Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-09-24
AN IMPORTANT ELECTION.

1t is the duty of every voter tC
thoroughly understand the issues in.
volved in this campaign, for, upor
the settlement of those issues, much
depends Every workingman, every
| farmer, every professional man, ev-
cry merchant should post himself be-
fore he casts his ballot, and thus be
certain that he is not voting for
something that he does not want
The country is facing a struggle this
year which is vastly similar to others
in the past 1t is a fight between
the protective tariff and a tariff for
revenue. We have heard this conten-
tion before. The issue is squarely
drawn. The Republican platform de
clares for a protective tariff, and the
Democratic platform provides for a
tariff for revenue only.
Everybody does not understand ex-
actly what this means, but they
should, for failure to understand the
difference in 1892 when the struggle
between the old parties was waged
along similar lines, resulted in the
closing of a great many American
manufacturing institutions, a substan-
tial cut in wages all along the line,
the stopping of the wheels of indus
try and the creation of "Coxey's
Armies" and the opening of a good
many soup houses The tariff of 1898
was the Wilson tariff, fathered by a
Virginia college professor. The tariff
supported by the Democratic plat
form this year is advocated by anoth-
er able and eminent college professor
also, coming from New Jersey EX-
perience has shown that the college
professor isn't a success in tariff
making, and history shows no in
stance where tariff promulgated by
such an individual and constructed
upon theories, has been of benefit to
this country. Rather have they prov
ed failures and ruin and financial
disturbances have followed i'm their
wake.
The difference between a protective
tariff and tariff for revenue is rad
ical: The former, as its name i'm
plies, is a law which protects Amer
lean industries and enables American
wOrkingmen to labor for a remuner-
atiVe wage and protects them from
the cheap foreign labor, or the pro-
ducts of the cheaper foreign shop
President Mckinley explained this
and the voters of the country under
stood and supported him. He was
elected, his policies and those adVo-
Gated by the Republican party were
placed in force. and Immediately the
country emerged from long period
of depression under Democratic rule
and entered upon an era of prosperity
such as no country ever before eX-
perienced.
The Democratic platform declares
in effect that the government has no
right to protect the American wage
Garner the American shop or per-
petuate the prosperity of the Amer
lean home, by putting a tax ON the
products of foreign labor.
The difference between these two
is plain. Those of us
whose memory is long enough to en-
compass the dreary years following
the election of Mr. Cleveland in 1892. |
recall Vividly our last experience
with Democratic theories. Those
four years appear in strong contrast
To the last Il years under Republi- !
can rule. VIII the country vote in
November to place in power a polite !
nj organization responsible for the !
panic Of '9S. with its attendant pow
erty and free soup houses? win the I
voters register their disapproval of |
their present unprecedented pros
pcrity and decide to try another /
costly experiment?
We do not believe IT,