The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-08-21
Up with fHne National Democracy
Down with H4egaIized Robbery

The present high Tariff is another of
the series of measures enacted by the
Republican party for the benefit of one
of the privileged classes, and the Ma
tional Democracy are pledged to repeal
it. The advocates of the Tariff call it
projections to home industry, but 1t Is
the robbery of the great body of the
people to enrich the comparatively few
who have chosen to invest their capital
in different kinds of manufacturing. 1t is
laying burden the industry and prop
erty Of one set of men to increase the
gains of another set. Government
tranEcends the limit of its legitimate
authority when it exercises its taxing
power to build up private interests. A
learned Judge Of the Supreme Court of
the United States said: "There are lin
citation of power which arise out of the
Essential nature of all free governments
''and implied reservations of industrial
''rights, without which the social compact
could not exist and which are respect
led by all governments entitled to the
"name. Among these IS the limitation
"of the right of toration, that it can only
abe used in aid of a public oBect-au
"object which is within the purl ose for
(which which governments are establish
''ed. 1t cannot, therefore, be exercised
I'm enterprises strictly private for the
''5eneft Of iadigiduals, though in re-
"mote orcollateral way, the local public
may be benefited"
This principle clearly overthrows the
theory of the protectionists who claim
the right to levy contributions on one por-
ton of the community to build up the
private enterprises of another, no matter
what they may be. If one man thinks
proper in the pursuit of his own aims to
invest his capital in making goods, gov
eminent has no right to put on addition
al tax on what another man consumes to
add twenty five, fifty or a hundred per
cent to the profits of the former. Under
the present Republican tariff the people
are paying an average rate of 90 per cent
upon every article they use; and the
heaviest tax is upon sugar, salt, leather,
wooden, cotton goods, iron ware, and such
things as are regarded as the necessaries
OF life. These burdens fall principally
upon the agricultural community the
great, paramount industry of the country,
which asks no special privileges, but
only fair play and exact justice in the
distribution of the burdens and the ben
efts of government.
The only way to correct these abuses
is to turn the Republican party out OF,
and put the Democratic party in power.
One is responsible for the abuses, the
other is pledged to remedy them. AT
the last session of Congress, the free trade
bill introduced by Mr.. Wood of New
York to take the place Of the present tar
iff, received 1I9 Democratic votes out of
/ 40 and was opposed by all but seven of
the Republican members. In the Ma
tional Democratic Convention of 1876,
the following declarations were engrafted
upon the Democratic platform. eve
"denounce the present tariff levied upon
"nearly four thousand articles as a
masterpiece of injustice, inequality
"and false pretence. 1t has impover-
''isheds many industries to subsidize a
''few. 1t cost the people five times more
ethan it produces to the treasury. 1t
"obstructs the processes of production,
''and wastes the fruits of labor; it pro-
"motes fraud, fosters smuggling, enriches
dishonest officials and bankrupts honest
merchants"
Up with the National Democratic par
ty. Down with legalized robbery.