The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-22
fBy Senator Oscar W. Underwood | Author Underwood Tariff Act.)

IfRv Senator Oscar W. Underwood, Author Underwood Tariff Act.) . think at this time it is we'll to take
 stock of the present political conol- |ttons. It is well for us to define the (Rreat principle that controls the par lty in power in levying taxation petore I've attempt to analyze the leg1slauon fthat has already been passed by the lpresent administratitn and the leg Iislation that will be passed before we adjourn this Congress-. If we sail the Ishfp of state true to our principles we may make minor mistakes, but we Will tcarry 1t safely into port But II we with our principles III writing legislation there is no teihne what dangers may confront us now and in the future, and we abandon all Justification for our having been re- turned to power four years ago. f The principle which guides the Democratic party when 1t IS wr1ting lrevenue bills has been clearly oenneo lin its party platforms. but l know kof no clearer definition of the prin- lciple than that which is defined in the kparty platform of 1892, when the Democrats won g great victory in the
 country. and in the party platform lof 1912 when 1t was again returned Ito power by a tremendous majority in Iboth branches of Congress and suc- ceeded in regaining the Presidency of the United States. Protection was denounced in both of the platforms re- kferred to. The tarin act of October l1913 was written to accord with Dem- ocratic principles and to harmontze with the doctrine that the purpose of Ilevying taxation was for the purpose
 of raising revenue.
 l The charge has been made by Re- 1 tpubncAns that the Democratic party. lin enacting its tariff legislation. has in jured the great industrial develop kment of America; and when it is point ed out to these Republicans that there lis a wonderful era of prosperity in the United States, that bank balances and [bank clearances have never been so Ilarge that there has never been the Eamount of idle money in the country hunting investment that there is at kpresent, that interest rates have never been lower, that every man in the Unit ed States who desires employment can | get 1t, that the production of our fur knaces and our factories has never been greater-when they are faced with lthese indisputable facts of American Eprosperity and American success un- kder the laws that arA. now on the stat kute books, they answer by saying that !this Is brought about by the European
 kwar; that this country was then
 threatened with . de1uge of importa-
 ftions; that disaster and hard times
 Fthreatened the country.
 The Republicans should remember
 kthat we inherited dull times from theil
 Administration when our party came
 Unto power; that timesl after we came
 E1nto power were gradually improving
 land getting better, money condition.
 twere being relieved, men were begin.
 kuing to be employed, until the outbreak
 Bof the war in Europe; and when tha'
 ksreat calamity happened it paralyzet
 Ifrade, it destroyed confidence, it clos
 Fed down establishments. Men wer,
 kunable to look into the future. The!
 Fknew that a large portion of thei
 kgoods had crossed the seas and gon'
 t1nto foreign trade: that the contend
 ting nations of Europe were battling
 E1or the sea and destroying commerce