Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-12
DEMOCRACY AND TIE TARIFF.

catch-penny pretense, standing Tor no reai
tariff reform purpose. The Democrats
have already had their opportunity to
show their regard fer free trade principles,
and they have exhibited the genuineness OF
their convictions by refusing to acquiesce
in anv plan of tariff reform. The free
trade resolution in the Cincinnati platform Is /
therefore a mere beating of the air, for 1t
is plain enough that the Democratic lead !
ers have not the courage or the honesty to |
put their professed principles into practice
when they have the power to do SO. The
New York Tribune, however, processes
to see in the Democratic platform the
expression of real purpose to urge tree
trade doctrines, and takes the position that
the PRONUNCIATION of such doctrines was
a great blunder on the part of the trainers
of the platform. 1t says: Every lntelli-
'sgent mechanic and factory operative IN
"the country sees that the Democracy has
thrown off all pretense OF friendllness TO
shis interests, and is pledged, if 1t has
% the power, to strike down the protecting
| % arm of the Government, which shields
..him from the competition of the half
.spaid. half starved labor of Europe. we
are ashamed to see such fustian as this IN
leading journal, for it is demagoglsm OF
the lowest and most contemplate kind.
The assertion that the laboring classes are
interested in the maintenance of high
tariff is one which might be expected from
Pennsylvania manufacturer, but GER
tainly not from a journal which has any re-
gard for the truth or the general
welfare Even supposing, however,
that every operative and mechanic
was directly benefited by the tariff
this fact would not constitute a JUS
LITIGATION of Protection. Judging from
the returns of the census of 1870 there are
now probably three and half millions OF
persons engaged in manufactures and me-
chanical and mining industries In the
whole United States. Now Protection re-
ouires that forty.six and half millions OF
people shall be taxed in order that
these three million and half should nave
better wages That is the theory OF FRO
lection, not the fact. The fact is that IL
does not improve the condition OF the
three millions and a half, while 1t does
impose heavy burdens upon all the
rest. For example, in order that hive
Eastern manufacturing firms should be boil
stored up, the price of railroad iron and
steel was more than doubled. This was
one incident of Protection. Its effect was
to make the shipper and the passenger on
all the railroads pay increased rates, and
to keep down the wages of railroad en-
Moves. 1t must be remembered, more
over, that Protection does not protect
1.-THE of all the persons employed in manu-
featuring and mechanical industries. Its
immediate benefits are limited to the lines
of industry which are bolstered up by 1t,
and which therefore employ more hands
than they might otherwise do. This is
very small proportion of the three millions
and half probably not more than mill
ion all told. And we are assured by the
Tribune that it is the hight of wisdom and
craftsmanship to tax forty-nine millions of
people tor the special advantage of one
million.
Nor is this all The advocates of this
kind of conhscation are under obligation
to make it clear that ii there was no pro-
lection the now protected industries would
anguish This, we affirm, they cannot
demonstrate On the contrary, all the
showings they are so fond OF making of
the wonderful growth OF our industries
under their pet system, prove that if that
system ever had an excuse it has long
since ceased to have one. 1t is neither
honest nor philosophical to tell the work
ing classes that their interests are bound
up with Protection, and it is politically i'm
prudent, for the reason that the agricultural
class is very much larger than the mechan-
ical and manufacturing, and that its inter
ests are most assuredly not identical with
those of the Protectionists. The necessity
for tariff reform has been growing clearer
for several years to all candid observers of
national progress, and even the protected
manufacturers have for some time past
seemed to realize that they could not much
longer hope to fatten upon forced contribu
tons from the nation at large. Free Trade
indeed is the natural philosophy of all
who gain their living by work, though they
are very apt to mistake their true inter
ests Protection is legalized form of
robbery, which diminishes the purchasing
power of wages by artifcially enhancing
prices; which makes the farmer foot the
bills OF the manufacturer which robs
Peter to pay Paul which hampers and
restricts production and commerce; which
is opposed to every rational and enlight-
ered theory of fiscal science. We do not
believe that any political exigencies can
justify the teaching of bad political econ
omy, and therefore we cannot regard the
Tridune's course in this respect as other
than wrong. Ii its opponents were shrewd
they would be able to force it into
very awkward dilemma and in fact
it has placed itself in position from which
there is no safe extrication. The truth is
that the doctrine enunciated by the Cincin-
natl Convention in regard TO the tariff is a
perfectly sound one, abstractly speaking,
but that it possesses no significance because
the party making tits undeserving of con.
fidence Both the Tribune and Mr.. Blaine
are quite at sea on this subject, and we do
not think they will help the interests of
the Republican party with intelligent men
by thus unfolding one of the greatest
abuses the country labors under
The CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY.
While it is true that the present pros
poets of the Canadian Pacific Railway are
anything but rose-colored, and while it is