Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-09-30
HETARIFFM AnERIOAN rOLITIOS
| Frem . Letter Wristsn II CanaAa
~ Mr. 6saAan MeAAaA.

opinion In the Uutl0d States has de-.
clAred for protection. mskes as %.
sertion for which there u absolutely
no proof Whatever. The people o.
this country have never had an op.
Of declaring their opinion.
The tariff. 1t L. true. has been Of the
very fibre OF American politics-the
occasion Of repeated str6ggIes. b
cause Of sectional bistsruess, sMonSs
the most potent agencies II erlnginY
on the civil war-but the question OF
free trade W. prOssctiOn has never
been presented In form 10 be dOeidOd,- :
tor or. sGsinst. IL has alWAys bees
cut augled with some other, question
more imperative In demspd Tor irs.
mediate action. ln the outset ig wss
bound up with tho Qusstion Of
national existsncs itself; Inter IL
mingled with foreign wsr politics;
the question OF state sovereignty war
confused with il; she slavery question
was Joined 80 |: aud, finally. mo out
rageous ,ariff under which the tax.
payers now sweat and ths isdpstrles
Of The county twist and struggle wAa
brought ints befug. not at all - thS
sublime creation OF ststesinsn ~, ssek.
lug the enduring graft side OF shsir
fellO wmeD but. as . maks-shitt wDf
nessure-s means TO get money late
tho treasary any way. every Way, 20
only that II be get quickly. Ne!
The people have nsvss yss had .
chance to cast . ballot separately On
this issue.
Do your protecilosist I'D visers point
to our last presidential cDmpSixh :?
Protectionist organs hero are fsnd OF
saying that the presidential sleetton
Of 1880 was fought cut Or the plat
form. "proteetioa against free trade" )"
II 10 an utterly false assertions; and
sene knew that better than tho pro
tectionists of thsss United States.
The truth 10 that che protsetieBists q
captured the management 81 both
pai ties, played . bold and knavIsb
game In the canvass sad ere Bov in
eosfusion bscsuse their tricks hsys
sprung back upon them and they ars
caught by their ~ a devices. Lot Ne
show yen . few 81 the fasts. bris ay;
-a1d to bring out The absurdity ei
the prstsetionlst elaiin, let ne call
the parties by tho aatnss which ous
prsssetienist friends pretend bslos {
to them; that 10. fer "repubilesB, p
ssy "prstoetiopisi," sHd for ..defn o.
era,," say 'free trader" Strange
history:- 80.
l. Tho "protsctiesisr' platform
vas 80 framed a. 10 read either pre-.
lection or free trade. % the views Of
the reader might incline. II simply
demanded tho development Of our
industries. The "free trade" plat.
form asked for . "iaril fss revenue
only"
2. The "protectionist" candidate
was member Of tho Golden Cub
and one whose votes in cougress had
| always placed him among the tarih
refOrmers. The "'free trade" candi.
date was man who declared, shor
the canvasa opened, that "nse trade
WAS folly" and who hsiray ell hit
utter Ignorance of the whole matte,
by describing the tariff as = "losa
is.ue."
5. The leading "pr0i isctisa" srxsn,
the New York Times, was. and 10, {
organ, - soon as the light opened
pr"trsted that q "tsrifi for rsvsnul
only" meant the e1is,inE tariff. OF
ono that would give mere proteciion
ALI the protection that ANY yboLy
W wauted.
| 4. Many Of the hsdine "protsetion
ist" speakers. as isury Ward
Bsecher, declared from the platform
that they were frue.trsders. Many o.
the lrading "frse trade" speakers, ..
the Hon. s. S. CSx. were ordered bJ
the free trade" executive commit
tee to talk protection or not talk q
all. ID
Is not this enough2 One touch o
absurdity more. Al this period ever,
member Of the executive committe
Of the New York Free Trade Clu,
was a ''protectienist." aud "prote.
tioniet" ballots were east by st ieas
thres-fourths of the club. 80.
think you will see. therefore, tha
nothing eau be nero ridiculous tha,
this claim Of the proteetionists, tha
the republican victory Of 1880 was
victory for protection. Most vtolem
"lorts were made to perpetraie
fraud, but the trick was sltuR stbs
ttvo trsnsPArsaI.