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The Commoner
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re considered- When & tariff law 1 prepared
fcy tboa who believe la tie principle of protec
tion the Interests of the favored few are looked
after, at the expense of the rest of the people.
I do not know to what extent the tariff ques
tion will be an issue in the next presidential
campaign. The money question overshadowed
the tariff question in 1896, and tho question of
imperialism overshadowed both the tariff and
the money question In 1900. In 1904 an effort
was made to secure control of the government
by making concessions to those who had been
alienated In former campaigns, but the effort
failed. Last year an effort was made to arouse
the people to the immense corporate aggression
and the paramount issue was declared to be
tho rule of the people.
A number of questions were discussed, the
tariff question more than any other. Republi
cans recognized that tariff reform was demanded.
A large percentage of the republicans in the
country are now enlisted under the banner of
tariff reform. But how can the democratic party
hope to secure the support of these people If
they go before the country as the advocates of
protection?
Fully 75 per cent, probably 90 per cent, of
the American people, if not more, derive no
benefit, direct or indirect, from a protective
tariff, whether that tariff be levied upon the
manufactured product or upon raw materials.
They can see no prospect of relief in the effort
to extend the benefits of protection to a few
more. Wo can not hope to win them over to
our standard by promising to transfer the pro
tection from one class to another, or to extend
the direct benefits of protection from a few to
a larger number. If we make ansr headway we
must convince them that in writing a tariff law
wo will consider the interests of the taxpayers,
rather than the interests of the beneficiaries of
protection.
Insofar as the presidential campaign of 1892
turned on tho tariff question it was an indorse
men! of the record of the Fifty-second congress,
in which the democrats favored free raw ma
terials and a substantial reduction in the tariff
on manufactured products. This can not bo
described as Mr. Cleveland's policv, because it
was adopted before his aura domination was
assured, and the platform upon which he ran
that year was more radical than the platform
which his friends prepared. The national plat
form of 1892 indorsed the doctrine of free raw
material anC on that issue more than any other
the democratic party won Its national victory.
Insofar as the Wilson bill became unpopular,
it was due in part to its failure to produce
enough revenue, after tho elimination of the
income tax by a supreme court decision, and
partly because the senate made a substantial
increase in the rates fixed by tho house. The
"Wilpon bill would have been more popular as
It passed the house than it was as It passed the
senate, because the house bill was more radical,
and more fully recognized the demand for freo
raw material. If history teaches anything, there
fore, It teaches us that we should endeavor to
lessen the scope of protection, ral'ier than to
extend it.
I beg to assure you of my appreciation of the
hearing you have given me. I believe in the
rule of tho people, and we must present' the
issues to the people, that they may know the
arguments on both sides.
A80ono of those condcraned by your platform
of 1896 I have come to present a defense of
tho position taken by those who believe in free
raw material, as a stepan important step
in tho direction of a tariff for revenue only
I hope tho matter vIll be fully discussed
among tho democrats of Texas, and I have con
fidence that their verdict will be on our side,
when they have had time to give full consid
eration to the subject. If, on the other hand,
they decide against us I shall take an appeal
to the democracy of tho nation, for that is tho
court of last resort In matters of party policy;
and I have faith that that court will support
the position taken by tho democrats in the
Fifty-second and Fifty-third congresses.
Believing as I do that tho doctrine set forth
In tho Texas platform would, if put into effect,
bo injurious to a majority of the people of
Texas, and believing that tho policy would be
disastrous to the party if adopted by a national
convention, I am performing what I regard as
a duty In presenting tho objection to that policy,
and In appoallng to the democrats of Texas to
reconsider tho action which they took in their
stato convention of 1896.
1R BRtfAX m TEXAS
The following report of the Dallas meetings
Is taken from a Dallas dispatch, to the Houston,
Texas, Post:
Dallas, Texas, September 14. William J.
Bryan today laid down a line of demarkatlon
between the policy of a tariff on free raw ma
terials a line between protection and no pro
tection, clearly and distinctly. He showed that
there was a clearly defined way which the Texas
democracy must follow either with himself
or with the Texas national congressmen, for or
against such a tariff.
He inveighed against a tax on raw materials
and explained his position. He took a positive
stand against protection and gave reasons why
he did not believe in it. He showed by argu
ment, which the large audience In Bush Temple
evidently believed In, that a tax on raw ma
terials would benefit the few against a hardship
on the many, and said that the supporters of
protection could give no adequate reason for
their contention claiming that there were three
reasons why he opposed it, none of which the
supporters had ever refuted.
If anybody had expected a personal reference
to any Texas national representative from the
Kebraskan, that person was disappointed, be
cause there was no personal reference. He did
refer to Texas national congressmen and the
way they had voted on the tariff bill, but that
was all. He called no names, and used the word
"them" instead of "him." In fact, at one time
during his address, a man in the audience called
out: "Go after him," and Mr. Bryan corrected
the remark.
"Don't say him," he called, as he raised his
hand in a well known gesture, "say, rather
'them "
He said he had come to Texas to answer an
in-ict'it against himself which was of years
standing, and that he believed no one had a
better right to come to Texas than he, because
the people of Texas had done everything in
their power to give him the highest office in
the gift of the people.
In concluding that portion of his address
which related to the tariff, Mr. Bryan said" he
had given four arguments against it. "When
they are answered," said he, "I'll come back
and give you some more. I never enter a fight
until I am prepared to stay to the finish, and
I shall stay to the finish In this fight. Not only
will I go into Texas, but into other states as
well."
And then he turned to protection. He gave
reasons for opposing what he termed an un
natural condition. As an illustration he quoted
a case from Topeka. In It it was decided that
a decision of the supreme court of Kansas in
the city of Topeka could not tax its citizens for
the benefit of a proposed factory. He said that
this was the same theory as that of protection,
except that the latter was on a greater scale.
Mr. Bryan arrived from Waxahachie about
8:30 o'clock over the Katy. He delivered two
addresses one at Bush Temple and another in
the open air in front of the main entrance of
the Oriental hotel. The second address was
made necessary because of the immense crowd
which gathered at Bush Temple to hear him.
The seating capacity of the house is 1500 people.
There were fully 2100 people assembled long
before 10 o'clock. This being true, It wag
necessary to have the overflow crowd and the
overflow address.
Therefore Mr. Bryan talked in front of the
Oriental's main entrance. Soon after 9:30
o'clock, when Manager Wray of Bush Temple
saw the conditions, he made an explanatory talk
to the Crowd on Elem street. He had seen Mr.
Bryan and the committeemen and suggested the
overflow meeting and told ahout it. This ex
planation was accepeted in good humor and
the crowd waited.
AT FORT WORTH
(Houston Post Special.)
Fort Worth, Texas, September 14. Accom
panied by a large delegation of some of the most
prominent politicians and business men of the
city, who had come with him from Dallas, Mr.
Bryan alighted on Main street at 3 p. m. and
walked to the city hall, a few blocks away.
Arriving at tho foot of the stone steps lead
ing to the upper floors, and the auditorium, the
large number of people congregated thereabouts
unable to obtain entrance to the auditorium
caused an Investigation to be made by the en
tertainment and arrangement committeemen
who decided that it would be better to have the
VOtUlSE 9, NUMBER 3j
commoner deliver his speech from the citv hail
lawn. ' dU
Mayor Davis was accordingly dispatched to th
auditorium, where the crowd wedged and
jammed until the police on duty refused to
allow any more, cheered lustily, believing that
he had come to announce the coming of Br an
Those who had been in the hall for severai
hours, having come early in order to make sure
of a seat, were somewhat disappointed in te
change of program, and, disregarding the Li
monition of the mayor to proceed slowly m
order to make sure no accident would occur a
mighty rush was made for the stairways. Thf e
were Instantly congested to a dangerous degree
and a corps of officers were kept busy prevent
ing a stampede.
The crowd from the auditorium mingled with
the hundreds who had been unable to gain ad
mittance and instantly a rush was made for
the speaker, who, suave and smiling, stood under
the window of the auditor's office on the pave
ment. Instantly a cry was raised by those in
the rear asking that he mount either the stairs
or a chair In order that he might be seen and
heard when he started to talk. A table was
brought from one of the offices, but before he
could mount It Mayor Davis drove his big seven
passenger automobile over the curbing, on to
the lawn, and to the spot where Mr Bryan was
standing. In the meantime the 2,000 people
had flocked to every point of vantage and were
packed as closely as possible on the lawn. In
the crowd were many ladies, who were allotted
places on the Iron park benches and In the
windows of the city hall. On the roof of the
Central fire station the different fire crews con
gregated, while men and boys climbed the trees
surrounding the hall, and several of the more
venturesome ascended telephone poles, while the
iron fire escape of theu n'estern National bank
building, 100 yards away, was thronged by doz
ens anxious to see Mr. Bryan. In the automo
bile with Mr. Bryan were Mayor Davis, his son
Marvin, Commissioner Powell, Colonel Wynne
and his granddaughter, Pauline.
Commissioner Powell arose in the machine
and said:
"Ladies and Gentlemen: We are Indeed fort
unate that we are here to listen to and hear
the words of wisdom from the greatest living
American statesman fannlaiiRe) who for many
years has presented all that Is best In the passing
years of the republic, and who comes to us to
day in the capacity of a private citizen to dis
cuss a great issue before the people of Texas.
No character in history, in all its pages, has
passed through the open furnace of public criti
cism with greater credit to himself and no
political party ever rallied around a loftier
standard-bearer than we have done in the me
morable contests when Mr. Bryan was our
leader. (Applause.) Calumny and slander have
passed by him as an Idle wind, which he re
spected not and, shining through the cloud of
his successive defeats with meteoric brilliancy,
his great character has'illumined the party of a
great country. I know not what place he will
occupy In history, but when the historian comes
searching the musty tomes for the greatest pri
vate citizen of this age, he will find that monu
ment recorded in the life history of our dis
tinguished guest. And now, gentlemen, it Is
my pleasure to Introduce to you the first citizen
of the American republic, Hon. William Jennings
Bryan." (Prolonged applause.)
Colonel Bryan, in responding, spoke as
follows:
"I appreciate the compliment . that you pay
me by your presence, insofar as your presence
can be construed as a personal compliment, and
I appreciate still .more highly the interest that
you manifest in a great subject, Insofar aB that
interest accounts for your being here.
"I spoke this morning at Dallas, and I took
tho precaution to commit to writing yesterday
the substance of what I expected to say. I did
not commit the speech to memory, but I followed
the line as closely as I could, and the two twin
cities of northern Texas have so equal a place
in my consideration that I would not be willing
to deliver a different speech to the one I de
livered there, lest one might be better than tho
other, and thus I might show partiality. (Ap
plause and laughter.) I will do as nearly this
afternoon as possible what I did there, and fol
low as closely as memory will permit the lino
of argument that you will find printed in tho
papers."
THE HOUSTON POST'S OPINION
In an editorial entitled "Mr. Bryan at Dallas,"
the Houston (Texas) Post says:
Mr. Bryan has commenced a campaign for
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