Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1896 — 1223 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

1223

A DELUSION: NOT A DOCTRINE.

The chief difficulty in combatting the preposterous claims of the McKinley - ltes lies in the fact that their theories are not based on facts or logic, but are wholly a matter of faith. No amount of reasoning, no statement of facts, can do anything to convince men who worship the high tariff fetish that their idol is a humbug and a fraud. The persistence of the delusion that men can tax themselves aud everybody else rich, is due to the willingness of most people to accept as truth any plausible statement if it only coincides with their prejudices and shortsighted selfish inclinations. The basis for the revival of McKinleyism at this time is the undeniable fact that there are a great many poor people in this country. The high tariff apostles come to these poor men and tell them that if heavier taxes are put on foreign goods, American goods will be dearer and so everybody will be made rich. Without Stopping to ask how giving more of the products of their labor in taxes, and paying higher prices for what they buy, will help those who are now poor, the discontented classes shout "Hurrah for McKinley! Down with cheap goods and up with tariff taxes! We want the man’who promises us prosperity." Charlatans aDd quacks have always existed and probably will always continue tef find credulous dupes who swallow their fairy stories. But surely the history of popular crazes and of successful Impostors has never shown greater gullibility on the part of the people than the present blind worship of McKinleyism.

Why Exports Declined. The McKinley organs are trying to show that the Democrats are responsible for the decline in the export of farm products during the past few yfcars, and are telling the farmers thaf a policy which enables foreign nations to trade more freely with this country' has made them buy less of our agricultural staples than if vre discouraged foreign commerce by prohibitive tariff laws. The real reason for the falling off in our shipments of farm products was the enactment of the McKinley bill. That declaration of hostility against goods made in other countries forced foreign nations to look for other markets for the manufactures they had been sending to the United States. Part of these markets they found in South America. In order to sell to the people of that country it was necessary to take something in exchange. That something has been chiefly meats and wheat, of which great quantities' are now annually shipped to Europe, displacing the same products formerly exported from this country. European imports of meats and grain from Russia, India, Australia and Canada have nlso been increased during the same period. This opening of new sources of supply for food-stuffs has been gradual, but none the less steady, since McKinleyism shut our doors in the face of the people of Europe and said that we did not want to buy from them. Of course It was only natural that they should retort by refusing to buy from us, and by developing trade with other countries. If the American farmers think that putting higher taxes on goods made by foreigners will encourage the latter to buy more of our surplus farm products, they are very much mistaken. IThe Meaning of McKinleyism. Vague promises that if the Ohio Major is elected President the country will in some mysterious way become more prosperous, should not blind the American people to the real nature of McKinleyism. Pour years ago that word was understood to mean a policy of c high taxation, dear goods, and restricted foreign trade. This was the form in which it was embodied in the McKinley tariff, and after a full and fair discussion for over two years the people rejected the policy and ordered the tariff repealed. Nothing has happened since 1892, to' change in the slightest degree the essential nature of McKinleyism. It is now, as then, a demand for special tariff privileges for the benefit of a few trusts and manufacturing monopolists. It is a scheme by which seventy million American consumers are to be taxed on the goods they buy, in order that a small number of millionaires may make greater fortunes. It means class legislation in the interests of men who furnish money to buy votes and corrupt the sources of popular government It Is a bold assertion of the right of some men to get rich at the expense of the masses \yho,produce all wealth. The popular yfrdict in 1892 was that McKinleyism was a fraud and robbery. Theft is always theft, no matter what it may be called. Pour years ago the American people voted against stealing under the form of law. Is there any reason why the, same people should now vote in favor of high tariff robbery, merely because the McKinleyItes are this year calling their leader “prosperity’s advance agent?’* The Tariff Can Wait. Just before he sailed for Europe on Saturday Mr. Andrew Carnegie told a representative of the Iron Age that all other issues must be subordinated to that of honest money; that nothing can be settled till this shall have been settled, and that no general prosperity will be possible without it. Of the tariff he said; “I agree with George B. Roberts, President of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who is a typical man of affairs of (his country, and, indeed, of the world, since he is at the head of the largest organization and gives employment to more labor than any other man. I agree with him when he says that the tariff can wait.” President Roberts and Andrew Carnegie are not politicians; neither are* they doctrinaires. They are intelligent, broad-minded men of affairs who have no Interest apart from the general welfare. When such men speak If Is to the interest of the country to stop and listen; and it is especially the busi-

ness of the political gatherings which take charge of the. country's welfare to give heed to their disinterested words of counsel and admonition.—PhiladelI phia Record. ■- • A Protectionist Movement. 1 he movement of shipbuilders to get "discriminating dudes” placed on Imports that come to us in foreign ships is entitled to no popular support. There is already in their interest a prohibition of foreign ships engaging in our epast- " * se commerce. There is al9o a prohibition of Americans owning foreignbuilt ships. Xow they want the consumer to pay extra duties if he c&nnot get an American ship to bring his goods over at a reasonable rate. It is a shameless proposal. It would probably lead to retaliation, and thus defeat the purpose of the greedy protectionist. It takes cargoes both ways to make shipping pay. If we allow no foreign ship to bring goods into our ports, the foreigner will not allow our shipowners to carry goods into his ports. The net result would be a hobbling of commerce and an artificial enhancement of prices. The consumer is “gouged” enough already. Let us have no more artificial restrictions on commerce to his hurt. How to Hit Trusts. Trusts rob the people through high .prices. Protection shuts out the competition of foreign goodsi and enables the trusts to charge more than a fair price for their products. If the American farmers and workers are tired of being robbed by monopolies they should vote for lower tariff taxes on all articles controlled by trusts. If they want to strengthen the power of the combines and monopolies they should vote for McKinleyism and high protection. This is a country in which the majority rules. If the people prefer high taxes and high prices they can have them. They will have no reason to grumble if they elect McKinley and find that they have a President who la willing to aid the trusts by giving them more protection. Everything on Tariff. The Republican nominee for the Presidency will stand for nothing on tha financial question and for everything in sight on the tariff question. The people have twice expressed their opinion of McKinleyism, and we cannot see what object they would have in reviving the odious thing, coupled with a financial straddle —Memphis Commer-cial-Appeal.