Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1899 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

NOT A ONE-IDEA MAN. The notion that William J. Bryan is a man of one idea has been industriously propagated. But nothing is farther from the facts. Mr. Bryan is certainly the most eloquent advocate of bimetallism before the country. Bnt it should not be forgotten that he first attracted the attention of the American people by his great free-trade speech in Congress. This remarkable speech, says an exchange, delivered shortly after he became a member of the House of Representatives, gave him a national reputation. Mr. Bryan has as firm a grasp of the question of monopolies and trusts, of taxation, and of militarism and imperialism as be has of that of free coinage. He is to-day. in his speeches and writings, discussing these questions with as much ability, vigor and lucidity as he ever exhibited in the discussion of the silver question. The pretense that Mr. Bryan represents nothing but 16 to 1 is ridiculous. He stands in the broadest sense for all the fundamental doctrines of Democracy—for self-government, home rule and equal. taxation, and against militarism and imperialism. The advocacy of free coinage at 16 to 1 is merely an Incident In Mr. Bryan’s career. The people, whether Democrats or Republicans, who insist that “there is nothing to Bryan but 16 to 1,” not only do the Democratic leader a great Injustice, but they discredit their own intelligence. The author of the greatest anti-protection speech delivered in Congress during the last quarter of a century and of so many powerful expositions of the evils of militarism and imperialism, is not to be classed as a one-idea man.—Mishawaka Democrat.

Democratic Creed. When Rev. Sam Small was contemplating starting a Democratic paper in Washington, which he did not start, he asked me to give in the fewest words possible an answer to the question, “Why I am a Democrat,” which I did as follows: . “I am a Democrat because: “The principles of Democracy constitute the essence of government of the people, by the people, and for the people; “Democracy is the only hope of constitutional government on this continent and throughout the world; “Democracy means the least quantity of government compatible with the maintenance, well being and progress wf society; "Democracy means a return to the simplicity of the fathers in official station; “Democracy is the only firm and consistent foe of paternalism, anarchy aud class legislation; “Democracy means the political equality of all men and that ope set of our citizens shall not be enriched by legislation to the impoverishment of all others; “Democracy means perfect honesty and strict economy in the public service—less taxes and more money—to the end that the condition of the toilers of the land may be bettered; •Democracy means Jefferson’s wise and successful foreign policy—peace, commerce and honest friendship with all entangling alliances with none; “Democracy means a restoration of the American flag to the rich empire of the high seas, from which It has been banished by the greed, stupidity and maladministration of the enemies of Democracy; "Democracy means freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of the ballot, and holds as among the highest crimes any interference with or coercement of the suffrages of the people; "Democracy means an enlargement and enforcement of the Monroe doctrine until It shall become an irresistible power among all the nations of the earth; “Democracy means that all governments must respect our flag and the Inviolability of our citizens, wherever they may sojourn or withersoever they may travel until the sentence, T am an American,’ shall become a safer passport than was the far-famed ‘Romanns Sum.’ ’’ —Champ Clark. Some Defense of Trust*. Because thieves sometimes steal from each other is no excuse for outlawry. Because cut-throats sometimes kill each other affords no palliation for murder. And It is no defense of trusts that they sometimes come to grief through the operation of natural causes. It is rather evidence of their error. And when trusts fortify themselves against the operations of natural law, and guard with shrewd devices •gainst the possibilities of an nnlncky chance, the law should be invoked •gainst them. Competition should be free and trade should be fair.—Portland Oregonian. . !. T“ Protection late on Defensive. The weakness of the Republican tariff system can be proved by a careful investigation of the causes of Mr. Gage's announced deficit of nearly SM,OOOyOO6. It will be shown that tbe Dingley law is not a revenue producer. It-win be shown that tbe Dingley tariff to a prohibitive tax on Imports. It will be airown that •• oar porta are closed to goods of foreign manufacturers by the apseattonil of high pctothctlon the opportunity has beenutfltoed by aggro-

exactions of this system of concentration have grown more oppressive upon labor and production. It will be shown that though there has been a slight increase in the wage scale of the country labor has not been benefited, because the opportunities of labor have been narrowed by the increase of trusts, and that there are actually more idle men in the country to-day than a year ago when the wage rate was lower. The protectionists will be on the defensive from the opening to the close of the Fifty-sixth Congress, and they are going to have a hard time explaining away a multitude of hard, stubborn facts.—Hamilton (Ohio) Democrat. Income Tax Neccwary. The war brought into bold relief the necessity for an Income tax, so that we may reasonably expect popular support in our effort to secure an amendment to the constitution specifically authorizing such tax. The money question is neither dead nor sleeping. Can the gold standard be regarded as satisfactory when a Republican President sends a commission to Europe to secure aid in getting rid of it? In a letter written to Lord Aldenhen, Nov. 25, 1898, two years after the presidential election, and two weeks after the last congressional election, Secretary Hay declared that the President and a majority of the cabinet still believed in the great desirability of an international agreement. Every argument made in favor of an international agreement is a condemnation of the gold standard. The failure of the commission to secure foreign aid in the restoration of bimetallism is conclusive proof that we must act alone if we expect relief from monometallism, while our opponents refuse to suggest any other ratio in which bimetallism is possible. If our opponents say that the increased production of gold has made better, they admit the correctness of the quantitive theory of money, whereas in 1896 they denied It. If a little more gold unexpectedly discovered in the Klondike has made conditions better, how much greater would be the advantage if silver from our mountains was allowed to flow through the mints into the arteries of trade?—William J. Bryan.

None and Face Retaliation. The Executive Department at Washington seriously proposes to flue the American people $18,000,000 a year for an offense committed by the Brazilian government. This is the way of it: We consume 60,000,000 pounds of coffee a year. More than ten-elevenths of it—or practically all—comes from Brazil. But Brazil imposes import duties—not .nearly so heavy,' it is true, as our own average—upon many articles which we sell to that country. Our government complains of this and lias asked Brazil to to quit it, in order that our people may sell more of our products to Brazilians. Brazil needs revenue and hesitates to yield to this demand. Our government therefore threatens—under a provision of law which permits the President to legislate in such cases—to levy a retaliatory duty of 3 cents a pound on all tbe Brazilian coffee we use. That Is to say, it proposes to make everybody in the United States pay 3 cents a pound more than now for every pound of coffee used. With our enormous Dingley tariff duties in force, why should we complain that Brazil imposes much lower Import dues for tbe sake of revenue? And why should the American people be required to suffer for Brazil’s offense?—New York World.

Tin Plate Greed. With a protective tariff of S3O a ton on tin the tin plate trust has no fear of foreign competition. Absolutely protected in a gigantic monopoly, this combine robs the public with unrestrained rapacity and endeavors to keep the wages of its employes down to the starvation limit Forced by the workmen in its employ to give a slight advance in wages, the tin trust looked about for the means of making a good thing out of the situation. With the consumers at its mercy, the trust immediatel.v raised the price of it«s commodity 50 cents a box, which gave them a premium of about 45 cents on the deal. In less than a year the price of tin plate has been raised from $2.65 to $4.37 a box, and the people who are compelled to use this article have no way of evading this outrageous and oppressive tax. Nobody gets any good outof this trust except its managers. The government gets no revenue, for the duty fts prohibitive. The workmen get no benefit, for the trust is supreme. The people get no consideration, for they must pay the prices demanded or go without the commodity. The duty on tin plate should be reduced. Then the government would secure revenue, the people would be benefited and the rapacity of the trust checked. But no relief will come while the Republican party Is In power. Trusts are here to stay until Democracy obtains control of national legislation. / Pisreirnrded Mt Washington. Reports from the Philippines as to the hardships of some of our soldiers, due to excessive floods, will not be comforting news to the friends of the brave men who are thus in defense of their flag undergoing privations that threaten life and health In addition to the ordinary (Dangers from a treacherous enemy.—Philadelphia Call. >