Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1903 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

The Tariff Injustice. •- It the federal customs duties collected at the ports of entry were the only taxes on the goods the people consume and the government needed the collected in 1902, the largest sum ever before received. It would still be a great burden. But the receipts from all sources in that year exceeded the «expenditures by s9l, and will probably be $50,000,000 for the present year. The cash balance now In the treasury Is 9225,179,705, so there is no present reason to continue this excessive taxation, through high tariff, for it is criminal to tax the public more than the need# of the government demand, especially when this surplus is loaned to favored banks without any return in interest, er otherwise. The Wall street bankers to whom a great portion of this Surplus is loaned and the other banks that are similarly favored throughout the country, loan this money to their customers at the going rate of brterest, so that the tax payer* of the country are furnishing the capital to the banks and paying the interest that the banks demand on it or if they are Hot borrowers but have money of their own to loan, they furnish the money tree to the banks to compete with their own capital. This tax collected through the custom bouses is only a small part of the tax that the Dingley tariff imposes. Indirectly there is a much greater impost demanded by the monopolists, combines and trusts that were called Into council by the Re publican leaders when the Dingley bill was being secretly Incubated at the Arlington Hotel In the City of Washington, D. C., In 1897. No Democratic members of the Ways and Means Committee was permitted to Join in the creation of the Dingley bill and Senator Dolliver In a speech in the Senate which Is reported In the Congressional Record, acknowledged that the tariff, rate /was purposely placed much higher than was necessary to allow a margin for reduction under the treaties for reciprocity with othesr countries, that the bill also provided for but which have never been ratified. As Senator Dolliver was at the time the Dingley bill was created a member of the 'Ways and Means Committee, this intide history ot the enormity of that bill Is therefore at first hand, by a Republican who was present at its preparation. By virtue of the extremely high tariff the protected trusts and combines are more extortionate than the Dingley bill. Where that law provides for the collection of over 50 per cent on the average value of most of the necessities of life, the trust tax gatherer demands In many cases over 100 per cent, of which the government receives nothing. The Statisticians of the "Bureau of Labor of Massachusetts have figured that in the boot and sboe industry the average wages are $491.49 for workers per year and allowing that two of each family are employed the amount that each family earns would be $983. The tariff tax on the expenditures of such a household is $13.75 and the tax that the trusts and combines extort is $95.25. Think of it, nearly seven times more to the trusts under the Republican protective system than the United States government receives. Congressman Littlefield, a Republican, gave a list of 800 trusts with a ’capitalization of nearly $14,000,000,000 which was pilnted in the Congressional Record of February 26, 1903, to which, aggregation each family in the United States contributed nearly SIOO.OO, so that the trusts can get rich and the poor poorer. It matters not now poor or wretched a man may be, the protective tariff demands and obtains a tax from him. The ways of the protectionists are peculiar, they pass laws to keep out foreign goods and then pass another law appropriating $5,000,000 for an Exposition at St. Louis and Invite foreigners to exhibit their productions side by side in competition with our domestic products. They have established a system of taxation, so remarkable that a tramp • chewing his qnid of tobacco pays his taxes with the rest of us and the poor man and the laborer pays in far greater proportion than the millionaire. And yet we are being told by the Republican leaders that no steps must be taken by the coming Congress to reform or revise this unequal tax. That the prosperity of the country Is bound up with the protective tariff and we must “let well enough alone.” k The Trouble# of Rooeevelt. In spite of the denial from the White House, there Is no doubt that there Is friction between President Roosevelt and at least two of his Cabinet The usually well inform fd Washington correspondent of Ihe New York Post says: “The whole postoffice affair la rapidly developing into a controversy between the President and the* Republican organisation in many States.” Jhen be quotes an organization Republican as saying: “The President seems to think that all that fa necessary is tor the country to etoct hhn. He torgats the Republican organization must first nominate him.” . All this shows a strong underground MOtfcneat against PresUWnt Roosevelt fa his own party by the party chiefs

who have always controlled the dele* gation from their States to the Republican national convention. The pledges already given by some of these leaders and the resolutions adopted indorsing President Roosevelt will be thrown aside and another selected In his place, if the winning combination can be made. The large and controlling delegations from New York and Pennsylvania have been pledged to President Roosevelt, not for love of him, but because the patronage depended on such action. These two States, with Ohio and Indiana, can come pretty nearly dictating the nominee, with the delegates from the Southern States ready for revolt. The revolt may never occur, because President Roosevelt may succumb to the pressure that the organization leaders will bring to bear on him, as he has done on former occasions. If he persists In the removal of Traccwell and in forcing his Ideas on Congress, the leaders may conclude to throw him overboard for some more pliant candidate who will think of some one else besides himself. If matters do not come to such a pass and the outlook for success of the Republican ticket Is doubtful, there will be a scramble by the organization leaders to save their own scalps from the political erruption that Is probable and let the President care for his own fortunes. The Democrats can view with complacency the clouds gathering on the Republican horizon, for In the event of President Roosevelt’s rejection by the Republican national convention, there would be a vast number of ardent Republicans who would be at least lukewarm for the slight cast upon their leader. If President Roosevelt la able to overcome the opposition In hla own party and Is the candidate, there will be very Influential political elements that will openly and secretly oppose him, so edther horn of the Republican dilemma brings aid and promise of success to the cause of the people.

Looting the Public Domain. Tho public lands of the United States belong to the whole people and should be sacredly kept for their use and benefit. These millions of acres of forests, mountains and land In the arid belt will before long be very valuable and will be occupied by a thrifty and prosperous people. Even the mountains with their small valleys will be wanted as the Increase of population pushes our future millions further and further from the present centers of population. That a mountainous country will maintain those who are willing to work has been exhibited for ages In Switzerland. A combination of lumbermen and land office officials have formed a conspiracy to acquire these valuable timber lands and the Portland Oregonian, a leading Republican newspaper announces that a “land graft” ring has for years been acquiring titles to millions of acres through the use of dummies and other fraudulent means.” It Is even stated that a number of United States Senators and Congressmen are implicated and an investigation has been going on for some time. The unearthing of these gigantic land frauds stealing the peoples patrimony, on the heels of the exposure of the postofflce and other scandals will serve to awaken the American people to the necessity of entrusting the affairs of the government to a new set of men. The Republican leaders have so impressed their followers with the idea that “graft” and “loot” are the desirata of government that honesty of administration Is no longer considered.

The Protected Few. If the Republican leaders were not In league with the trusts, combines and corporations, would they be continually advising the voters of the United States to “stand pat” on such an Iniquitous and unjust system that makes the farmer, the working man and the people with small means pay ena/mously more in proportion to their Incomes than the millionaire or the trads or corporations. Is It any wonder to see vast fortunes accumulated by the few, who are protected, and tha great majority continuing In straitened circumstances, with no hope of Immediate improvement. Will you eontir.ue to vote to keep the Republican party In power by electing Congressmen and Legislators who favor the continuation of the high protective system. or rather vote for Democratic candidates who are pledged to reform the tariff so that the system of taxation should be changed to “Equal rights to at, special privileges to none?” “Waiting for the Minister.”