Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1912-01-19

FROM the beginning OF cur
national government the tariff has
been aud isyet the storm center
around which political battles have
been and are being fought.
Beginning with the first Congress
1880 a tariffe duty OF so per cent.
advalorum duty was imposed,
after the war of 1872 it was
increased to Is per cent. In
sIS25 Henry Clay became the
leader of what is known as the
"American System" and % went
ON increasing the tariffe under one
pTetext or another till after the
civil war. In 1861 the Morrill,
tariffe. one of high protective
duties went into effect. The Me
Kinlev Bill 1890 was enacted then
follows the Dingley Bill. about
which the political contest is now
at "white heat
The failure TO revise this tariff.
rate downward" as was pro Missed
N the platform on which the
present chief executive, came into
power has resulted in a division in
the republican party.
The direc: result OF the failure
of the first Congress under Taft's
administration TO revise the tariffe
according to the pledge made, was
the election of a democratic house
of representatives. Just at this
point it is in order. to point out
that no political party, can hope
to perpetuate its self by bOasting
of what il has dope in the past, if
it fails to reach UP and meet the
demands of the people under ex-
isting, conditions and emergencies.
Great as the work of the republi-
can party may have been 1t can
not hope to perpetuate it self. by
ignoring its pledge and :he de-
mauds of the people. Oh whose
: sovereign will the existence OF
political parties are supposed 10
exist.
What about the Forecast?
, Vel. this may be said, Of party
"A house divided against it self
Icannot stand.
That is truth recorded in holy
unit. We Judge of the future by
the past and to the thoughtful
\ reader of history. no truth is more
|, universal in lis application than
: this.
This prophet does not venture
to predict who will be the republi-
u can or democratic nominee TOR
: president but we are likely to see
sore peculiar interest manifested
. in platform making this year and
to reduce our prediction, to a
guessing contest. there will be in
corporated in both platform planks
Intended to mean Revision"
, We know in part what Hon. Wood
a son Wilson's views are on many OF
= the leading questions OF the hour
as we'll as those of w ]. Bryan
Lila Toilette. of Roosevelt, o
:. Beyeridge, of Clark and Other
- presidential timber, but to guess
10 again it's safe to saw. that if the
m men named representing as the1
do both parties, were placei on a
platform com mittee, there woulC
be found practical agreement OF
I.-Covernment control OF publ;
utilities, 2, Tariffe revision ''to til,
extent of a revenue basis, 8. Legis
= lation to increase the scope an,
al power of Inter--State--Co nmerc
" Commission Cor couri).
~ 81 In conclusion mortal vision, 1
incapable of foretelIing who vii
be nominated on either ticket 70
q" president nor what the result wi
I'd be when the vote IS :akeu. In
ret future article this writer desires I
lily gle brief outline of Tsriffe hi.
ed tory and another confined to
ed review of the Irrepressible cor
nit hict which led to the civil war.
in Mt. Vernon Ky. v.
cle Jan. IS I9I2.