The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-11-30
REFORM To THE
INTEREST OF MONOPOLIEs.


Hon. VIM. d. Kelley, of Pennsyl-
vania, shows how "the party" may
be Saved" He advises its agents in |
congress, while they may. to repeal
the taxes on whisky, tobacco,
matches, bank checks, banks and
perfumery, and to increase largely |
the taxes on sugar, iron and some
other things. His effort is to re-
duce internal taxes, to bold on
to the high tariffs on imports,
aud in some cases even to add to
them. The Philadelphia Telegraph,
now conservative protective organ,
admits that Mr.. Kelley is an "out
and out" protectionist, and yet that
he is the worst enemy the protection
principle has in congress. 1t says:
Mr.. Kelley is not protectionist in
the sense of protecting all domestic
capital and labor against the compe-
| tition of foreign capital and labor.
He is a protectionist only in connec-
| ton with not protecting, but enrich |
ing at the consumers expense, few
gigantic monopolies. He is the |
especial supporter of the ships of
fJohn Roach, which drive American
commerce from the ocean, and of the |
steel of the Bessemer steel monopoly, |
which declares annual dividends of
II per cent. He is in congress the |
supporter of every special interest |
~
fortunes from the tariff, all of which |
are protected hundreds of per cent |
above the protection necessary to !
protect them from foreign rivalry.
In fact, Mr.. Kelley's influence as a
tariff man has been all in the direc-
ton of creating monopolies, and
consequently of creating popular OPP |
position to the tariff. To save the !
protective character OF the tariff,
these monopolles, created by their !
supporters in congress, must cease /
to be monopolies and cease |
to suck the life blood of COM
merce and trade for their |
own benefit. There are duties which |
should be decreased in order to |
make them protective. They are in
fact prohibitory, as in the case of |
ships, steel, and many other things. |
and made so by such false friends of !
the tariff as MIR. Kelley. The tariff,
to be preserved, must be made I'M
discriminating, fair to all, not crea-
tive of gigantic monopolies, but just
ly protective of all industries alike,
and so fairly protective of all the
country's interests"
This is frank admission. 1t is
what Democrats have held to all the
time, and they have made the issue
so strong that many protectionists,
as shown by the expressions of the
Telegraph, are making admission
now that protection has been most
unjust. Had it not been that the Re-
publicans were driven from their
strongholds, all over the country, on
the 9TH of November, it might have
been that no such admission could
ever have been recorded, but now in
some quarters there IS show OF
concession, the hope being entertain
ed that something may be saved
thereby, that the country may
the earlier be driven from the con-
sideration of this subject. We may
look for sweeping reductions to be
proposed before next March, by the
Republicans, in all internal taxation:
and then it may be attempted to be
shown that taxation has been so re-
duced that the tariff reduction on
such imports as now Cypress the
public, with great public burdens,
cannot be attempted with safety to
the financial interests of the country.
There are certainly schemes Of
this kind on foot, and a desperate
effort will be made this winter to
reform taxation so as to modify, as
far as possible, the necessities of the
people, and temper the reform to the
interest of monOpolies. Ifsuch legis-
lation be attempted by the party
now controlling congress; if it be
the purpose to thus deceive and out
rage the people, to tax their greatest
necessities and to relieve from
taxation luxuries and those things
which spread vices, then we call
upon Democrats to oppose these in
famous purposes. Let there be an
honest adjustment for the benefit of
the masses, instead of the favored
few who have so long preyed upon
the people; let legislation be for
popular relief, or let the Demo.
Gratis in congress bitterly oppose.
The Democratic party has made
this issue, has made it in the direc-
ton of honest reform, and when its
agents enter into any scheme by
which such purposes are to be de-
feated, they render themselves I'M
worthy of confidence. The STATES
MAN hopes Democrats will stand
firm for what is right. Congress
assemblies now in a few days, and
the gentlemen from Texas will be
observed with critics eye.
The English and French govern