Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1870-04-27
[From the Ohio Statesman.
The Question of the Day.

1ue SledC queSClon upon
which the Congressional elecz
tions should turn this fall, il
Ohio, and throughout the WSt
and South, will be the tariff
We should be thankful for this.
1t is like a ray G. sun light on a
murky atmosphere. The Rad
ical party is responsible for the
exhorbitant tariffs which have
been imposed upon the coun-
try since 1860. There have
been half q dozen new tariff
laws enacted in that time, every
one designed to promote and
advance the interests of the
monopolists. During the war
they were carried through un,
der the pretense that they were
essential as revenue measures,
in defiance of the well settled
principle that a protective tar
if does not produce the max
imum of revenue. Since the
war, tariff Legislation has been
a grab game. Everything has
been plundered, and every tax
imposed, that ingenuity could
devise, on the miserable, worn
out plea of protection to Amer
lean industry. 1t meant sim
ply the taxation Of nine.tenths
of the people for the benefit of
one-tenth.
The people were promised
revenue reform by the present
Congress, and ever since the
commencement of the session
the House has been tinkering
on the tariff; but instead of re-
lief from taxation new chains
have been forged for the pro-
ducing interests of the coun-
try; the scurY nine,tenths of
the population must still be
taxed to enrich the lordly one.
tenth. The pending tariff bill
in the House, under the charge
of General Schenck, who di.
vides with Pig-Iron Kelley the
leadership Of the Prohibition
lists, had for its proposed OBJ
ject, when first submitted, the
reduction of the duties, as near
as possible, to a revenue stand.
ard. But it comes out as the
consideration of the bill pro-
ceeds, that, instead of any re-
duction having been carried
through on the necessaries of
life, the rates of taxation are
really increased, either directly
or by reclassifying the articles.
The House more than sustains
the proposition of the ways
and means committee, constitu-
ted by the Radical speaker in
the interests of tire monopolists.
The explanation is easy, and it
involves the principle of the
humbug of protection. One
member wants a higher duty for
his own interest, and another
for his; and, to secure all, there
is inaugurated a trading and
log rolling system that is max
ing of the tariff a much worse
system Of monopolies than was
ever devised or tolerated be-
fore.
The whole administrative
power of the government is
in favor of the monop-
olists. The President. and his
cabinet, a large majority of the
Senate, and a working majority
Of the House-all radical Re
publicans-seem to be nothing
more than so many blind in
'truments to register the edicts
Of the Tariff lobby. No reform
,an be looked for at Washing
5on under the present regime.
It must be sought for, and can
only be secnred by the action
If the people, in reconstructing
Congress and the Government
n the interest of a sound polit.
cal economy--in the interests
If the nine.tenths instead of
one-tenth, The demand for
'evenue reform having passed
the question now is
lown with every penny of tax
alton in the interests of iron
cotton spinners and all
other monopolists. Let every
man buy where he can buy
4