Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 236, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1912 — HE TALKED TARIFF FOR REVENUE ONLY [ARTICLE]

HE TALKED TARIFF FOR REVENUE ONLY

Senator Shively Delivered Two-Hour Address in Support of Democratic Plea for Free Trade. Senator B. F. Shively talked for two hours Tuesday afternoon, following his introduction by W. R. Nowels, devoting his entire speech to a discussion of the tariff. For the first time in eighteen years the Democrats are making their campaign on this issue. In 1894, following the election of Cleveland two years before ‘they talked our people to a frenzy and secured both branches of the national congress. The Wilson-Gorman law resulted and was the forerunner of the greatest business depression the country had suffered since the war. Two years later they forsook free trade and making an idol of William Jennings Bryan made free silver the paramount_iggue. Four years later they clung to free silver while pronouncing imperialism and militaryism as the menacing dangers of the country. In 1904 Alton B. Parker precipitately declined to lead a free silver crusade and there wasn’t much for the Democrats to do except to expound free trade a little here and there where the mould of eight years had clouded a few forgetful minds. In 1908 the Peerless One and his latest creations were before the people and the government guarantee of bank deposits was well in the foreground. Tariff was discussed with a little added fervor by reason of the four years more in which the people had to forget the distress of 1894 to 1896. But it remained for them to make it their headliner for this year. Some people! can’t remember eighteen years back and some are willing to take a chance every once in awhile and some are so set in their policies that they would support a tariff for revenue only if they knew it was going to bring a panic by return mail. So Senator Shively talked about the tariff and he made a good argument consid:red from the standpoint of a scholarly legal address. The senator holds out that the tariff can be reduced without regard to the cost of production at home and abroad and that the revenues will be adequate because of the increased amount of goods imported. He says that American manufacturers can compete with the manufacturers of other countries and still maintain our high scale of wages. It is at this poipt that we have been objecting to Democratic doctrine for many years and to substantiate our view is the experience above referred to, when our factories closed down : the employes were thrown out of work, being out of work they could not buy the necessities of life, to say nothing of the luxuries to ,which they are entitled. Being out of buying power the demand for clothing and food-stuffs was reduced and the demand being lessened the price dropped. It is a continuous chain, but the effect was felt all along the line with lightning rapidity and the farmer, the merchant, the wage earner and everyone got it in the neck just the same as the factory owner. A short experience was all that was necessary to show the destruction of the policy and for eight years it would have been as hard to shove free trade down the throats of the American people as it would have been to shove butter down a weasle’s neck with a hot awl. /

Senator Shively contends that the farmer is not affected by the tariff, but the farmer knows that the tariff exists today and that conditions are mighty good. If he can remember back to 1894 or if he ‘will read up to see what happened then he will learn that prices were low and conditions the worst ever at that time. The ans.wer is simple but it is a complete refutation of Senator Shively’s very scholarly address. The tariff is right The country is all right The people are all right. Let us “let well enough alone.”

“The Pumpkin Husker,” a rural comedy in four acts, with Dorothy Russell in the leading role, which is at the Ellis Theatre Thursday, October 3, has been before the public as an amusement vehicle for the past eight years, and is just as popular today as the day of its conception, if the crowded houses that continue to greet Its every appearance can be taken as a mark of popularity. AU the cheap sensational features of the usual run of rustic plays have been omitted, and in their places are to be found some of the most beautiful climaxes on the stage today.