The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-09-17

AT the HepuDllcan state convention,
held in Columbus Aug. 25, 1914, Con-
gresham Simon d. Fess, as chairman
of the convention, delivered the fol-
lowing address:
Mr.. Chairman, gentlemen of the con-
vention. and fellow citizens:
We can we'll afford at this moment
when the greatest war in history sees
Europe in arms to felicitate ourselves
that we are not involved. Every
member of this convention extends to
the president of the nation his sup
port in maintaining a strict neutrality
and counsels prudence in all things to
avoid needless complications, even
though it may work for time some
hardship upon the commerce of the
country.
Charged Mckinley as WeakIing.
The Republicans in Congress deep
ly deplored the steps which led to
the landing of our troops in Mexico
and withheld criticism when once the
troops were on foreign Spil. Unlike
the Democrats in 1898 who charged
Mckinley as a weakling because he
did not at once rush to war, the Re-
publicans tempered their protests on
the basis that all partisan politics
must cease at the international date
line. But, such consideration will not
deprive us of the right to discuss the
policies now in vogue and of such i'm
port to the nation. For President
Wilson, personally. have the very
highest regard but l differ sharply
from MS economic policies.
Tried Free Trade Three Times.
Three times in the history of our
country have we tried the Demo-
cratic policy of near free trade"
called a revenue tariff; once before
the war and twice since. The Walker
tariff of 1886 was superseded by a
protective system under Lincoln. The
Wilson tariff of 1892 was superseded
by the Dingley bill of 1897 and the
was displaced by the present Under
wood bill The first two were on the
statute books less than dozen years
and the last since October Sd of last
year.
Our period of industrial growth
has been since the war. Out of the
tifty-four years the country has had
four years of revenue tariff and fifty
years of protection policy.
For or Against Our Own Country.
The issue nationally is whether we
will legislate in the interest of for
eign country or for our own country;
whether we will allow the cotton
states, for the sake of buying in
cheap Europeon market, to destroy
our home market; whether for the
sake Of a theory we will ignore the
wisdom and practice of 'experience
Such policy stands for free WOOL
which means increased price of wool
ems and loss of revenue. Free wool
means loss to the woolgrOWer, higher
price to the man who must depend
upon importation and loss to the gov
ernment of its revenue Free sugar
means at least twelve sugar mills
closed; higher price to the consumer
and loss to the government of nearly
sixty million dollars revenue.
Southern Policy.
Specifically stated the free-trade
propaganda is not so much a Demo
cratic policy as Southern policy,
for there never was time in all the
discussions that here and there we
have not some distinguished Demo-
Gratis opposing the program before 1t
carried. The Southern planter is
chiefly concerned about a market for
his cotton which thus far lies beyond
the seas. Next to place to sell, he
Is chiefly concerned about market
in which to buy what he does not
produce, hence his contention for the
right to purchase from the cheap Eu-
ropean market rather than the higher
priced American market. This has
been his contention from the outset
What boots 1t to him to urge the
necessity of maintaining a home mar
ket? Why should he be asked to
Fatronize manufacturer in the East
and pay him higher price for goods
If he can go to Europe to purchase
the same article made by labor cost.
ing from one-fourth to one-half as
much? This was the argument of
John c. Calhoun of South Carolina
in 1928 and again in 1882. That prin-
ciple was written in the tariff law Of
Robt. J. Walker of Mississippi in
1846. 1t was repeated in the pro.
posed law of 1887 by Roger Q. Mills
of Texas 1t was Incorporated into the
law OF 1894 of w. L. Wilson from
Virginia and now is incorporated into
the present law Of Oscar Underwood
of Alabama.
Hands Of Southern Planter.
The entire machinery of this pres
ent congress is in the hands of the
Southern planter. We have in the
House OF Representatives seventeen
great committees with a membership
on each committee of twenty-one. OF
these seventeen only one comes from
the country outside Of the planters.
Sixteen Of the seventeen committees
from the states once slave states.
am not speaking of this In anger;
am not speaking of this to stir sec.
tional feelings; ! am too patriotic to
do that; but am speaking Of it to
remind you Of the fnlfillment of the
magnanlmity that was displayed
forty-nine years ago at Appomattox
by the foremost soldier Of the age.