Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-09-08
THE ONO TARIFF PLANE

There is lull in tariff discussion
now and it is coming to be generally
agreed that the subject be postponed
until the presidential campaign is
under Roadway. No tariff reform can
be expected from the next Congress
with a Republican Senate and execu-
tive, and the Democrats are arriving
at the conclusion that it is better to
keep the issue fresh for next year. In
the mean time the party has put it.
self in good trim for the fight by the
adoption of plain and unequivocal
utterance that fully expresses the po-
sitiOn taken and admits of no double
construction.
1t is rather late in the day to fall
into a eulogy o. the Ohio tariff plank,
especially as we have already on sever
al occasions expressed our admiration
of that sound, seasoned piece of Demo
cratic timber. But the adoption of
this plank by the Democrats of three
great States, and the general approval
with which it has met, indicate that
it will become the universal law of
the party, and therefore it is well
enough that We should again indulge
in a recapitulation of its excellences.
The first declaration that it makes
is that the revenue raised by tariff
should be "limited to the necessities
of the government, economically adj
ministered." That is certainly very
plain and very much to the point 1t
directly combats the Republican doc
trine, enunciatedin their Pennsylvania
platform, which proposes to create
new expenses in order to dispose of a
surplus revenue. The Democrats
want no more money raised by tariff
or otherwise than is required for the
expenses of the government, @eeonom-
ically administered" That, of course,
declares against oppressive taxation in
any form and brings the raising of
revenue down to a basis of actual ne
cessity.
The platform continues, @and so
adjusted in its application as to pre-
vent unequal burdens" That is the
most difficult thing to accomplish in
levying a protective tariff and the
Republicans seem to have utterly ig-
nored any attempt in that direction in
the tariff legislation they have given
the country. The present tariff is.in
many particulars partial and unjust;
1t fosters one interest at the expense
of another, and stands in need of re-
adjustment. 1t was really ubiquitous
to take away the protection from the
wool growers while wooden goods
are still imported under a heavy duty.
To this purpose of adjustment it is
further added, "to encourage indus
tries at home, afford a juAt compensa-
ton to labor, but not to create or foster
monopolies." This is where the great
improvement on former Democratic
utterances comes in. 1t is full in ex-
preston and can't mean anything but
just what it says. The statement was
first made that no more revenue must
be raised by tariff than was necessary
under close economy for Government
tai expenses and then it declares that
such a tariff should be so adjusted" as
toaccomplish the purposes just quoted.
The National DemOcratsc platform OF
'76 said nothing about adjustment.
Mr.. Watterson was the genius who
drew up that document and he stuck
i'll his pet phrase, "a tariff for revenue
only" In vain did Democratic orators
try to persuade the voters that this
meant more than it said, that the idea
of adjustment was implied and that the
Democrat didn't intend to declare for
a simple al UGIOrenl tariff. The
phrase was taken for what it said and
no more. The little adverb "Only"
meant only in the eyes of the uniniti
ated and the Democratic party was
gloriously defeated. Some politicians
attempted to patch up this blunder by
adding the words with incidental
protection" but the only effect was to
make the thing completely foolish.
Any tariff would afford Incidental
protection, even an adj UdLOreBl tariff,
and the highest and most discriminat-
ing tariff ever levied would do nothing
more, because tariff can not be lev
led for any other expressed purpose
than the raising of revenue. 1t was
reserved for the Ohio Democrats to
express the full meaning of the party
ON this subject and they did so sue
ccssfully because they discarded phra-
SEES and formulas and said all they in
tended to say in plain language.
To declare that the revenue raised
by tariff should be "Limted to the ne
cessities of the government economic
ally administered" and that it be $50
adjusted as to encourage productive
industries mt home" is sufficiently pre-
else in its meaning. Any declaration
in regard to the tariff that omits the
ideas of limitation of revenue and ad-
justment of duties is of necessity in
complete, meaningless and indefinite.
THE Southern Progress, published
at Bowling Green, suspended publica-
ton with its issue of the 29th ult. The