Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-05-17

tenn OF the present Republican party.
Protectio9 being the ohieEt and not
the incident Che amount Of revenue is
not proportioned or limited to the
wants, or amount, needed for tie ex-
.penditures Of The Government. Here
is the distinction between the tariff Of
the present Republican party and that
Of the Democratic party. That is, the
tariff system of the former is 3 high
protective tariff, making protection It's
object, and revenue the simple Incl.
dent, and sometimes the mere casual
incident. For as to some articles the
duty they levy is so great as TO be pro.
hibitory; that is, to exclude the for.
eign article from all chance Of compe.
tition in our own markets. And it is
q matter Of public notoriety that the
leaders of the opposition TO the De-
mocracy have, for over fifty years
past labored to enlarge the expendi-
lures of aths Federal Government as
much as possible for the purpose of
furnishing occasion for a high protect.
i've tariff, thereby creating monopolies
and giving unjust advantages to the
few over the many. On the contrary
the tariff system OF the Democracy has
differed from that of the opposing
party in the following particulars, to-
wit:
u Revenue is its object, and 50 far
as protection is afforded it is simply
an incident to determinations made
from considerations of public policy
as to the articles of import upon which
the duty Is laid. -.
2. The revenue is limited to the
necessary wants of the Government
economically administered.
8. The duties are imposed with ref.
erence to equality in the public bur-
dens, and the encouragement of plo-
ductive industry in all its branches so
far as it can be done without creating
monopo!ies.
These differences between the pro-
tective tariff of the Republican party,
and the revenue tariff with incidental
protection of the Democratic party,
are fundamental, and clearly marked
in the legislation of Congress for
many years.
Now, the dogma of ia tariff for rev.
enue only" is a matter of recent
growth, and its significance is not only
to ignore, but to utterly repudiate the
principle of encouragement to home
productive industry. Thus it is pro-
posed to raise the revenue by imposts
upon the articles which will produce
the most money, regardless of the
effect upon either the consumer or the
producer, and regardless of all consid-
erations of public policy, eschewing
entirely the principal of fostering and
encouraging domestic industries and
labor. For illustration, where revenue
to the amount of fifty millions of dol
lars has to be raised, and the cues
tion arises whether it shall be raised,
by duty upon tea and coffee, articles
of common use not produced in this
country, or raised in part upon wool,
an article produced more or less in
every State of the Union, and IN
many of the States in every county,
and yet undersold in our own mar
kets by imported wool, this doctrine
which imposes the duty upon the ar.
ticles which will produce the most rev.
enue, and repudlates the idea of dis
criminations with view to Incidental
protection, would require this revenue,
to be raised upon tea and coffee, al
though the duty on wool could not
create monopolies, and would enconr.
age the production of an article for
which our country has immense ca
paeity in its vast scope of waste lands
adapted to the raising of sheep. In
the tariff Of the Republican party, re-
Gently passed in Congress, the ten per-
cent ad volovem duty ON imported wool
was repealed for the benefit of the
woelen factories, which are protected
by high duty upon imported woOlen
fabrics. But the wool-growers' asso
Citations say, that they cannot look to
the Democracy for relief, if that party
repudiates the principle Of incidental
protection in the tariff.
We have numerous letters (sorne Of
them are anonymously on our table,
received within few days, from diff
ferent sections, saying that clubs and
associations have been formed SO ex-
tensively over the country IN favor of
the phrase, "a tariff for revenue only,"
that the next Democratic National Con.
vention will doubtless adopt that plank
in its platform. Be it so. That can
not change the facts, nor our position.
The principle Of incidental protection,
or the policy of fostering and encour.
aging the productive industries of the
country incidentally in raising revenue
has been recognized in every tariff
since the Government was formed.
The tariff act Of 1889, approved by
Washington, contained the following;
"WHEREAs, 1t is necessary for the
support of the Government, for the
discharge of the debt of the United
States, and the encouragement sanc
protection Of manufacturers, that du,
ties be laid," sc.