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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1909)
--i,; .V--...j1(f-w)ii?-V'.V; ; rr'J'IT' ,)fwrT'? W.".llSWf1!,WiMipjrT-Tr , The Commoner; VOLUME I)) NUMBER 31 2 IF, IT tf h -! TUB PEOPLE 'WAY WANT TO KNOW An Associated Press dispatch from Washing ton says that at tho suggestion of several re publican congressmen from tho west the presi dent has consented not to mention tho tariff question on his western trip. In the samo dis patch Senator Dolliver is, quoted as paying: "Tills bill will bo judged by what it contains, not by what 1b now said about it. When tho peoplo discover what Is in it there will be trouble a plenty for it." ' But the people may want to hear from the president on this subject. Ho is, it is said, to tell tho peoplo "about things he hopes to ac complish next session in tho -way of monetary legislation." Tho peoplo will be. interested in that, too. But they may want to know if our monetary laws are to be revised to suit tho financiers even as the, tariff law was Tevised (upward) to suit the tariff barons. BARONS BANQUET PENROSE A Washington city dispatch, carried "by the Associated Press says: "Because of his instrumentality In having a higher duty placed on hosiery, Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania is to be tendered a banquet by tho hosiery industry of the country, and by the manufacturers 6f Pennsylvania. A great indus trial' parade in which operatives employed in the hosiery factories and other industries in Penn sylvania are to take part, is planned in conjunc tion with tho dinner." Tho masses of the American people will not, however, indulge in any jollification over a law that gives to the generous contributors to re publican campaign funds" what President Taft in his tariff statement calls "greater normal profits." FREE LUMBER AND CHEAPER HOMES NoW let the crusade begin for free lumber and cheaper lipmes. The timber owners and saw mill men forced the retention 6f the tariff on lumber. Not one American in fifty is bene fited by the tariff on lumber, but' all aro taxed and besides this a tariff 'pn lumber is a bounty on forest destruction. Free lumber and cheaper homes shduld be'one of the slogan in tho next congressional campaign. FREE IRON ORE AND' FREE COAL The steel trust has succeeded in retaining a tariff on iron ore and the railroads have pre vented free coal. The democratic program for 1910 should include free c al, free iron and ma terial reductions in the tariff on manufactured iron. general reduction, hut for a compromise be tween tho house bill and the senate bill. The bill aB it becomes a law does not reduce tho tariff it leaves tho average rate higher than in the Dingley bill. The few reductions aro overshadowed by the increases and the con sumers are in a worse position than they wero a year ago. But something has been ac complished: . , , . .. First, Tariff revision, by "the friends of the tariff" is an exploded theory. It can not be used to fool the people any more. Second, The republicans of the rank and file have learned that promises made in secret to those who furnish the campaign funds are more binding than platform pledges. Third, The public has seen how a tariff bill is made when 'protection"" is. taken as a basis. It is a matter of' barter and trade. Fourth, The -consumer now knows that his interests will not bo considered until he makes his vote mean what he wants. Fifth, The reduction of the tariff on leather, harness and shoes, as a result of putting hides on the free list, shows that free raw material is! the stepping stone toward lower tariff rates. There are several other lessons which have been learned but these are enough to mention now. If the republican voters do not resent the game that has been played upon them it will be difficult to shake their faith in the tariff ridden trust-controlled leaders of their party. THE "TARIFF REVISION" FRAUD The "revision" fraud, has been consummated; the bargain with tho tariff barons has been ful filled; "tho goods have been delivered" in re turn for campaign funds furnished by the pro tected interests. The tariff plank of the last republican national platform was written with the deliberate purpose of deceiving the voters. Tho word REVISE was used instead of the word .reduce, but the words "unequivocally" and "im mediately" were added in order to conceal the purpose, then entertained by the republican leaders, to prevent any material reduction. Mr. Sherman, the candidate for vice president, was known to be a "standpatter" and against reduction. President Taft spent the campaign in DODGING the question. No one can read his speeches without noting tho evasion and the effort to avoid a DIRECT PROMISE OF RE DUCTION. At one time he said the revision would PROBABLY be downward, and at an other time he said some of the schedules ought to be raised and others lowered, When con gress convened he refused to take any part in the revision and allowed it to go out from the White House that he did not think it proper for the executive to interfere in the prepara tion of a tariff bill. While the progressive re publicans wero fighting for reductions he ap peared indifferent. The only time he awakened was when the progressives formed a coalition with the democrats and were about to add an income tax araendmont to tho tariff bill. Then, at Senator Aldrich's request, he took . a hand in the matter and forced the acceptance of a substitute plan embodying the adoption of a corporation tax and the submission of an in come tax amendment to tho constitution. After tho house had RAISED tho tariff and the senate had raised it STILL MORE, then, and not until then, he entered tho fight and then not for a THE CAUSE OF THE CONSUMER ,The Brooklyn Eagle says: "According to a peculation made by .United States Senator -Dolli-yer, while the government collected $300,000, 000 upon importations, the protected interests collected $2,100,000,0.00 from the consumer. He was an 'insurgent' when he delivered the speech In which this, calculation figured, but -since then the president has joined the ranks of .tfye rebellious and that makes a difference. The cause of tho consumer is becoming almost respectable, as distinguished from disreputable. Evien, Senator Aldrich ,says he is not sorry to seo'the .free list looming up." Nor can we forget that with all' such brave words, .(uttered after .election day) the Brook lyn, .JEagle.. manages on . election, day to line up with the party that fights, the consumer. a' measure which in the same speech he said he was personally inclined to favor. Hero ia tho correspondence: "To President Taft: Now that the states are going to vote on the ratification of the amend ment specifically authorizing an income tax why not give them a chance to vote an amendment providing for the election of United States sen ators by popular vote? In your speech of ac ceptance you said that you were personally in clined to favor such a change in tho constitu tion. Would this not be an opportune time to present, the subject to congress? Two consti tutional amondments-7-one authorizing an in come tax and the other providing for the popu lar election of senators would make your ad ministration memorable and I pledge you whatever assistance I can render in securing the ratification of these amendments. With great respect, I am yours truly, W. J. BRYAN." It seems that he does not regard his expres sion of personal friendliness as committing -him to any effort to secure the amendment. As it is not necessary for him to sign a joint resolution submitting such an amendment and as. he now declines to recommend it it wduld look like his reference to it was a matter of surplusage. It is hardly fair to hold out such hopes during the campaign and then disappoint them when the election is over; we were afraid of it, as see notification speech, August, 1908: "With respect to the election of senators by the people, personally, I am inclined to favor it, but it is hardly a' party question. A resolu tion in its favor has passed a republican house of representatives several times and has been rejected in a republican senate by the votes of senators from both parties. It has been ap proved by the legislatures of many republican states. In a number of states, both democratic and republican, substantially such a system now prevails." LESSONS FOR THE ELECTOR In a wonderfully frank editorial entitled "Lessons for the .Elector," the Wall Street Journal says: "If the yoter has not learned some valuable lessons from the tariff discussion, he is a great deal denser than the Wall Street Journal be lieves. Never has such a flood of daylight been thrown upon high protection's meanest and ugliest features. The pretense of high tariff for the encouragement of infant industries has been abandoned. That kind of 'infant,' in fact, never grows old enough to be weaned and, in deed, demands more 'infant' nourishment the older it gets. Another hard-worked theory, also, which has received some rude shocks is that an advance in tariff schedules means an advance in wages. It is increasingly probable that the two things are not related. Wages went down last year irrespective of the tariff in the enor mously protected steel industry, and have since been restored, although iron ore and pig iron are among the few articles on which the duty has been revised downwards. The New England cotton spinners are making great dividends, but the wages of mill operatives have not advanced. So much is this the case that unintelligent and unskilled imported laborers from Europe or even children' of school age are substituted for educated American operatives. These are plain facts, and the voter "will be a fool if he can not appreciate what they mean. Nobody in his senses can believe that the present compromise will represent -the tariff system of this country for more than a brief period. Now is the time for the voter to take up the education of his congressmen and senators. He can not begin too soon.'' PRESIDENT TAFT DECLINES It is as we feared it would be. President Taft declines to recommend the submission of a . constitutional amendment providing for the election of United States senators by popular vote. After ho had recommended an income tax amendment which he had last summer de clared to be unnecessary, Mr. Bryan wrote him, suggesting that he recommend the 'amendment providing for the popular election of senators A REPUBLICAN'S DREAM , Under the headline "An Awful Moment," the Chicago Record-Herald (rep.) prints the fol lowing: "Last night I had the most awful experience of my life, and also the most delightful." "Quite remarkable. How did it happen that you had both those experiences In' bile night?" "It was natural enough. I dreamed that I was Senator Aldrich; -that I had succeeded in compelling the senate to pass a bill providing for a general increase of tariff duties on the things which are used by American consumers, and.that I had then closed and locked the capitol at Washington. After that I seemed suddenly to be left alone with 'Uncle Joe' Cannon in a little room with bare walls and uncarpeted floor. We sat down at a small deal ta'ble and began discussing affairs of state. It was all very vivid. 'Uncle Joe' lighted a cigar, hung one leg over a corner of the table, and said: " 'Nelse, I congratulate you. You have saved this nation from a terrible fate. The people had an idea that they wanted the tariff revised down ward, but as usual the people didn't know what they really wanted. I have sometimes been skeptical Concerning the existence of an All Wise Providence, but I can never doubt again. It was certainly providential that you and I were on hand when this tariff revision matter came up to interpret the people's wishes for them.' "Then he appeared to pause suddenly and listen, and presently I began to hear a low, hum ming sound. It grew louder very rapidly, and I could make out that it was produced by human voices. Louder and louder it became. 'Uncle Joe' got under tho table and I looked about in vain for a place of concealment. The sound had by this time became thunderous in its volume. I could hear men shouting my name, and heavy stones began to rattle against the sides of the frail building: The clamor outside came from all directions. I could feel my hair rising; cold sweat trickled down my spine, and I saw 'Uncle . Joe' trying rto tear a hole in the floor, -so that he might crawl through Into the cellar.. At last there was a heavy thud against-the' door, then there came another and another, and just as the thing was crushed in, I awoke to find my little boy standing at my bedside, gently run ning his fingers through my whiskers." MUDDY? The Missouri may be a muddy stream but the fact that six of the republican senators who voted against the Aldrich bill came from states touching the Missouri would indicate that tho Mlssburl rlveH people have a pretty clear con ception of what tariff robbery means. . y ,' .-. WJfflM