The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-02-21
TARIFF LEGISLATION.

1t is manifestly true that in large meas
ure the elections of 1882 turned upon the
question of tariff reform. The people had
sought in vain for such reform by appealing
to the Republican party. There was moth
ing left for them to do but to retire the Re-
publican party from power and reinstate
the Democratic party. Snarting under the
lash which the people applied with more
than usual vigor, the Republican bosses
professed contrition and declared they were
willing to inaugurate the reforms demanded.
As usual, the profession was false. The
bosses simply intended to make a show OF
reform, hoodwink the people, and if posi-
BILE throw the responsibility Of failure upon
the Democratic minority in Congress; and
the fact that q few Democrats have shown
themselves to be unmindful of their obliga-
tons to the people is seized upon in iustif-
cation of the charge that Democrats are re-
sponsible for the acts Of Republican ma
jority. In this connection the New York
Sun says:
The Republicans are responsible for the legisla.
ton of this Congress. They must be held TO &C
count both for what is done and for what is left
undone The internal revenue system should be
reformed SO that there shall be tax any srti-
Gle Of domestic production except spirits. The
tariff should be reformed so that the revenue 1t
yields will equal the amount required for an
honest and economical administration Of the
Government. There is no difficulty whatever,
even at this late day. in passing bills which will
accomplish this purpose. The Democrats will
make no opposition to such bills; and If the Re
publicans fail to present them and fail to carry
them through, the Republican party will have to
answer for the failure.
The idea that the Democratic minority in
Congress is to be held responsible for Repub-
hcan failures to i1augurste tariff reforms,
or any other reforms, is too preposterous to
be considered. Democrats, with few ex-
ceptions, have sought by every means in
their power to eliminate from Republican
tariff bills their Objectionable features, and
have been voted down in almost every in
stance by the Republican majority. This
fact stands out clearly and boldly upon the
records But to make matters as bad as pos
sible, to place the tariff question in a shape
to bring about interminable confusion, has
been the aim of the Republican managers,
and upon this point the New York Herald
remarks:
We do not exaggerate In the least when we
ssrt that there are not fifty men in the country,
Including experts, who can go over either the
House OF Senate tariff bill and say. without the
most elaborate study and careful calcutta
tions what its numerous provisians mean, or in
which of them the present rate Of taxation is in
creased or In which lowered. So cumbrous SO
involved, so cunningly complicated are &. provi
SLAMS of these tariff bills that 1t IS fact that no
two OF the several Government experts who have
been asked TO calculate :he effect OF their provi-
sons upon the revenue have 80 far agreed In their
results Only one thing is ,certsin-these bills do
not reduce the burden OF taxation at ALL for they
increase the taxes In many ways.
Having succeeded in introducing con.
fusion, the Republican managers hope
when they get before the people, to show
that their purpose was reform, when IN fact
as the Herald says, the bills introduced do
not reduce the burden of taxation at all"
The Boston Herald, an independent Re
publican organ, says:
The Republican policy has been to put the
Democrats in ehancery" as obs.ructiOnists but
the Republicans do not want ID make any real re-
dneuon In the protective tariff. The appoint