The Cairo bulletin., 1912-08-30
SPEAKER CLARK
TALKS ON TARIFF
TO Maine VOTERS
Makes Opening Speech in Cam.
paigu Over Pine Tree State
at Roekland
PRESENT RATES TOO HIGH
Declares G. O. P. Broke Promises
Made in 1908 but Democrats
We're Sincere
PRESENT RATES TOO HIGH

Associated Press Dispatch. ri
Rockland, Me, Aug. 29.-Speaker
Champ Clark made his opening
speech in the Maine campaign here
tonight, confning his address to the
tariff He said in part:
History demonstrates beyond all
question the fact that in country
whose institutions are based on
suffrage the government will be a
government by parties, or as Mr..
Speaker Cannon is fond of putting it
by majorities' 1t does not make a
particle of difference whether we
want it that way or not; that is the
way 1t is and the way it always will
be-
'tAt the present time at least fve
parties are in the field with candi-
dates for the presidency. Each of
these parties has formulated and
published platform of principles
which it proposed to enact into law
if it gets the chance.
what is a platform anyway? 1t
ought to be plain and honest state
ment of what those who make ii in
tend to do if they are given the
power to legislate. 1t ought to be,
not merely a contriyance to get it
on. but thing to stand on after
the victory is won. ut ought to be
not merely device to use during
the campaign for the purpose OF
catching votes, but should set forth
the serious intentions of it's trainers.
Pledges Are Sacred.
pledges made to win an election
should be religiously carried out
after the election. That is the only
rule of political conduct that will
do to live by or to die by. There
is NO reason why a man should be
dishonest and a double dealer in
politics any more than in the other
relations of life.
while the platforms discuss and
refer to a multitude of things, some
of great Importance, all of more or
less Importance, the American pub
lie is formed on such q plan that
it will not seriously consider more
than one or two issues simultane-
INi1Gnn n
President Taft in their speeches of
acceptance have made the tariff their
chief topic Of thought in the minds
of the voters of the land. Colonel
Roosevelt in his speeches also at
taches great Importance to the sub
ject, and has plan Of his own for
handling it. All men are agreed that
it is question of great Importance
to every human being living under
the flag.
Barring for the present Colonel
Roosevelt's scheme of settlement
the position of the two great parties
may be succinctly stated in this way:
The Democrats are in favor of a
tariff for revenue only; the Repub-
licans are in favor of tariff for
protection. Upon this question the
platforms are explicit. In the tariff
plank of the Democratic platform
the idea of revenue only has beer
found, not always expressed in the
same language, but always express
ing the same idea. Likewise, The
Republican platforms all declare fol
protective tariff%
Rates Too High Now.
''It will be observed that botl
platforms declare that the presen
tariff rates are too high, and ough
to be reduced, but If the taxpayer,
really want the tariff reduced, the,
had better remember what happen
ed in very recent times. In 1908 tn,
Republicans promised to revise tn,
tariff downward. On that promis
they won. Without that promis,
they could not have won. But hav
ing won, instead OF reducing tn
tariff rates as they had promised t,
do, they proceeded to increase them
and because they increased then
contrary TO their promise, at th'
election in 1901 the people electe,
a Democratic House of Representa-