, and that in
return for these contributions the man
ufacturers have been permitted to col
lect enormous tribute from the public.
The protective system has been the
most corrupting force in American pol
itics; it has led to the substituting Of
newspapers and to the cultivation of a
public opinion that has put price
upon suffrage. The advocates of pro-
lection have unblushingly insisted that
those interested in a protected indus
try should use their ballots, not to ad-
vance the interests of the country, but
to enlarge their incomes. If farmer
produced anything upon which tariff
was laid, he was assured that the price
of his product was enhanced to the ex-
| tent of the tariff, and that to secure or
retain this increase he should vote the
Republican ticket, regardless of the
effect of Republican policies on the
country.
The labOring man was informed that
his wages were perceptibly increased
| by protective tariff, and that this in
crease should be accurately computed
by him and should be accepted as a
liquidation sum given him in return
| for his support of the Republican
ticket.
Manufacturing communities were
assured that they had pecuniary in
terest in the election of Republican
presidents, congressman and senator's.
In fact, the country was put upon a
commercial basis and each voter was
tagged with a card plainly showing the
exact price for which he sold his vote
to the Republican party. 1t was not
however, a one-price store, for the
price ranged all the way from millions
given the larger manufacturers to the
| few dollars which the .emplOye was
\ supposed to receive as his share.
And while the farmer and laboring
man were being told that they received
MORE for their product because of the
tariff, they were being promised that
they could secure what they had to
buy at LOWER price because of the
tariff. In other words, the tariff was
offered to the farmer and laboring
man as system which would raise
the price of what they had to sell and
lower the price of what they had to
buy, and the manufacturer was rep
resented as a benevolent person who
contributed large sums to secure leg
islation which made him pay more for
what he had to buy and then reduce
the price of what he had to sell.
The people need as president man
with intelligence enough to understand
public questions-and Governor Will
son possesses that intelligence. The
people need more than intelligence in
the White House; they need man
whose sympathies are with the whole
people, rather than with a few of the
/ people-and Governor Wilson has
shown that his sympathies are on the
/ side of the people. But what the peo-
pie need most in the White House is a
man who has the courage to take the
peoples side in spite of the tremen-
dous pressure than the special inter-
ests can bring to bear upon a presi-
/ .o1 svafA tah hax