Semi-weekly herald., 1913-06-30
DENVER NEWS TELLS WHY
1T OPPOSES FREE SUGAR

Time and again the News has re-
futed the charge that the Democratic
party is pledged to free trade. The
opposition has sought to instill in the
public mind the belief that it is, while
every national and state Democratic
platform that has been adopted brands
the claim as untrue.
There are a considerable number
of Democrats who believe as firmly as
any Britisher in free trade, and did
they have their way they would make
the party a free trade organization
outright and without delay.
The Democracy has always denounc-
ed the extent to which the Republican
party has carried the doctrine of pro-
lection. Protection" is pleasant
word. and when associated with the
slogan of "a full dinner pail" and
that without it American industry
would be crushed out by the pauper
labor of Europe, it has proved catchy
enough to permit oppressive and inde-
fensibIe duties to be imposed, not to
protect American labor, but to protect
the trusts and selfish combines in the
oppressions with which the American
public has been made so familiar and
Mt so dear cost. The great manu-
facturers took advantage of the pa
triotic fires which the Civil war light
ed to increase these duties to meet
such manifestly selfish ends that at
least one-half of the Republican party
itself arose in revolt and enabled the
Democratic party to sweep the country
pledged to general political reforms
and particularly to reform in the levy
of import duties.
Thomas Jefferson's Views on Tariff
Thomas Jefferson's writings are re-
plete with references to the wisdom
Of fostering home industries by sys-
TEN Of tariff duties that would incl
dentally give encouragement to Amer
lean industries, and in 1916, IN a letter
to q friend, he wondered that anyone
should profess astonishment that In
his late years and with riper expert
enee he mad advanced to more pro-
nouneed views upon that subject
1t may be accepted that the last
national Democratic platform is the
most radical of Democratic pronounce
ment upon the tariff. Yet it is in no
sense 4 free trade document. What 1t
declares is that it is q fundamental
principle of the Democratic party that
the federal government under the
constitution has no right or power to
impose or collect tariff duties except
FOR THE PURPOSES OF REVE-
NUE.
Ii was in conforming to that general
political doctrine that the convention
that framed the platform declared:
we favor the downward revision of
the existing high, and in many cases
tariff duties. INSISTING
THAT MATERIAL REDUCTIONS
BE SPEEDILY MADE UPON THE
NECESSARIES OF LIFE"
Pledged Not to lnjure Legitimate In
dustry
The platform, passing beyond the
foregoing, affirms articles enter
ing into competition with trust con-
trolled products and articles of Amer
lean manufacture which are sold
abroad more eheaply than at home
should be put upon the free list" and
then follows this pregnant PROPOSE
ton;
I've recognize that our system of
tariff taxation is intimately connected
with the business OF the country, and
WE FAVOR THE ULTIMATE AT
OF THE PRINCIPLES
WE ADVOCATE BY LEGISLATION
THAT WILL NOT INJuRE OR DE
STRoY LEGITIMATE INDUSTRY
All Of this recognizes what the