Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-07-05

POLITICAL PARTIES on THE TARIFF.
The industrious Editor Of the
Easton Ledyer has been delving into
political history, and has educed there
from the following review Of the work
Of a century OH the now all important
tariff question
1t is instructive, as we'll as inter-
esting, to note the attitude of the diff
ferent parties of the country at vari-
Gus times on the tariff question, and
We have collated all the parties have
to say on the question since the foun-
dation of the Government.
There was no declaration of princ;-
pies respecting the tariff by any Ma
tional Convention until 1882, when
the National Republican Convention
which met in Washington. May IL,
and nominated Clay and Sergeant put
this resolution in its platform
Resolved, That an adequate pro-
lection to American industry is in
dispensable to the prosperity of the
country; and that an abandonment
of the policy at this period would be
attended with serious consequences to
the best interests of the nation.
No Democratic Convention made
any declaration about the tariff until
1910, when the convention that met
in Baltimore May 5, of that year,
made this indirect reference to the
subject:
That justice and sound policy for
bid the Federal Government to foster
one branch of industry to the detri-
ment of another, or to cherish the in
terests of one portion to the injury
of another portion of our common
country.
The Whig Convention that met in
Baltimore May 23, 1914, declared in
favor of tariff for revenue to meet
the necessary expenses of the Govern
ment, and discriminating with the
special reference to the protection of
the domestic labor of the country.
The eight resolution of the Demo
cratic platform made in Baltimore
May %, 1914, was that no more rev
enue ought to raised than is required
to defray the necessary expenses OF
the Government, and for the gradu-
al but certain extinction of the debt.
The Freesoil Convention that met
at Utica, june %. 1S48, made the
first deliveranee of the incipient Re-
publican party about the tariff, as
follows:
In favor of such tariff Of duties as
will raise revenue adequate to de-
fray the necessary expenses of the
Federal Government, and TO pay an
nual installments of our debt with
interest thereon.
The Democratic platform of 1852
declared that no more revenue should
be raised than is required to defray
the strictly necessary expenses Of the
public service and to pay off the pub
tic debt; and the platform Of the same
party in 1886 repeated the declara.
tion, changing the verbiage of thelat-
ter clause to the gradual but certain
extinction Of the public debt"
The Republican Convention which
met in Philadelphia. June Ii, 1856,
and which was the first National Re.
publican Convention, made no decla-
ration respecting the tariff or the pro-
tective policy.
The Republican platform made in
Chicago. May II, 1850, declared that
while providing revenue for the sup
port OF the General Government by
duties upon imports, sound policy re-
quires such an adjustment of these
imports as to encourage the develop
ment of the industrial interests of the
whole country.
Neither the Breckinridge. nor the
Douglas nor the Bell and Everett
platform of 1860 made any reference
to the tariff.
Ia 1864 the tariff was not noticed
by either the Republican or the Dem
ocratic party.
In 1865, the Democratic Conven.
tion, which assembled in New York,
July 4. demanded a tariff for revenue
upon foreign imports aud such equal
taxation under the internal revenus
laws rs win Afford incidental protee-
tion to domestic manuf;sctures, and a.
will, without impairing the revenue
impose the least burden npon, and
best promote and encourage the
great industrial interests Of the coun.
".