The Republican journal., 1882-05-04

ne l'tHlttIat> Ill til8ltSS are MOI nlaklflG i
very good record upon which to 60 before the
people this fail. They opposed in debate. and.
| with few exceptions voted against the Edmund>
| hill TO che X the growth Of poly@amy in Utah.
and afterwards, when The question of seating
Cannon. Who i 4 polygami>t. came up. seven
| eghth> Of the Democrats voted to seat him. in
spite Of the fact that Il law had already been
enacted di>qualifyn@ a polygami>t for office.
and that he did not bring the Governors ccrtiti-
| cate Of election.
| They have mtH@oniIpd the Grape bill to eX-
| tend the charters Of The national banks know
ing that the failure to pass this ora ike measure
must seriously cnbarra>s the business of the
| country and probably result in panic. in which
| the laboring people will be The creates, suffer-
erS. Wiser coun~cl~ are likely to prevail in this
matter, bat the Democrats have shown that if
they had the power they would not hesitate to
cause a very grave financial disturbance in ear
rying out their blind malice against the national
| banks.
They have opposed the bill 10 constitute a
commission for investigating the liquor traffic
and the bill providing for Il tariff commission.
In the former ease they have cndeayorcd to pre-
vent even the collection IF statistics bearing on
question Of great public importance The
powers Of the commission are limited to collect
ing information and reporting thereon. The
! Democrats refuse 10 sanction The gathering Of
this information. They are 30 committed 10
the liquor interest that thcy fear TO have the
truth known concerning it,
ON the tariff question they have taken stand
adverse TO the interests of the whole people
That the tariff needs revision. everyone who is
at all informed admits. The Republicans pro-
pose /" tntrust the work to a commission out
side of Congress. The Democrats base their op-
position to such a commission on the ground
that Congress should do the work.
Let Us see what the Democrat, did in the di-
rcction of tariff legislation when they were in
control of the House of Representatives in 1876
In that year, Mr.. Morrison. chairman Of the
House Committee ON Ways and Means intro
durcd bill-knoWn as the Morrison tariff bill
which had been drawn for him by the Free
Traders and Others interested in breaking down
protection. running home manufacturer and de-
priving our American home labor of a chance
TO earn an honest living This measure excited
great alarm at the time, and had its share in
leading up to the succeeding panic and hard
times. BY Republican efforts. however. this
Morrison tariff bill was 50 ctfrctalv exposed
that it dared not afterWard show its head In a
speech opposing The measure Nh. Hubbrll said
of this bl The extent Of its evil tendencies
can scarcely be measured. and he country now
appeals 10 Congress to save the people from a
practical realization of its fearful consequences. :"
Then we come to the W God tariff bill Of ISIS
OF which II has been truly said that it llndoubt-
eddy did more than any other one thing TO
unsettle values. to DESTROY confidence in oul~in-
du>tres, to make capital timid of investment
and to react with cruel effect upon the nee mamie
and laboring men and women throughout the
country. Finally, after a long and doubtful
conteSt-during which many of our most impor-
tant industries angushed. hundreds of bust
ness houses were forced TO suspend operations.
hundreds of others Were forced into bankrlDt-
cy. and thousands upon thousands of our labor
ing people were deprived Of the chance to earn
their daily bread--the Republicans succeeded in
killing this balefu Democratic measure
These are facts the country has cause to re-
member; and what the Democrats attempted
IN 1876 and 1873 They would attempt now if they
controlled Congress. and will attempt in the flu
ture should they be placed in power. The wis
dom of putting the work OF revising the tariff in
the hands of Il commission Of competent and
dismterestcd men is obvious. The Commissions
ers would have the whole people as Il constitu-
ehcy and not those of single Congressional dis
trlcts. They would not represent the salt dis
trcts of New York. the sugar districts of Lon
lsIana. the iron, coal and manufacturing dis
trlclS, save IN general and public sense. And
II their report proved satisfactory to the country
IL would be more likely to secure Favorable con-
sldefaton by Congress than one originating in
mat BODY, Which to succeed must almost ncces-
sarily be prepared on the log rolling principle.
Then the Commission would be removed from
the lobby which beseges Congress- and would
be composed of men who have made a life study
OF the questions to be considered. But in this
and in other directions the Democratic policy is
simply one of obstruction and of disregard for
the public interests. The few able and far-scc-
ing leaders are unable to control the llnreason
and folly which now characterizes the party.
and which foredoom it to defeat whenever it
comes before the people
The Washington Republic. whose editor is a
friend of Mr.. Blane's, says of that gentleman:
Mr.. Blaine is in perfect health and sDirits and