The Big Sandy news., 1912-08-09

terested statesman might conceive II.
Our own clear conviction as Demo
Gratis Is that In the lust analysis the
only safe and legitimate object OF tarin
duties, as OF taxes of every other kind,
is to raise revenue for the support OF
the government But that is not my
present point We denounce the Payne
Aldrich tariff act as the most conspicu-
ous example ever AFFORDED the country
of the special favors and nonopollstic
advantages which the leaders of the
Republican party have so often shown
themselves willing to extend to those
to whom they looked for campaign con-
tributions. Tariff duties, as they have
employed them. have not been a means
Of setting up an equitable system OF
protection. They have been. on the
contrary, method OF fostering special
privilege. They have made II easy to
establish monopoly In our domestic
markets. Trusts have owed their ori-
gin and their secure power to them.
No suddsn Disturbance.
We do not ignore the fact that the
business OF a country like ours ls ex-
ceedingly sensitive to changes In legis-
lation Of this kind. II has been built
up, however I'll advisedly. upon tariff
schedules written In the way I have
indicated, and Its foundation must
not be too radically or too suddenly
disturbed. When we act we should act
with caution and prudence. like men
| who know what they are about and
not like those In love with theory.
II ia obvious that the changes we
make should be made only at such a
rate and In such way as will least
interfere with the normal and health
full course OF commerce and manufac
ture. But we shall not on that ac-
| count act with timidity, as II we did
not know our own minds, for we are
certain OF our ground and Of our OBJ
ject There should be an immediate
revision, and II should be downward,
unhestatingly and steadily downward.
II should begin with the schedules
which have been most obviously used
10 kill competition and to raise prices
In the United States. arbitrarily and
| without regard to the prices pertain
| ing elsewhere In the markets OF the
world. and 1t should. before It is hn-
ishad or intermitted. be extended to
every item In every schedule which
Affords any opportunity for monopoly,
for special advantage to limited
groups OF benehciaries or for subsiciz-
ed control OF any kind in the markets
or the enterprises of the country until
special favors Of every sort shall have
been absolutely withdrawn and every
part Of our laws Of taxation shall have
been transformed from a system Of
/ governmental patronage into system
of lust and reasonable charges which
shall fall where they will create the
least burden
Tariff DemoraIizes Politics.
There has been no more demoraliz-
ing Influence In our politics In our
| time than the influence OF tariff legis-
! Iation, the influence of the idea that
| the government was the grand dis
penser OF favors. the maker and un-
maker of fortunes, and OF opportuni-
ties such as certain men have sought
In order to control the movement OF
trade and industry throughout the
continent II has made the govern
ment a prize to be captured and par
ties the means OF effecting the capture.
II has made the business men OF one
OF the most virIle and enterprising ma
tions In the world timid. fretful. full
OF alarms; has robbed them of self
confidence and manly force until they
have cried out that they could do
nothing without the assistance of the
government at Washington, 1t has
made them feel that their lives de-
pended upon the ways and means
committee of the house and the finance
committee OF the senate dn these later
years particularly the finance commit
tee OF the senate). They have insist
ed very anxiously that these commit
tees should be made up only OF their
friends" until the country In Its turn
grew suspicious and wondered how
those committees were being guided
and controlled. by what Influences and
plans of personal advantage Govern.
ment cannot he wholesomely conduct.
ed In such an atmosphere Its very
honesty is In jeopardy.
For what has the result beenl
Prosperity Yes. II by prosperity you
mean vast wealth. no matter how dis
tributed. OF whether distributed at all.
or not; II you mean vast enterprises
built up 10 he presently concentrated
under the contrel OF comparatively
small bodios OF men. who can deter
mine almost at pleasure whether there
shall be competition or not The nation
MS nation has grown inmensely rich
But what Of the other side Of the pic
.uref 1t b not as easy for US to live
ns 1t used 30 be. Our money Will not
buy as much. High wages. even
when We can get them, Yield rs no
great comfort.
Ta~lW causss High Prioss.
Moreover. we begin 10 perceive some
things about the movement Of pricee
that cooceCn us very deeply and fx our
attention upon the tariG schedules with
a more deinite Dissemination than
ever to set TO the bottom OF this mat
ter We have been looking into 1t at
trials held under the Sherman net and