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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 9, NO; 44
Lincoln, Nebraska, November 12, 1909
Whole Number 460
Confusing the Voters
Tho protectionist democrats are attempting to
confuse the minds of the voters by asking "Why
should wo not have a revenuo tariff on raw
material if we have a revenue tariff on manu
factured articles?" Tho question is asked as if
these raw materials and manufactured products
were living persons, entitled as a matter of
justice to the same treatment, or as if there
was a natural right to protection and that an
injustice was dono to anyone who did not re
ceive, protection. Tho revenue tariff ceases to
be a revenuo tariff when it is levied for pro
tection, and it indicates a confusion of mind to
insist that protection has any place in a revenue
tariff system. A revenuo tariff ought to bo
made with the object of securing tho necessary
revenue without regard to the question of pro
tection, and a revenuo tariff ought to bo so
laid as to secure the largest amount of revenue
with the least amount of burden. Whenever a
tax is put upon a raw material it is transferred
to the consumer through tho operation of a
compensatory duty. The duty may not bo de
clared to be compensatory, but it is a compen
satory duty notwithstanding.
The .advocates of a revenuo tariff on hides
and leather products, for instance, ask why not
have a ten per cent tariff on hides and a ten
per cent tariff on boots and shoes? They would
admit that a ten per cent tariff on hides would
be unfair without a duty on boots and shoes.
Why? Becauso the tax on raw material would
bo a burden, upon the manufacturer if he was
not allowed to transfer it to tho consumer, but
a ten per cent tariff on boots and shoes transfers
to tho consumer much more than tho amount
paid on hides. The raw hide is but ,a
part of the cost of the shoe. If it is half tile
cost of the shoe a ten per cent tariff on shoes
would collect twice as much from the consumer
as tho manufacturer pays on the hide, and if
the hide is one-quarter the cost of the shoe,
then a ten per cent duty on shoes collects four
times as much from the consumer as the duty
on hides collects from the manufacturer.
The overshadowing fact to bo remembered in'
all discussions of a tax on raw material is that
the consumer has it to pay. The protectionist
democrats try to make it appear that a tax on
raw material is a burden upon the manufacturer
a burden put "on him to compensate tho pro
ducer of the raw material for the tax that he
has to pay on the finished product. This argu
ment is entirely fallacious. The tax on raw
material is always transferred to tho finished
product, and not only the actual tax on raw ma
terial but many times that tax.
When the manufacturer sells abroad he is
powerless to transfer the tax on raw material,
and therefore ho is given a rebate which eh-
CONTENTS
CONFUSING THE VOTERS
PROTECTION ADMITTED
THE YOUNG MAN'S CHANCE
EDUCATIONAL SERIES - GUARANTEED
BANK DEPOSITS IN OKLAHOMA
CONGRESSMAN HARDY'S SPEECH
THE 1909 ELECTIONS
NEW YORK'S NEW DISTRICT ATTORNEY
TOM JOHNSON'S DEFEAT
WHERE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMEN
STAND
WHEN THE FOREIGNER PAYS THE TAX
CURRENT TOPICS
HO,ME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
NEWS OF THE WEEK
ables him to sell nbroad moro cheaply than ho
sells at homo. Tho rebate not only helps him
to sell abroad cheaper than at homo, but it
compels him to discrlrainato against tho domestic
producer of raw material inasmuch as ho man
ufactures for export. Tho doctrino of freo raw
material is advanced In tho Interest of tho con
sumer, and no answer can bo mado to it oxcopt
from tho standpoint of protection. Tho advo
cates of tho tax on raw material ought to be
candid enough to admit that they want a tax
on raw material not for tho purposo of revenuo
but for tho purposo of protection. It can not
bo defended on any other ground, and It enn
not be defended on this ground unless ono Is
prepared to abandon entirely tho fight for a
revenuo tariff.
Tho democratic party stands for a tariff for
revenue only, and thoso who insist upon a tax
upon raw material are just as much opponents
of revenue tariff just as much tho friends of
protection as tho manufacturers down east.
Equally fallacious is tho argument that a tax
taken off of raw material must bo added to tho
. manufactured product in order to securo a suffi
cient revenue. Our taxes on manufactured
goods are in many coses prohibitory, and wo
can increase the revenuo by lowering the tax
instead of raising it. It is truo that a little
revenue is collected by a tariff on some of tho
articles that ought to be on tho freo list, but
with free raw material wo can reduce tho tariff
on manufactured products, and tho increased
Importations under the lower tariff will moro
than make up for any loss in tho revenue.
A GOOD LAW SUSPENDED
The Commoner has printed extracts from tho
decision of United States Federal Judges Van
Deventer and Mungor suspending the Nebraska
guaranty deposit law. As tho case will go to tho
supreme court the people must wait until tho
court of last resort acts before they will know
whether tho state is powerless to imposo condi
tions upon tho banking corporations which it
creates. Two questions aro suggested by tho de
cision: "First, Why should inferior courts of
the United States be permitted to suspend state
laws before tho stato courts "have time to act
upon them?
Tho second question is, Why does a United
States court take tho side of tho corporation
. against tho depositors? When a judge holds
that the state which charters a banking corpora
tion can not compel it to Insure the safety of the
deposits which the bank is permitted to Invito
It can be explained in one way only, namely,
by the sympathy of tho Judge just as tho
. political sympathy of the judges determined
their decision in tho Hayes-Tilden case. A judge
is human and the only safety of the people is
to have judges who will look at questions from
- the standpoint of tho whole people and not
. from the standpoint of tho financiers.
THE YOUNG MAN'S CHANCE
The betrayal of the public on the tariff ques
tion by the republican party will mean the de
feat of many congressmen and senators.
Changes are likely to occur in districts strongly
republican as such changes occurred in 1890
and 1894.
Now Is the time for the young man to enter
politics. There ought to bo an out- and out
taTiff reformer nominated by the democrats In
every district and aspirants for the nomination
should begin NOW and earn the nomination by
an active canvass. Brass bands are not neces
sary. Let the young men who have a tasto
for public life and an Interest In the people go
out Into the country precincts, call the farmers
together, read the republican platform and then
the Payne-Aldrich bill. Let them read the
democratic platform, pointing out the necessity
for an income tax and then call attention to the
Income tax amendment.
The people are sound at heart and honest
in purpose. Let the work of education t i on
and success to the congressional aspirant lrho
wins the nomination by proving his devotio. to
the public welfare and his ability to deal t.flth
the questions now before the country.
Protection Admitted
Tho Dallas (Texas) Tlmca-Hcrald has exhibit
ed moro frankness and candor than thoHo Toxas
democrats who favor protection, but who aro
unwilling to havo tho namo protectionists ap
plied to them. It prooontH an honost state
ment of tho position taken by tho protectionist
democrats. Tho Times-Herald declares that
"protection is tho fixed policy of tho federal
government" and builds tho romalndor of its
argument upon that assumption. It Insists that
tho man who works in the Texas saw mills Is
entitled to some "protection." This Is tho old
story of graft and privilege. "Wo can't stop tho
graft, thoroforo lot's get our share," "wo can't
prevent tho granting of privllogoH, therefore
why not get somo privileges Tor ourselves." This
is tho logic of tho democratic protectionist. Uo
is at tho halfway station between a revenuo tariff
and ultra protection moro than half way to
ward tho protectionist's camp. IIo Is usoloss
as a tariff roformer because ho hns to spond all
his tlmo gotting what ho calls his sliaro, and
when ho has secured his share ho can not con
scientiously object to other pooplo having tholr
share. Tho only motto that ho can permanently
hayo Is "division and silence." '
Aro tho Toxas democrats ready to endorso tho
position taken by tho Tlmos-Uorald? Aro they
ready to admit that "protection Is tho fixed
policy of the fedoral government?" If so, why
continue tho farco of pretending to favor tariff
reform or tariff for rovenue only? Tho wholo
contention of tho democratic tariff reformer ;Ut
upon tho theory that protection Is not the flxTd
policy of tho federal government, but that a
tariff for revenuo only can be mado a fixed
policy of tho fedoral government. Tlio denial
cratic party has a hard task hotoro ft when it
attempts to overthrow tho protectlvo system
reared by tho republican party, but it Is not an
impossible task. Thoso democrats who endorso
tho position takon by tho Times-Herald aro
worso than useless in tho tariff roform fight
they aro allies of tho enemy. Thoy hang about
tho rear of tho marching army and play tho
part of bushwhackers. Thoy would do a reat
deal less harm If thoy announced themselves an
protectionists, and no longer woro tho uniform
of tho tariff reformer. .
"HELPING BRYAN"
Speaker Cannon says that Cummins and La
Follotto are "helping Mr. Bryan" In his attack
on tho Aldrlch bill. Ho is mistaken. Senator
Cummins and Senator LaFoIIotto aTO helping
their constituents and a number of standpat
senators and members will probably have -reason
to regret before very long that they- stood
with Mr. Cannon and tho trusts instead of help
ing their constituents. ' "
GENUINE
Here is a genuine republican editorial from a
genuine republican paper, the Fremont (Neb.)
Tribuno:
"Somewhere, sometime, some candidate will
get up and say he doesn't care a doggone about
' public interests but wants the ofilce for what's
in it, and he'll win In a canter voters could not
help admiring such unique truthfulness."
WHERE THE FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS GROW
I know a place where tho sun Is liko gold,
And tho cheery blooms burst with snow;
And down underneath Is tho loveliest nook,
Where the four leaf clovers grow.
One leaf Is for hope, and one Is for faith.
And ono is for love, you know;
And God puts another in for luck
If you search you will find where they grow.
But you must havo hope, and you must havo
faith;
You must love and be strong and so
If you work, if you wait, you will find the placo
Where the four-leaf clovers grow.
- Ella Higglnson. -
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