NOVEMBER 18, 1S10
5
The Commoner.
tti
9
ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE
Demosthenes, tho great Athenian orator,
.whose masterly orations havo been tho models
of eloquence for all public speakers from that
day to this In one of his public addresses
made this remarkable statement: "Tho strong
est bulwark of a freo peoplo is distrust."
What did ho mean by that? Not that men
should distrust each other; not that you should
suspect your neighbor; not that you should
doubt tho loyalty of your friend; not that you
ghould question tho fidelity of those who aro
bound to you by ties stronger and more sacred
than thoso of a mere earthly friendship; not
that public officials should distrust tho peoplo.
No, none of these. "What he did mean was that
tho people should distrust those whom they
elect to represent them and look after their in
terests in an official capacity; or at least to such
an extent that they would keep a close and
constant watch on their every word and action.
The one great trouble in this country today
and it has been so for many years is a lack
of tho element of distrust among tho peoplo.
In other words, the blind unreasoning faith of
tho people in tho republican party, has been,
and is today, the curse of the country. They
have been led to believe their party could do
no wrong. Ever since the days of Lincoln and
his immediate successors, tho republican party
has won elections by fraud and deception.
For many years after the civil war it "was
kept in power by "waving tho bloody shirt," as
we expressed it then. They told tho people that
if the democrats obtained control of tho govern
ment they would re-enslave the negroes, pay tho
southern debt and pension the southern soldiers.
Of course that was a falsehood, and I think
most of tho men who uttered it knew it, but
the people believed it and were-thus held in
line for the g. o. p. and the purpose of the party
was accomplished. They preferred a victory on
a lie, to a defeat on the truth. But the first
election of Cleveland forever shut their mouths
on that proposition. In 1876 they stole tho
presidency, and in 1896 they bought the election
outright. Since then the party has been kept
in power under the delusion of a protective
tariff, which is the most gigantic humbug ever
palmed off by his satanic majesty upon a cred
ulous people. If republican readers had always
told the people the real truth about their tariff
policy, they would have voted right and put the
party out of power long ago. Suppose, for in
stance, that in any of their platforms during
tho past twenty years, they had supplemented
their tariff plank with this explanation:
"We are aware that this means taxing the
many for the benefit of the few, and that the
inevitable result of a protective tariff is to make
the few immensely rich at the expense of the
masses; to make the rich richer and the poor
poorer. But it enables us to obtain from the
protected interests enormous contributions for
campaign purposes, with which to debauch the
electorate, control the elections, and thus keep
our party in power; and at the same time make
millionaires out of many of our congressmen.
Therefore wo intend to continue this, policy just
as long as the people aro fools enough to stand
for it."
If this true elucidation of their tariff planlc
had been placed "before the people, how many
votes do you think they would have polled in
any presidential election in the last twenty
yeaTs? The question answers itself and shows
plainly why the people have not been voting
right and therefore have not been getting what
they wanted. And this condition of affairs will
be continued just as long as the people allow
themselves to bo deluded on the tariff question.
It is the mission of the democratic party to en
lighten the people and rid them of this horrible
delusion. How shall we do it? By taking the
broad ground, that the federal government has
no legal or constitutional Tight to collect a single
dollar of tax from the people, except what is
required to raise sufficient revenue to meet ma
turing obligations and pay the necessary ex
penses of the government honestly and economi
cally administered. The truth of that proposi
tion is in my opinion absolutely incontro
vertible. And that is what we mean by a tariff for rev
enue only. Therefore, just the moment that any
democrat admits that the principle of protection
Is right, that moment he is baTred from advo
cating a tariff for Tevenue only. When tho
people are once convinced and I believo they
can bo convinced that a protective tariff is
nothing more nor less than legalized robbery,
they will quit voting for a party that stands
for such an Iniquity. I am aware that there
are a few sporadic protectionists in tho demo
cratic party; but if they aro not willing to bow
to tho will of tho majority, no ono will object to
their joining tho party of protection.
I havo said it many times, and I say it now.
I would not give tho snap of my finger for tlio
success of tho democratic party, unless it car
ried with it tho triumph of democratic principles.
C. P. LOCKWOOD.
Grand Rapids, Michigan.
SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
(J. P. Shinn, Blake, Oklahoma.)
Q. What is a tariff?
A. A tax indirectly levied.
Q. Who pays tills tariff?
A. Tho consumer.
Q. Who aro benefited by the tariff tax?
A. Manufacturers.
Q. What per cent of our people aro directly
interested in manufacturing?
A. Possibly ono in ono thousand.
Q. Do the remaining 999 receive any benefit
from tho tariff?
A. Yes; they receive tho bonoflt and protec
tion of national government.
Q. What per cent of the tariff tax collected
reaches tho national treasury?
A. About 12 per cent.
Q. Where does the 87 per cent go?
A. To collection agents, agencies, and manu
facturers. Q. Do tho manufacturers of these United
States need a tariff tax or duty on Imports to
enable them to protect American labor and meet
foreign competition?
A. No; American labor receives higher wages
than foreign labor, and yet American manu
facturers export their wares, pay transporta
tion, meet foreign competition, selling much
cheaper to the foreign than to tho homo
consumer.
Q. Does not our tariff policy offer great in
ducements to foreign .capital to invest their
capital in American industry?
A. Certainly. They aro offered a fertile field
for operation, where all things necessary to suc
cessful investment abound in almost inexhaus
tible abundance, where the tariff duty often pays
a bonus over the cost of manufacturing, where
if the American laborer Tefuses tho price and
conditions offered they aro protected in bring
ing their cheaper foreign labor to take the place
of tho rebellious American laborer until ho is
starved into submission; where labor Is on tho
freo list, and the products of labor are protected.
Q. Is not our unparalelled accumulation of
national wealth largely traceable to this cause?
Also the ever increaBing clashing between labor
and capital? Also the rapid concentration of
the wealth of tho nation Into the possession of
the few and largely responsible for the rapid
and persistent monopolization of the industries
and resources of the nation?
A. Yes; with the financial, commercial and
industrial power thus gained tho mobilization
of the interests of capital through the long es
tablished system of "log-rolling" "pooling,"
etc., Is easy, and renders the complete monopoli
zation of the resources of tho nation not only
possible but assured.
Q. Can the American people oven hope that
the reapers of the golden harvest so temptingly
spread out before them will generously correct
these evils?
A. Most assuredly not.
Q. Can "effect" be permanently removed
without first removing the "cause?"
A. All are agreed that this Is impossible.
Q. Then why continue to wrangle over ways
and means to regulate the "ovil" while remain
ing as silent as tho -grave on the removal of
the "cause?"
A. BecaUso tho monopolistic power has grown
to such mammoth proportions as to threaten
tho political life of any man or set of men who
oppose this class interests. Political parties and
business Interests aro threatened with demoli
tion, panics, etc. This tentacle of the monopo
listic piratical octopus must be lopped off if
America would bo free.
EXPRESS COMPANY EXTORTION
Chicago, Illinois; November 14, 1910. Tho
Commoner: I saw an article some time ago In
The Commoner concerning tho high rate of the
express companies' charges. Want to call your
attention to tho following data:
On December 7 our company shipped to Mrs.
Saratt Walker, Augusta, Ga., thirty-two pounds
of printed matter. Now the rate given In tho
express company's books Is $4.75 per hundred
to Augusta, but In tho back of the book where
tho graduated scale is, there is no $4.75 rate, as
tho rate Jumps from $1.50 to $5.00 and wo nro
charged at tho $5.0.0 rate for thin thirty-two
pound pnekago. Thoro is no cstlmato for ft
thirty-two pound packago an tho wcalo Jumps
from thirty pounds to thirty-flvo pounds; and
wo aro charged for thlrty-ilvo pounds, having
shipped only thirty-two pounds. In othor wordH,
tho company geta a 50 cents per hundred rato
higher than tho rogulnr rato given In their
book, and they got paid for throo pounds from
tho Alexander Supply Company thoy havo not
shipped.
On tho samo dato, wo mado a slilpmont of
eighteen pounds of merchandise to Albert Voll
wollor, Breckonrldgo, Minnesota', and woro
charged for twonty pounds.
On Scptombor 9 wo sont eight pounds of
printed matter to Arthur Brunsman, Green
View, Illinois. Wo woro charged for ton pounds.
On Soptombor 10 wo shlppod eighteen pounds
of morchandlso to Mrs. Jennio Browi, Grand
Island, Nebraska. Tho rato por hundred Is
$3.25, and wo woro charged at tho rato of $3.50
per hundred.
On September 5 wo mado a shlpmont of throo
and .one-half pounds to Mrs. J. M. Jones,
Alliance, Nobraska. Tho rato por hundred is
$4.75, and wo woro charged at tho rate of $5.00
per hundred, and for four pounds, instead of
threo and one-half.
This Is no oxcoptlonal case, but is tho usual
course that tho express companies follow In fix
ing tho charges on us and any othor customor.
Is it robbery? If not, what Is It?
ALEXANDER SUPPLY COMPANY.
WAITING FOR THE RETURNS
The votes aro all In; tho counting has begun
and ninety millions of peoplo await tho decision.
How helpless ono feels when tho polls aro closed
and before tho result Is known! After awhile
tho victors will shout and tho vanquished will
mourn, but now uncertainty restrains tho hopo
ful and comforts thoso who fear thoy aro in the
minority.
Tho nearest parallel is tho experience of ono
watching at tho bedside of a patient passing
through a crisis. As then the slightest symptom
is analyzed and ovory glance and movoment
of tho hand noted, so as returns como in each
precinct's voto is scanned to catch the trend of
sontimont. Scrutiny is followed by comparison
and verification, and finally shouts break forth
from the friends of the winners, and tho friends
of thoso who lose retire to plan for the next
election when thoy hope to profit by the lessons
brought by defeat.
And what a tribute to tho peoplo! No
thought of resistance to tho popular will only
anxiety to know that will. How superior to all
other forms of government Is ours which de
rives the just powers from tho consont of tho
governed in which tho Joy of thoso who
triumph Is moderated by a sense of responsi
bility and a wholesome fear of tho minority
while tho gloom which overwhelms tho defeated
is brightened by tho conviction that "Truth
crushed to earth will rise again."
JULIA WARD HOWE
"Mine Eyes Have Seen the Gfory of tho Coming
of tho Lord."
O seer! whose soul illumined, in tho nation's
night of woe,
Saw, through the murky storm-cloud, the morn
ing's golden glow.
And 'mid the crash of battle heard the. silver
trumpet blow,
Hail and farewell tonight!
Yet still thy grand reveileo sounds on many a
bloodless plain,
Where men forget their bitter strife to Join the
nobler strain,
And prophets and apostles swell the -jubilant
refrain,
"Our God is marching on!"
And still upon tho mountains bleak, and in the
desert heat,
Where cohorts of tho King make straight the
highways for His feet,
Their hearts take up the watchword, and with
all His host repeat,
"Our God is marching on!"
O seer! with soul Illumined now by heaven's
transcendent light,
We send thee from the camp-fires hero our
greeting call tonight;
Tho, watchword of the army that must conquer
in his might,
"Our God is marching on!"
Emily Huntington Miller, St. Paul, Minn.,
In The Independent, New York.
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