A
NOVEMBER, 1916"
i tie Commoner
down pretty low in the ground, and not wanting
to tear down the fence we would raise that fence
corner and put a new ground chunk under it.
How did we do it? We took a rail, put one end
of it under the fence corner, then laid down a
ground chunk for a fulcrum. Then we would go
off to the end of the rail and hear down; up
would go the fence corner but does anybody
suppose there was no pressure on that fulcrum.?
That, my friends, illustrates just the opera
tion, as I conceive it, of a protective tariff. You
want to raise an infant industry, for instance;
what do you do? You take a protective tariff
for a lever, and- put one end of it under the in
fant industry that is .to be raised. You look
around for some good natured consumer and
lay him down for a- ground chunk; you bear
down on the rail and up goes the infant industry,
but dawn 'goes the ground chunk into the
ground. . .
(From Tariff Speech of 1892.")
ULYSSES AND THE SIRENS
It is said that when Ulysses was approaching
the island of the Sirens, warned beforehand of
their seductive notes, he put wax in the ears of
his sailors and. then strapped himself to the mast
of the ship, so- that, hearing, he could not heed.
So our friends upon the other side tell us that
there is depression Jn agriculture, and "a cry has
come up from the people; but the leaders of
your party -have, as it were filled with wax the
cars of their associates, and then have so tied
themselves to the protected interests, by prom
ises made before the election, that, hearing,
they can not heed.
(From Tariff Speech 6t 1892.)
THE CANNIBAL TREE
Out in the wes,t the people have been taught
to worship this protection. It has been a god to
many of themx;But I believe, Mr. Chairman
that the timeufqr worship has passed. It is said
that there' is in Australia what is known as the
cannibal treev It gro,w,s not very high, and
spreads out its leaves like great arms until they
touch the ground. In the top is a little cup, and
in that cup a mysterious kind of honey. Some
of the natives worship the tree, and on their
festive days they gather around it, singing and
(lancing, and then, as a part of their ceremony,
they select one from their number, and, at the
point of spears, drive him up over the leaves
onto the tree; he drinks of the honey, he be
comes intoxicated as it were, and then those
arms, as if instinct with life, rise up; they en
circle him in.their folds, and, as they crush him
to death, his companions stand around shouting
and singing, for joy. Protection has been our
cannibal tree, and as one after another of our
farmers has been driven by the force of circum
stances upon that tree and has been crushed
within its ' folds, his companions " have stood
around and shouted, "Great is protection!"
(From Tariff Speech, 1892.)
INCOME TAX
" r-fi
.PjilNCILE OF INCOME TAX K. ,,.
The iricdme faxfcis not only more faiflri'prin-1-ciple
than a tax upon consumption, but, through
the exemption which it qontalns, in a measure,
equalizes' the Injustice done by . the indirect
forms of taxation, since those Avho escape the
income tax are the "very ones who pay more
than the'ir quota through indirect taxation: ' The
graduated rates, increasing -with the size of the
incomes, carry the approximation towards
justice a little further because the larger the
income the smaller is the percentage, as a rule,
taken by the taxes upon consumption. The
graded income tax invokes another principle of
government, namely, that in the distribution of
the burdens of the government, consideration
should be given to the ability of the citizens to
contribute; and some have gone further still
and defended it on the ground that it tends to
discourage large", incomes. The government
would not, however, have to consider the ques
tion of discouraging large income if it would
only avoid the granting of the privileges and
favors out of which abnormal incomes grow.
(From The Royal Art.)
MONEY
GOLD, SILVER AND PAPER
prnLT81!? mney lQ ,tS r0latI tO gOV-
? tW.? 9 ?g8 aro of namount import
ance, first, that the quantity of standard money
shall keep pace with population and business,
and, second, that the paper money shall bo is
sued and controlled by the government. The
quantitative theory of money is now established
beyond controversy, the theory being that, other
things being equal, prices will rise and fall with
the volume of money. The proposition is so
self-evident that it Is hard to understand how
it could have been disputed bo recently by men
well informed on other subjects.
Thq quantitative theory puts money upon tho
same basis aaother commoditips, tho relation
of supply and demand being the controlling fac
tor in fixing prices wherever natural laws are
freo to operate. Where metallic money is used
the quantity is partly determined by production,
partly by the use of the precious metal in the
arts and partly by tho legislation -which deter
mines the access of metals to the mints, which
Implies the giving of legal tender quality to the
metal when coined.
The advocates of bimetalism employed in the
defense of the two metals tho academic argu
ment that, as the production of the two metals
does not increase or" decrease exactly in the
same proportion, the unit has greater stability
when it rests upon both metals than when it
rests on one metal alone, and also the practical
argument that noither metal was to be found
in sufficient quantity to make monomotalism
tolerable. An unexpected and unprecedented
discovery of gold, however, has brought into use
a quantity of that metal without a parallel in
history, and thus secured -to tho world the ad
vantages which bimetalists endeavored to bring
through the restoration of silver.
(From The Royal Art.)
' THE FINANCIAL CRISIS
, Mr. Speaker: I shall accomplish my' full pur
pose if I am able to Impress upon the'members
of the house tho far-reaching consequences
which may follow our action and quicken their
appreciation of tho grave responsibility which
presses upon us. Historians tell us that the
victory of Charles MartoJ at Tours determined
the history of all Europe for tehturies. It was
a contest "between the Crescent and the Cross,"
and when, on that fateful day, the Frankish
prince drove back the followers of Abderrab
man he rescued the west from "the all-destroying
grasp of Islam," and saved to Europe its
Christian civilization. A greater than Tours is
here! In my humble judgment the vote of this
house on . the subject under consideration may
bring to the people of the United States, and to
all mankind, weal or woe beyond the power .of
language to describe or imagination to con
ceive. . . (From Speech on Bimetalism, 1893.)
-THE DRUMMER BOY ILLUSTRATION
There are thousands, yes, tens of thousands,
aye, even millions, who have not yet "bowed
the knee to Baal," Let the president take cour
age. Muehlbach relates an incident in the life
of the great military hero of France. At Ma
rengo the Man of Destiny, sad and 'disheartened,
thought the battle lost. He called to a drummer
boy and ordered him to beat a retreat. The lad
replied:
"Sire, I do not know how.- Dessaix has never
taught me retreat, but I can beat a charge. Oh,
I can beat a charge that would make the dead
fall Into line! I beat that charge at the Bridgp
of Lodi; I -beat-it at Mount Tabor; I beat it at
the Pyramids; Oh, may I beat it here?"
The charge was ordered, the battle won, and
Marengo was added to the victories of Napoleon.
Let our gallant leader draw inspiration from
the street gamin of Paris. In tho face of an
enemy proud and confident the Prcsldettt has
wavered. Engaged in the battle royal between
the "money power and the common people" he
has ordered a retreat. Let him not be dis
mayed. He has won greater victories th.au Napoleon,
for he is a warrior who has conquered without
a sword. He restored fidelity in the public ser
vice; he converted democratic hope Into realiza
tion; ho took up the banner of tariff reform and
carried it to triumph. Let kin continue the
greater fight for "the gold and silver colnag of
tho constitution," to which threo national plat
forms have pledged him. Let his clarion voice
call tho party hosts to arras; let this command
bo given, and tho air will resound with the
tramp of men scarrod In a scoro of battles for
tho peoplo'8 rights. Lot this command bo glvon
and this Marengo will bo our glory and not our
shamo. A-
(From Speech on Bimetalism of 1893.)
INDEPENDENT BIMETALISM
I ask, I oxpect, your co-operation. It la true
that a few of your financiers would fashion a
new figure a figuro representing Columbia, her
handa bound fast with fetters of gold and her
face turned toward the East, appealing for as
sistance to thoso who live beyond tho sea but
this figuro can never express your idea of this
nation. You will rather turn for inspiration to
tho heroic statue which guards tho entrance to
your city a statuo as patriotic in conception as
it is colossal in proportions. It was the gracious
gift of a Bistor republic and stands upon a ped
estal which was built by the American people.
That figure Liberty enlightening tho world
is emblematic of tho mission of our. nation among
tho nations of tho earth. With a government
which derives Its powers from tho consent of tho
governed, secures to all tho people freedom of
conscience, freedom of thought and freedom of
speech, guarantees eqUal rights to all, and
promises special privileges to none, the United
States should bo an example in all that is gooa,
and the leading spirit In every movement which
has for its object tho uplifting of the human
race.
(From Acceptance Speech of 181)6'.)
BLESSINGS OR CURSINGS WHICH?
Well has it been said by the senator from Mis
souri. (Mr. Vest) that we have come -to the
parting, of the ways. Today tho democratic
party stands between two great forces, each in
viting its support. On tho oho side stand tho
corporate Interests of the nation, its moneyed
institutions, its aggregations of wealth and'eap- '
ital, imperious, arrogant, compassionle'ss. They
demand special legislation, favors, privileges,
and immunities. They can subscribe magnifi
cently to campaign funds; they can strike down
opposition with their all-pjervading influence,
and, to those who fawn and flatter, bring case
and plenty. They demand that the democratic
party shall becomo their agent to execute their
merciless- decrees.
On tho other sidd stands that unnumbered
throng which gave a name to tho democratic
party and for which. ,it has assumed to apeak.
Work-worn and dust-begrimed, they make their
sad appeal. They HEAR OF AVERAGE
WEALTH increased on every side and FEEL
THE INEQUALITY of Its distribution. They sea
an over-production of everything desired be
cause of the underproduction of the ability to
buy. They can not pay for loyalty except with
their suffrages, and can only punish betrayal
with their condemnation. Although the ones
who most deserve the fostering care of govern
ment, their cries for help' too often beat in vain
against the outer wall, while others less deserv
ing find ready access to legislative halls.
t This army, vast and. daily vaster growing, begs
thp party to be its champion in the present con
flict It can. not press its claims 'mid sounds of
revelry. Its phalanxes do not form In grand
parade, nor has it gaudy banners floating on
tho breeze- Its battle hymn is "Home, Sweet
Home," its War cry "equality before the law."
To the democratic party, standing between these
two irreconcilable forces, uncertain to which
side to turn, and conscious that upon, its choice
its" fate depends, come the words of Israel's sec
ond law-giver: "Choose you this day whom ye
will serve." What will tho answer be? Let ne
invoke the memory of him whose dust made
sacred the soli of Monticello when he joined
"Tho dead but sceptered sovereigns who' still
rule
Our spirits front' their urns."
He wap called a demagogue and his followers
a mob, but the immortal Jefferson dared to fol
low, the best promptings of his heart. He placed
man above- matter, humanity above property,-
and, spurning the bribes of wealth and power,
pleaded, the cause of the common people. It was
n
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