Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-10-18
DEMocRAcYs CASE IN A NUT
SHELL
Woodrow Wilson, in Five Short
Speeches, Presents the Vital
Issues Of this Campaign.
THE TARIFF

THE TARIFF
We. stand in the presence of an
awakened nation. Plainly it is a
new age. There are two great
things to do. One Is to set up the
rule Of justice and right in such mat.
ters as the tariff, the regulations Of
trusts and the prevention OF monopoly
The business of government is to
separate special and particular in-
terests from the general interests Of
wide communities. The initial task
this year is to get our government
In such shape that we can use it
Tor our own purpose, not against
anybody In particular. but for
everybody in general. We want to
tween all the people and the Fed
eral government instead Of between
government. We must effect a great
readjustment and get the forces Of
the whole people once more. into play
The tariff question, as dealt with
in Our time, has not been business.
It has been politics. The tariff has
become a system of fayOrs. Tariff
schedules have been determined in
committee rooms and conferences.
The tariff becomes a matter of le-
gftimate business only when the
understanding it represents is be-
tween the leaders OF Congress and
the whole people of the United
States, intead Of between the lead
ems of Congress and small groups of
manufacturers demanding special
RECOGNITION and consideration. That
Is the heart Of the whole affair. 1t
Is at bottom a question of good
faith and morals.
. Our conviction as Democrats is
that the only legitimate object OF
tariff duties is to raise revenue for
the support of the government. We
denOunee the Payne-Aldrich Tariff
Act as the most conspicuous exam
pie ever afforded of the special fa-
yors of monOpolistic advantages
Which. tho leaders of the Republican
party have so often shown them
selves willing to extend to these to
whom they looked for campaign con-
tributiOrs. The changes which we
make should be made Cnly at such
rate and in such way as will least
interfere with the normal and health
full course of commerce and manufac
tUFe. There should be an immediate
revision dow inward. 1t should begin
with the schedules most obviously
used to kill competition and raise
prices in the United States, and
should be extended to every item
which affords opportunity for mon
opoly and special advantage, unit
special favors shall have been absO
lItely withdrawn and our laws of tax
alton transformed from a system Ol
Just and reasonable charges which
shall fall where they will create the
least burden.
. The Republican party doesn't pro
pose to change any Of the essentia
conditions which mark our preseni
difficulties. Mr.. Roosevelt propose!
in his platform not to abolish mono
poly but to take it under the lega
protection of the government and t
regulate it, to take the very men in
to partnership who have been max
ing 1t impossible to carry out thes'
great programmes by which all of III
wish to help the people. We dom
want to disturb the industry of tn
country, but to destroy the contpO
ever the industry of other peopl
which these men have, established al
which makes it impossible that W
should give ourselves a free field o
service.