Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-04-25
THE DOMINANT ISSUE
Atlanta (Ga.) Journal.

Atlanta (Ga.) Journal.
The dominant issue of the approach
ing presidential campaign will be the
tariff
There Ia certainly no other question
that reaches 30 far or strikes 80 deep
~ into the nations common interests.
At the very root OF many. II not
most of the political evils that now
beset the country, lies the outworn
Republican party brought forth and
which It persists in maintaining.
The trust problem Itself Ia but one
aspect Of the tariff question. Certain
It 10 that monopolies and combinations
IN restraint OF trade wifi be vastly
more difficult to form and maintain
when the artificial tarlff wall that now
protects them Ia removed. They would
still require measure of regulation,
but under present conditions we find
the government prosecuting them with
one hand and patronizing them with
the other The Sherman antitrust act
ia we'll enough In it's particular sphere,
but no matter how vigorously II may
be applied. 1t can never within itself
undo the effects Of n tariff system that
puts ban on competition ana builds
. hot house for groups Of particular
interests. This Ia the policy that en-
ables American trusts to charge the
people OF this country more for their
products than they charge their Gus
toners In Europe This Ia the heart
and the source of nearly all the evils
which we classify under tho term.
special privilege" 1t Ia Just at this
point that corrupt business and cor.
rupt politics join hands
II Is a noteworthy circumstance that
Governor Woodrow Wilson. as n can.
didate for the presidential nomination,
10 a particularly clear-headed and Wig
orous exponent of the doctrine OF tar
IN for revenue only In recent nd
dress before the National Democratic
club in New York, Governor Wilson
declared:
THE worst feature of protection Is
the decentralization of our political
ideas, We have based government
upon patronage and privilege instead
of Justice and equality. That's the
cancer that eats at the hearts OF all
1t Ia likely that for an indefinite pc
Rod we shall have to pay our national
bills by duties collected at the ports
Though | am not for drastic changes.
] wish ! saw some ultimate escape
from It. At present do not There
fore, what we have to ask ourselves
is not the principle upon which we are
to act for that Ia plain. We are to
act upon the fundamental principle of
the Democratic party, not free trade,
but tariff for revenue, and we have
got to approach that by such avenues,
by such stages and at such pace as
will be consistent with the stability
and safety of the business of the
country"
There is here SGT forth thoroughly
consistent and ut the same time we'll
poised course of action for the party
to pursue, system that has been de
veloped through generations and thai
involves the country's business eQuili
brium cannot be struck to pieces at q
single blow But It should be deal
with none the less positively anC
there should always be held in view
the ultimate principle of tariff for reve
nue. only,
Governor Wilson has said again II
an interview with the New Yorl
World:
"The tariff question Is at the hear
of every other economic question W,
have to deal with and until we hav,
adjusted that properly We can settl
nothing in a way that will be satisfac
tory and lasting. The tariff is the on
central issue of the coming can
paign."