The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-04-11
The lEmncrat.
A QUESTION OF TARIFFS.

The Cameron party of Pennsylvania
sets itself up as the champion par erceI
lence of a Protective tariff, and denounCes
the Democrats as Free Traders. That's
the shape it wants the political contest
10 assume in this State this fall. 1t iH
simply their old game of false pretences,
The Chicago Tribune, the leading Repub-
lican organ, it is safe to say, west of the
Alleghenies, rather scouts this notion,
in an article on "The Democrats and the
Tariff" from which we quote this as a
sample of the whole:
"The pIetensions Of the Democratic
party in favor of reduction OF tariff tax
alton are of an impudent and Ignorant
character. The ProteCtionists in and out
of Congress have used these Democrats
to perpetuate system of taxation, which
for the enormity of its eXaCtions,
its impoverishment of the country, and
long duration, has no parallel in the his
tory of modern civilization"
And again, after citing instances of
Democratic service to the cause of Pro-
lection, the Tribune says:
"The difficulty of having any iltelli.
gent legislation on the tariff question, so
long as the Democratic majority is either
too Cowardly or too ignorant to consider
the subject free from demagoguism, is
evident. The greatest defence to ProteC-
ton is now and has been for several
years, that which has been furnished by
the Democrats in and out of Congress"
The Tribune, ofCourse, regards Repub'
liCan supremacy as the sure road to low
duties. 1t is especially bitter on "the
bounty paid by the country to the iron
and steel monopolists," " and blames the
Democrats therefor.
OF course all this is absurd. The tariff
is geographical and not a political ques.
tiOn. 1t is not one of parties but of Sec
tions. 1t is the planting and agricultural
States against the manufacturing States, |
The Wood Tariff bill in its present
shape, is meeting with a great deal of
unnecessary and unjust criticism and de-
nunciation in Pennsylvania. 1t is set |
down as a free trade measure when it is
nothing of the sort; out at the same time
the Free Traders of the West and New
York are criticising it as maintaining
the protection principle, and utterly ig-
noring their pet theories.
We have not much idea the bill will
pass, but we would suggest to our manu-
who have gone to Washington
and succeeded in getting pretty much all
the notifications Of the bill they desired,
that the defeat of the Wood bill will not
end the question, while its passage may
determine the policy of the government
and the rate of duties for years to come.
If it is defeated, we venture the predc.
ton it will be followed in the next Con-
gress by an entirely different kind of
bill; one that will 60 far to meet the views
of the so-called revenue reformers and
free traders; and the agitation will go on !
for years, with the West and South, and
q greater part of New York and New t
England united for a revenue tariff pure
and simple, without even the small boon [
)f incidental protection" If our iron I
and steel men, and others interested in
protective duties, think they
ian stand a contest of this kind, and n
come out victors, all right. We have
notion they have no great confidence in
heir numerical strength, counting in all q
The thirty eight States. The most inhu- :
ential anti-Protection journals and agi.
ators in the country are. not at all anx- !
GUS the Wood bill should pass. They '
want the fight to go on, on the square is. !
Jue of revenue against q protective I
ariff, and its transfer from Congress to c
he hustings.-PiHS. Post c