Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-22
WE MUST HAVE A POLICY
If We Are Defeat the Repu b9fcan Par
~ I'm ISS4-The Issue 10 be n AIDE
This Fail Ought 10 be
Tariff and Tax ReE0rm-On This the
Democratic Party Can 60 Before
the People and Win.

NEW YORK, June 20.-The Herald pub
fishes an interview with Congressman Morri-
son, of Illinois, that in view of his candi-
dacy for the presidency possess some interest.
Mr.. Morrison says:
"All we can do is to appeal to the people
But to do that effectively We must have a
policy, and that policy to be effective ought
to be simple and just, SO that all may COM
prehend it. To ask the people merely to try
US instead of the Republicans is nonsense.
1t is only ofice-seeking ON a large scale. In
1876 we had a single distinct issue-general
bad administration, and particularly the
shameful and corrupt misgovernment OF the
Southern States by the Republicans. All
other questions were put aside and on that
issue alone We made the canvass, and we car
ried the country and elected Mr.. Tilden pres
ident, as is almost now universally admitted.
This time We have, through the misconduct
OF the Republicans, an issue quite as great,
quite as important, and on which, if we
choose to stand on it boldly aud aggressively,
we shall have the people with US, large ma
jority of them. That is the reform of taxa
ton. The Republicans refuse this reform.
They insist on robbing the people of many
millions each year over and above what the
government requires. Not only thar, but
they refuse any reform of the old war tariff,
although it has been shown that this tariff is
and, as every working-man must see, does
not raise the wages of the laboring man at
ALL"
TARIFF AND TAX REFORM.
'You would make the tariff and tax re-
form the single issue in the fall campaign,
them"
81 would make it leading issue in every
canvass until this reform is achieved-until
we have got our whole tax and tariff system
down TO business basis, where the people
will pay tax to the government but none
to monopolists."
"Will you not lose some Democratic States
and districts by such a course~
"We might lose some districts at first
this fall, l mean. But we should earn more
than we lost. We should draw from the
other side large body of their most intelli
gent and unselfish voters, who are out of
patience with their party now that it openly
allies itself with monopolies and refuses all
reform of notorious and heavy grievances"
CHANCES IN THE SOUTH.
'You would lose some Southern States and
distrIcta?"
mot necessarily. but it may be that we
should lose a few districts in the South.
There are many who believe a solid South
naturally makes solid North. On tax
and revenue reform policy we might lose dis
tricts in the South, but we ought to make
great gains in the West and Northwest, in
New York and elsewhere of the North; and
even if we did not carry a msjority of the
next Congress we should be in such shape for
1884 tn It our success would be assured. We
should have the confidence of the country
We should not only gain large lass of new
blood, but we should shed lot of sham
Democrats who have for years stood in the
way OF every reform and have used the par
ty for their own ends"
"Do you believe this policy which you
have described will be adopted by the Dem
ocra,ic party?"
81 don't know; but am sure of one thing
unless il is we shall be beaten, or If we
should succeed by chance it will be only to
be so disorganized by our victory this fall
that we shall be beaten all to pieces by in.
ternal dissensions and by open follies in 1884.
Ii cannot help but be so. The Democrat
you quoted the other day was perfectly right
in saying that we do not agree among our
selves or many important questions. But
neither do the Republicans; their differences
are as great, aud on many OF the same ques-
tious. az ours. But they sink ali quarrels
when election time comes and unite on one
point. The Republican leaders to-day dis
like each other personally to degree that
might be fatal to them if it were not for
their knowledge that they must stand to-
gether or sink. On all Inc prominent ques-
lions which have come up in the present
Congress, the Republicans have been di-
vided rs the Democrats were. Whenever
we have sense enough to take up one ques-
ton, one important to the people, and make
an aggressive, courageous fight on it, we
shall win. The time, in my judgment, was
never SO favorable as now. But we must
have policy which means something more
than merely getting into office. We must
make up our minds to discnss tariff and the
reform before the people in every district
and by speech and print. We must attack
the protectionists aud tax-eaters everywhere
with energy and with knowledge. Mr.. Lin
coin said that the people, rightly aud fully
instructed, always vote right, and it is our
duty to see that they are fully informed on
thus question. When we have done that
they will vote with us, because they will see
that it is for their interest to do it."