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The Commoner
WILLIAM J, BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR .
VOL. 9, NO. 37
Lincoln, Nebraska, September 24, 1909
Whole Number 453
Mr. Bryan's Dallas Speech
In Favor of Free Raw Material
Mr. Bryan spoke on the tariff questloa at
Dallas, Texas, September 14.
After a few Introductory remarks, Mr. Bryan
eaid:
There has been some discussion as to the
reason for my coming hero at this time to
deliver this speech, and an explanation may not
be out of order. The BUpport which has been
given me by the state of Texas in three national
campaigns would be a sufficient reason for my
coming here to make a speech at any time. I
might find an additional reason In the fact that
lost year Texas not only endorsed the
Denver platform after tho national con
vention but endorsed the Nebraska plat
form before tho national convention. But
there is a special reason for my coming at this
time. Finding that I would bo in the stato
for the delivery of several lectures, I thought
it an opportune time to malco a tariff speech at
Dallas and Fort Worth, and that I may not be
accused of partiality, I will add that later in
tho fall I expect to speak on the subject in a
number of 'other places in the state. I am not
here at the invitation of any person or group
of persons; I am hero rather in response to a
summons, for I am one of the defendants in an
indictment brought against . the democracy of
i(th,e nation inr tho platform adopted by the Texas
state convention in 1896.' Tile ' platform to
which I refer says: ' y '
"We favor1 a tariff for. revenue only, but in
a sufficient amount supplemented by othcr ta&v.
ation, -tomeefc the experilWijWquired sdTtkiio
render it unnecessary to increase Jjie public
-iQDV4n any in'anner or form whatever. Ana
we believe that the present tariff 'law, which
lets into this country raw materials free of duty
and levies heavy duties on manufactured pro
- ducts, thus subjecting our agricultural and pas
toral classes to competition with the world, while
it enables the rich manufacturers by means of
combinations and trusts to extort their own
prices for their products from the people, vio
lates the federal constitution as well as the
principles of the democratic party; that tariff
duty should bo levied and collected for the pur
pose of revenue only."
-I am not only one of, the democracy of the
nation, but I was in congress at the time the
Wilson bill was passed, and a member of the
committee that framed' it. As I voted for it,
and for other bills providing for the admission
of raw material free, I have a right to be heard,
when this question is under discussion.
-The law to which the Texas platform refers
was the Wilson tariff law, enacted in 1894.
Your platform condemns "the present law;"
that is the law on the statute books in 1896,
and that was the Wilson law, and your plat
form condemns that law because It let "Into
this country raw materials free of duty." There
are several phrases in the platform which I
would be glad to consider, but I shall only men
tion them briefly and devote my time to the
discussion of the main question raised by the
platform.
In the first sentence of the plank above quoted
there is an implied condemnation of the law,
because it did not provide sufficient revenue
to support the government. This condemnation
is unfair, because the failure of the law to raise
sufficient revenue was due to the decision of tho
supreme court, nullifying the income tax pro
vision of the law. Tho Wilson law provided
for an income tax, and this income tax, with
the import duties provided for, would have sup
plied the needs of tho government. I need not
remind you that the income tax provision was
constitutional at the time it was passed. It was
constitutional when the court first decidod tho
question, because the court stood four to four.
The law only became unconstitutional when one
judge changed his mind, and it is not fair to
the proposition If I had not openly declared my
opposition to it during the campaign.
Owing to the fact that a number of senators
and members have refused to be bound ey the
national platform on some propositions, I think
that every congressional platform adopted aext
year should begin with a plank declaring that
platforms aro binding, and I will later suggest
a form for such a plank.
In view of the fact that Texas seems to hare
takon tho lead In the movement to tax raw
matorials, and In view of the further fact that
Texas must convert tho democracy of the rest
of tho country to this position, or find herself
separated In sontlrnent from tho rest of the
country, I tako tho liberty of prosonting some
of tho reasons that lead mo, and those who
think as I do, to favor tho admission of the
principal raw materials free of duty, and in
ordor that the issue may bo mado plain, I sub
mit throe plunks which I think should be In
serted in overy congressional platform:
Tho first relates to tho binding force of plat
forms; tho second to tho amendment of the
charge that up against those "who supported the rules of tho houso, so as to restore popular gov
ernmont in tho house of representatives, and
tho third to tho spociflc declarations which
should, in my judgmout, bo mado upon the
tariff question.
If all of the democrats In the senate and
houso had voted against vory proposed In
crease in tho tariff, and for every proposed de
crease, we might, have made our fight next
year upon tho party's record, without making
a specific .declaration on Items or schedules,
but in view of tho fact that democrats, In bdtk
tho senate and the house, differed as to th in
terpretation of the democratic platform and as
platform proceeds to. declare, violate ,tp tno rates mat. .noma oe WM
1 co'nsifctftkJnt aT'well as "' frtfrfcrlnS WriousrQoliedule, I believe that, J? is neces-
BtLTy iur pur jjjanuim i.u u bjjoujjjis .."-
If WA fYJWt to ouf-ontrui vi muu-
CONTENTS
MR. BRYAN'S DALLAS SPEECH
' 'THE FORT WORTH MEETING
.," HOUSTON POST'S OPINION
',. .' NORTH POLE LITERATURE
; -AN INTER VIEW .WITH PEARY
-. , SCHLEY WITH COOK
. .PRESIDENT TAFT'S TOUR
PRACTICAL TARIFF TALKS
WHEN CANNON WAS TEMPTED
CURRENT TOPICS
SECRETARY. BALLINGER GETS A CLEAN
BILL
A COMING CRISIS
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
: " ' HOME DEPARTMENT
:-..' NEWS! OF .THE WEEK
- r: .whether: common or-not
bill.
I might also object to the unfairness of that
plank of tho Texas platform, because it con
demns the rich manufacturers without con
demning the rich lumber barons, the rich ship
owners and the' rich cattlemen, who demand
a tariff on their raw materials which they pro
duce But the question which I desiro to dis
cuss relates' to. the tariff on raw materials. The
platform condemns the Wilson law because it
admitted raw materials .free of duty "thus sub
jecting our (Texas), agricultural and pastoral
classes to competition with the 'world." This,
the Texas-
the federal
ciples of tho democratic party. Wo who sup
norted that law. and Who favntwi tlio pWnnfnl?
embodied in It, are accused not only of violating
democratic principles, but of v!61ating tho con
stitution. Surely no Texas democrat will deny
mo the right to defend myself and thoso who
believe as I do against so serious a charge.
While this indictment has been standing for
some thirteen years, the case was not callod
for trial until recently." So far as I havo been
able to learn, the subject of raw material has
not been referred to specifically In any Texas
platform since 1898, but i the last session of
congress tho subject was under discussion and
the discussion led to a great deal of difference
,of opinion and to a wide divergence In action
.among senators and members; it led some dem
ocrats in the senate and houso to vote against
Specific demands contained In the last demo
cratic national platform, and In some cases it
led democratic- senators from the same state
to vote on opposite sides of a question.
I am not going to discuss the binding force
of platforms; that a platform is binding upon
one who runs upon It is axiomatic. I would not
diBcuss the ten commandments with a Chris
tian; no more need I discuss with a democrat
the binding forco of a platform.
I believe that a candidate has a right to re
pudiate a part of his platform if he believes
tho platform wrong, but this repudiation must
be made before the election, so that his declara
tions on the subject may constitute a new plat
form, which will be binding upon him.
In my acceptance speech at Lincoln, Neb.,
a year ago I discussed this subject an outlined
what I regard as the democratic position for
the subject. I expressly recognized the right
of Mr. Taft to dissent from the action Of his
convention on certain questions, and to substi
tute his own pledge for the pledge that the
convention refused to make, and when I was in
congress I refused to vote for the repeal of the
tax upon state banks, because I had In my
.nmnaiKn dissented from that plank of the plat-
wm nnd promised my constituents to vote
nl nf l
jfu t ifju - -1 - .
gress we must convince tno puonc mat we win,
-it ontrustod with power, favor material reduc
tions, and unless our candidates for congress
can agree boforo tho election thoy are not likely
to agree after tho oloction. With our demo
cratic senators and representatives differing
among themselves as to tho tariff on Important
articles, wo can never hopo to frame a satis
factory tariff measure.
And now I will read you the three planks
to which I have referred:
1. A platform Is a pledge, given by tho can
didate to tho voters, and when ratified at tho
polls becomes a contract between tho official
and his constituents. To violate it, In letter or
in spirit, Is not only undemocratic, but repug
nant to tho principles of representative govern
ment, and constitutes an embezzlement of power.
2. We denounceo tho despotism known as
Cannonisra and favor such an amendment to
the rules of the national houso of representa
tives as will restore popular government la
that body and insure the rule of the majority
on every question. J
2. Wo 4eunceth(ydeflpotlemkM,iuiJWC
national democratic platform and Deiiove tnai
tho measure carrying out tho promise of that
platform should, among other things, provide
for:
- Free wool, the abolition of tho compensatory
duties on woolens and a substantial reduction
in the ad valorem rate on woolens.
Free lumber, free wood pulp and free paper.
Free bides, leather, harness, boots and shoes.
Free oil and products of oil.
Free Iron ore, free coal .tud low duties on all
manufactures of iron and steel.
Free binding twine, cotton ties and cotton
Material reductions in the cotton schedules
and in the tariff upon all other necessaries of
life, especially upon articles sold abroad more
cheaply than at home, the aim being to put the
lowest duty on articles of necessity and the
highest on articles of luxury. Articles coming
into competition wltn trust-maao aruuiea buuuiu
ocrninat it. There was not a voter in my dls
... m -. t ii.n rtin favrtr&A tVin Ifmnn
strict so iar oh . iv .--. --;-'" J .A i0,i nn tho frm Hat.
pf state bank notes, ana i was uul umy wjr.jr- '"""'i: "ia bo above 50 per cent
... ing out their views JShJt ad valorem, except upon liquor and tobacco, and
:f Tl!wo -1 - b0VG 25 per cent' except,ns- th08
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