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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 1908)
P"WWBPB(WPMWB(BB Ml- OCTOBER I, l0t The Commoner. 7 w Republican Editors Can Not Recognize Their Own Platform In its issue of October 2, the Omaha (Nob.) Bee, a republican paper, printed this editorial: BRYAN'S TARIFF POLICY The Denver platform plank on the tariff question is notable for its vagueness, but Mr. iBryan has come to the rescue and made it all plain. In one of his recent speeches on the tariff, he said: "In all tariff legislation the truo principlo is best maintained by the imposition of such duties as will equal the difference between the cost of production at home and abroad, together with reasonable profit to American industries." Nothing prettier in the catch-all line has been offered in this campaign. The most hide bound standpatter In the country can accept that as satisfactory and the rankest free-trader can find delight in it. The declaration means simply nothing. An attempt to legislate along that line would simply open the way to inter minable wrangling as to what constitutes "a reasonable profit" for hair-splitting on wages on one industry, price of raw materials in an other, rebates and drawbacks in a third and so on through the list of thousands of articles that are now on the tariff lists. Under such a proposition, an attempt at tariff revision at Bryan's direction would serve only to halt In dustrial and 'Commercial progress and keep busi ness unsettled during his term of office. The Omaha World-Herald, in Its iSBue of October 3, shows the bad blunder made by its republican contemporary. The" paragraph , which the Bee attributes' to Mr. Bryan was merely quoted by Mr. Bryan -', from the republican platform. The republican, plank is as follows: "Tn all tariff legislation the true principle of protection is best maintained by the lmposi-, tion of such duties as will equal the difference, between the cost of production at honqe and abrortd, together with a reasonable profit to American industries." Referring to the Bee's blunder, the World Herald says . "Now that it develops that the blow Is. 'a'fmecL Hot at tjie, democratic position,. but atj"fhe. r.epu"blir.an position,, js'ita force any, the less?, JDpes It n'otT in fact, 'bpcome the.mpre. potent and convincing ', , . , .. t ,, .j - THIS IS TOO MUCH M'l t.) ' On": October' 3 -Mr.- Bryan's attention', was-' called to the Omaha World-Herald's editorial reproducing the Omaha Bee's attack upon the republican platform, He said:. "I am very much surprised that Mr. Rose water, who is the, editor of the Bee, and also a member of the executive committee of the republican national committee, and the head of the republican bureau of publicity, should have attempted to misrepresent my position. A good many unfair things have been said, but nothing more unfair than that said by Mr. Rose water. To accuse me of using the language of the republican platform is an outrage. Ho ought to apologize for this injustice, and ex plain to his readers that the language which he criticises was taken from the republican plat form and not from any speech of mine. "Mr. Rosewater Is right, however, in mak ing fun of the language. He Is right in saying that 'nothing prettier in the catch-all line has been offered in this campaign.' He is also right in saying that 'the most hide-bound standpatter in the country can accept that as satisfactory and the rankest free-trader can find delight In it.' He is right again In saying that 'the de claration means simply nothing.' And again he is right in saying 'an attempt to legislate . along that line would simply open the way to interminable wrangling as to what constitutes a reasonable profit, for hair-splitting on wages on one industry, price of raw materials in an other, rebates and drawbacks in a third and so on through the list of thousands of articles that are now on the tariff lists But 1 hardly ex pected from him so frank a confession as Is contained in the last sentonco of his oditorial: 'Under such a proposition, an attempt at tariff revision (he sayB 'at Bryan's direction' but would it not bo true if done at Taft's direction?) would servo to halt industrial and. commercial progress and keep business unsettled during his term of office.' "This is a rich find. It shows how absurd the republican platform" looks to a republican when the republican has a chance to look at it in a disinterested way. When Mr. Rosewater thought that the language quoted was taken from a speech of mine, he could see how ridicu lous the language was. I hope that his opinion of tho language will not change when he finds that he was shooting at his own platform in stead of at me. Tho amusing blunder of the Omaha Bee suggests a now diversion for the campaign. Let the democrats accuse rao of using various sections from tho republican pla't- , form and from Mr. Taft's speechos and see how . the republican editorg will ridicule- tho language." ANOTHER REPUBLICAN PAPER ATTACKS ITS PARTY'S TARIFF PLANK .The Portland Oregonian, a republican, pa per,,. made the same mistake that the Omaha Bee .has made. Tn jts issue of Monday, Septem ber. ,1:4,. the, Oregonian printed the following, editorial: . " THE TARIFF In his daily speeches Mr. Bryan tells us this: "Tn all tariff legislation the true principle Is.hest maintained by the imposition of such duties as will equal the-difference- between tho coRt of production at home and abroad, totretber with reasonable profit to American industries." This means just nothing. Everv protec tionist, 'even the extremist, will accept the stafc ment. Who Is to decide vfhat Is reasonable profit? Who Is to decide what may be the fair difference between wages afj nome and abroad? The, problem presents ah infinite number and varfetv of factors, as- we)I as of1 differences to ' b adjusted. Men never will agrde upon them. Thev will agree unnn tlje loose statement, as presented bv Mr. Brvan: but never upon the details in working it out. Thev can't. It is not a problem of mathematics. The human spirit controls It all. Agree on the Brvan statement, yet' you are no nearer the solution than you were before. Tbe formula offers no sure values or definite quantities. For in the same condi tions and under the pame laws, for equalization of the difference between the cost of production at home and abroad, and of a fair profit for canftal. pome men will pucceed and others will fail. Manv Insist that the conditions required by the orator evHt now. And it Is certain that under anv tariff or under none, some will suc ceed and some will fail: and those who succeed and capture and hold the business will be called monopolists, while those who fail will be vic tims of something or other, but never of their, own inefficiency or other faults. The onlv wav to give all men an equal show, or a perfeflv fair show. Is to abolish all tariffs, ,to cut off all duties, trlve nobodv protec tion, whether laborer or capitalist. Then the best talents, the highest powers, the greatest industry nud skill, will do tho business. Bryan's suggestion is no real departure from the policy of the protectionists. It Is. aa ho defines it t protectionist policy, not different in principlo rrom that of Cannon, Payno and Dalzoll, but keeping open a way to tho splitting of hairs on schedules, on wages In this industry and that, on reasonable or unreasonable profits. Short of absolute free trado. so that the tariff laws may help nobody, there Is no principlo on which tho decision may bo made. Should Bryan bo elected president, nud a congress with him, and an attempt bo mado to adjust a tariff for "Imposition of such duties as win eqUai ti,0 difference botweon cost of pro duction at homo and abroad, together with rea sonable profit to American industries," we should discover at onco tho charlatanry and futility of tho undertaking. On this formula thero could be no possible agreomont. Nor would any agreement, if mnde, have any value whatever. Tho only principle of tariff is tariff for revenue. But (hat will not bo adopted by o thcr party. And tariff for revenue only is y .11 freo trado Bryan novcr speaks for. tariff for revenue only. Ho always has vagu notions of "protection" some kind or dogroo or protection in his mind; and so has his party. Consequently, if they come into powor again they will simply shift the Incidence of duties, put "the other fellow" on the freo list as they did when last In power, and "protect" the special interests that have the pull on thorn as friends. Never will thero bo any genuine re form .of tho tariff upon tho principle stated above by Candidate Bryan. As soon as ho had read tho Orogonian's editorial, Mr. O. H. Thomas, chairman of the democratic county committee at Portland, wrote to the Oregonian tho following letter: Portland, Oregon, September 14, 1908. To tho Editor: Your crowning offense in this campaign appeared this morning in your edi torial headed "Tho Tariff." As a basis for that oditorial you took tho following plank from tho republican national platform of this year, but you attributed the language to Mr. Bryan: "Tn all tariff legislation the truo principle is best maintained by Iho Imposition of such duties as will equal the difference between the cost of production at homo and abroad, together with reasonable profit to American industries." As a democrat I commend the editorial mentioned to the unbiased consideration of every voter in this country. Presuming that tho knockrtut logic employed by you In denouncing this republican plank came from a sincere mind, I ask that you deal justly with Mr. Bryan by immediately reproducing this editorial with tho name of the candidate responsible therefor, Mr. Taft, substituted where you have wrongly used the name of Mr. Brvan. You should tell tho peoplo that the repub lican platform contains tho "loose statement" whleh you have denounced to perfection, but that Mr. Taft defends Jt; and you should tell them that Mr. Bryan is doing everything that mortal man can do, honestly, to defeat what you have termed such "vague notions of pro tection." Very truly, G. H. THOMAS, Chairman Multnomah Democratic County Central Committee. Mr. Thomas' letter was handed to the Ore gonian editor on the night of the 14th Inst, for appearance In the issue of September 15; tho Oregonian editor, however, refused to publish the letter, returning It to Mr. Thomas. Many other republican papers have reprint ed tho Oregonian editorial, but none have as yet apologized for it. TAFT'S STANDARD OIL JUDGE Senator Foraker, in his defense, furnished Mr. Bryan with a weapon that the democratic candidate might use with terrible effect, unless the president and Mr. Taft are able to show the falsity of the senator's statement. More or lesS effort has been made to impress the country with the danger of permitting Mr. Bryan to nominate judges to the United States supreme court. The point was much emphasized by Gov ernor Hughes in his Youngstown speech;. Is Mr. Bryan now to have undisputed use of the re-' tort furnished him by Senator Foraker, that Mr. Taft advised the president to place upon the fed eral bench a well-known Standard Oil attorney cf Ohio? If so, Mr. Bryan can tour the country saying that, whatever his judicial appointees may be. they will not be Standard Oil attorneys. -Springfield (Mass.) Republican. MR, TAFT LY LINCOLN The following Associated Press dispatch, explains Itself: Lincoln, Neb., September 29. William J, Bryan has asked the democrats of Lincoln to remove lithographs of himself from store and residence windows during the visit of William H. Taft to Lincoln Wednesday. The telegram follows: "C. W. Bryan, Lincoln, Neb.: Please ask tho democrats of Lincoln to take my picture down whllo Mr. Taft Is In town., Have them show him every possible courtesy. "W. J. BRYAN." After reading the "Dear Harrlman" cor respondence you will understand why Messrs. Taft and Roosevelt-we mean Roosevelt and Taft favor publicity "after election," if at all. n n -.'! f M M 4i A V mU