New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-22
THE PRRB rRAnR HuBBuR.

/ The belligerent free traders who are agi-
tating the country with Presidential sug-
gestions, are neither respectable by virtue
of their numbers, nor consequential on
account Of their consistency. They con-
stitute a very small body of men, and
their notions are neither reasonable nor
their proclamations worthy of attention.
Having helped to call the Liberal Repub-
ican convention at Cincinnati, they now
propose to ignore its action because it
did not do just what they wanted to have
done. There were more IMPORTANT ques-
tons before that convention than free
trade or the tariff, for the people want
the government service reformed first,
and then they will take care of the rev
enue. Until better men are put in charge
Of the taxes, the mere rate of taxation can
take care of itself; for when there is no
money the corrupt man goes it on a credit
This was the thought of the Cincinnati
convention, that before it abolished the
tariff it wanted honest and competent
men selected to administer the money col
lected by direct taxation. First find an
honest bank before you deposit your cash,
was the motto at Cincinnati.
Then there were differences of opinion
upon this subject, and if Mr.. Bryant had
attempted to force free trade resolution
upon the convention, three-fourths Of the
delegates would have vacated their seats.
What the convention did was to put this
question of the tariff behind the more inn
portant matter of selecting men to handle
the money. What it did still further was
to refer the matter back to the people for
their decision, which was what it would
have had to do in any event. The coun-
try is now called upon to vote intelligibly
whether or no it desires free trade, and
not arbitrarily that it will have it.
The free traders are inconsistent in this
that they are not in favor Of what they
profess to demand They ask that pop
ular vote shall be taken upon the question
of abolishing the tariff, and yet they OPP
pose the very platform that submits this
subject squarely to the people, and that
too in the simplest manner imaginable. It
is now taken out of the Presidential con-
test, where it should never have been put
and is submitted to the Congressional dis
tricts where it belongs. If the free traders
desire the success of their favorite and
solitary principle, let them make the issue
in the local elections. Here in Louisiana
we propose to make this an issue before
the people, whether they are in favor Of
paying somewhat higher prices for part of
their goods, for the benefit of Pennsyl- |
vania and New England, for the sake
of a protective tariff upon rice and |
sugar, or whether they prefer cheaper
goods at the expense of their own agricul-
tural productions. We can take care of
this question in Louisiana, the West can
take care of it, the Middle States can take
Of it, and New England can take care Of
it, in the same way And if the people
would have voted down the tariff because
it was put in the Cincinnati platform,
they viii vote it down of their own ineli-
nation now that it has been left out of
hat document
In seeking to make the Presidential Of
ice turn upon this ISSUE Mr.. Bryant and
his free trade friends show an aristocratic
endency that smacks of the aristocratic
of the tariff itself They i'm
1liedly substitute the will of the President
or the will of the people, because instead
# submitting the matter to a popular
'ote, they insist that the disposition of
he President is to decide the matter
The Cincinnati platform says that what
yer decision the people render through
he voice of their direct represen. atives,
hat shall be the law of the land. Mr.
ireeley subscribes to this declaration, and
avs that it contains the essence of repub-
canism, which it does, for it makes the
nil of the people the law of the land.
he free traders inconsistency oppose
bis popular arbitration, while loudly pro-
sssing desire to go before the people on
bis identical question. Which justifes us
4 saying that their position is as incon-
stent as their importance is exaggerated.