Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-22
Where O'Brien Stands.

Mr.. O'Brien wants to know where
Mr. Kinds stands. There is nc secret
about that. He stands on his party's
platform. That platform declares for
protection to home industry. 1t de-
clares for the protection of the Maine
farmers, Maine manufacturers, Maine
lumbermen, Maine fishermen, against
the competition of outside labor MIR.
Kinds has made his position plain
enough in speeches here at home and
on the floor of the House at Washing.
ton.
But where does MIR. O'Brien stand?
He also stands on his party's platform.
For what does that platform declare ?
1t declares against protection. IL de-
clares for free trade, or for what is
practically the same thing, tariff for
revenue only, I'VE declare it to be Il
fundamental principle of the Demo-
cratic party" says that platform.
THAT the federal government under
the constitution has no right or power
to impose or collect tariff duties except
for the purpose of revenue, and we de-
mand that the collection of such taxes
shall be limited to the necessities of
government honestly and economically
administered. We appeal to the Amer
lean people to support us in our de-
mand for 4 tariff for revenue only"
There it is, as plain as language can
make It and constituting as definite a
pledge as could be put into words.
Protection is to be torn down and rip
ped up, root and branch. The Demo-
cratic party is committed to it's de-
struction. There is TO be no more tar
lift for protection. The welfare OF
American industry is no longer to be
considered but the tariff is TO be linn
tied TO "the necessities of government
That is to be the sole consideration if,
the Democratic party gets into power
again. With the South as the head and
body of the dog and the North as the
tail. Voters should consider seriously
the danger which such revolution in
wolves.
And this is the revolution which Mr..
O'Brien would help to bring about. if
elected along with Congress and adj
ministration pledged to the same thing.
He stands on the platform. He admits
it and glories in it every time he opens
his mouth. This Congressional district
has stood for protection fifty years. 1t
is not possible that it is going to pro-
nounce for free trade now.
Gov. Wilson. the Democratic can
didate for President, also stands on
the platform, although in his speech of
acceptance he hemmed and hawed and
qualified and sidestepped on the free
trade issue. 1t would not be done all
at once, he said, but gradually, as the
humane man eliminated the tail o. his
dog. But amputation is amputation,
. asae
have the tail amputated by piecemeal
as TO have it taken off, snug up once
for all. Governor Wilson calls it "a
tariff dam" He inveighs against that
tariff dam against which all the tides
of our prosperity have banked up. that
great dam that runs around all our
coasts" Well, call it a dam, and see
where your figure leads you. dam
is for the making and conserving OF
energy by forming Il reservoir. BE-
fore the dam was built the power of
the stream was wasted. 1t did nobody
any good until it was regulated and
made useful. Besides, when the DANE
is blown up with free trade dynamite,
what follows? Wreck and ruin. Or
does Governor Wilson mean rather a
dyke to hold back the ocean tides?
That does not help him any. The Meth
erlards are protected and made fertile
and prosperous by such dams and With
out them the country would be wat
cry waste. Or perhaps he was think
ing of the dams which keep the Miss
issippi to it's bed and the breaking of
which carries destruction and death
Tar and wide. In the dam is safety and
prosperity so long as it holds, but tear
1t down and ruin follows.
This tariff dam Governor Wilson and
Mr.. O'Brien want to throw down in
order that America may get at the
markets of the world at large. But
America does get at them already. She
got at them to the amount of over two
billion dollars worth of exports last
year. And at the same time she reserv-
ed for American producers, so far as
they We're able to supply it, the market
of 95,000,000 American people. Mr.
O'Brien would open this great mar
ket on equal terms to foreigners, to
them of Canada, of Europe, of China
and Japan, with their hordes of CHEAP
labor Do we want this? If we do, VIC
shall vote for Mr.. OBrien. II we do
not want it, we shall support Mr..
Kinds.