Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-29
WNI. r.. MORRISON
His Opinions on Tariff and Things
The Present System in Iron,
Mem York Cnsei1I 95tJ


At the request of the editor of the
/ W0rtd, Mr.. William r. Morrison, of
Illinois, has favored the public with his
/ views on the tariff question by telegraph.
As Mr.. Morrison is sometimes spoken of
as Democratic candidate for President
it may be assumed that his platform is
now before the country. The following
is his dispatch:
To the Editor of the World: The Re-
publican party is credited with the sue
cess of the war and its results. 1t NAV
obtain or keep power and not merit 1t, but
the Democratic party must deserve to be
before is will be successful 1t is still
true that, as between political parties,
what the laws shall be and how executed
is more important to the people than who
shall make or execute them The Demo-
cratic party Will not get control of the
government by the use of even more
money than the Republicans use in cleo
tions, for any party that buys power will
sell it, The party which uses money to
get offices will use the offices to get money
back, and succeed.
''The Democratic party must be better
than the Republican party. The political
power is still left with the people and its
exercise is safest when nearest to them.
Inc government should interfere with
them as little as possible, and not at all
in those things which they can better do
for themselves without shsh-- inter-
ference. Without some yet undis-
covered economic mystery through
which the government adds to the
abundance of the people by retain
ing part of what is first taken from them.
they VIII not be made more prosperous bv
its interference with their business pur
suits or greater use of the taxing power
than its actual needs demand. Such in
reference always leads to legislation, the
benefits of which the fortunate owners of
associate and cooperate wealth get more
and the great mass of men less than be-
longs to them.
THE danger is great that money OBJ
tanned by legislation will be used to pro-
cure legislation. This will be avoided if
we limit taxes laid on the people to the
actual needs of the government economi-
cally administered. Taxes, of whatever
character, ought to be laid highest on and
so. as to take most from those things
which people can best do without, but no
higher rates should be laid than will raise
the required sum. A higher rate is de-
structive of industry and prosperity,
though abundant cheap lands and re-
sources may put off the evil day.
"The annuakreport OF the American
Iron and Steel Association of May /,
1888, tells the country that. last wear
there was disagreement as to rates of
wages between manufacturers and labor
ers, the result of which was that nearly
all iron mills closed and the laborers were
unemployed for months; that there were
more mills than would make all the iron
the country could use: that, therefore
stopping the mills and the men remaining
idle, was by no means calamity to
the manufacturers. The calamity then
fell on the labOring men, and
this is the effect of the present system in
iron, and all other over protected indus
tries. In these industries thousands of
millions are invested, Millions of men
are employed and earn about 81 day
when they work under the present sys-
tenn,
"The calamity of four months enforced
idleness i'll single year falls wholly upon
labOring men, none of it on the manufac-
turers, who may close four months when
they will.
''There is such division among Demo-
Gratis as requires liberation on the tariff
question. But those unwilling to repeal
war rates, which were added to a protect
i've tariff, are entitled to leniency. Those
who advocate incidental protection, some
protection or any qualified protection,
probably mean no more than is meant by
tariff only for revenue, for a tariff laid
for revenue only will afford some adyan-
tage to our own manufacturers. The di-
vision is perhaps more of policy than of
creed.
''There are Democrats who are profess
edly revenue tariff men, but who insist
as matter of policy that we shall not
say so. The only purpose of silence
would be to hide our real purposes, and
there is great danger that the people
would believe we were thus Dracticfng
deciet to obtain power, and that any party
that would mislead them to get into power
would disappoint them afterward.
CIVILIAN r. MORRISON"