Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-04-12
:. -, 20 .n,.r;can Industries

rs,.,,aetiou of American Industries
This will be the bottom plank in the
Republican platform for the PRESIDENTIAL
campaign of 1884, IN the hope OF once
more deceiving the people with the loi'!
assumption of pOrtentious issues, threat
ening destruction to the Industrial inter-
ests of the country. BY this means the!
hone TO renew their lease of pap ana
power. already cut off unless some such
deception can again be successfully I'M
nosad upon the credulity of the people.
To set this ball in motion Is now matter
of vital importance, and to dwarf, coun-
teract or destroy the prestige OF the
coming Democratic Congress, already the
leading Republicans, manufacturers,
bondhOlders. grain, cotton and other spec
ulatOrs. with their cohorts and followers
who have so long fed at the pubic crlD'
have organized under the name OF the
New York Association for the Protection
of American Industries and pooled the
earnings of their twenty years monopoly
for the defeat of the will of the people
expressed at the polls last fall in the larg-
est majority ever pOlled in this country
against any administration party.
It is the only hope of the Republicans in
that armageddon, which they well know
must be fought upon the high or ''protec-
tive" tariff issue. and they show their
generalship by taking the strongest avail
able position. They now proceed TO mar
monte their factions, concentrate their
forces and fOrtify with inteeminable
breastwOrks Of figures from the census
and other sources on the mighty increase
of population and the industries they are
seized with so patriotic desire to ''pro-
tect.' Theirvast accumulation of ''facts,"
their proposed enormous outlay of capital
and the energy they are now eXpending in
preparation for the conflict would indi-
| cate that they hope to Oyerwhelm their
---isi. .le ss,aesissa-a" - tl'n
| question, and crush them with the pom
| derOsity of the interests involved.
They will claim, too, that they have left
nothing for the Democrats to do that needs
to be done, because the issues upon which
they were defeated at the polls last fall
have been settled by measures pushed
| through Congress upon their own motion;
/ that the civil rights bill, agreed TO by the
| Democrats, will prove satisfactory in its
| operation, and that the tariffs have been
| reduced in accordance with the will of
the people, to a revenue standard, which
/ is all the most rabid Democrats
/ in Congress had dared to ask;
that these facts negative every attempt
| to define an issue between the two parties
on any live subject, and that thai on the tariff
question the Democrats must plant them
| selves fairly and squarely on free trade or
| give up the contest. If they can be driven
/ into this, Republicans will be made
/ happy. Their pyramids of figures upon
/ the progress of the industrial interests of
/ the country under the tariff system will
| then be available, and their design to
| consolidate and array capital with all the
mining, manufacturing and commercial
interests against their opponents will be
| successful.
1t is needless to say that their figures
| are deceptive as their motives are sOrdid
and impure, but the same weapons have
won for them many victories over the peO-
/ pie in the past, and it behOOves the Demo-
| Gratis TO see to it that they win no more,
| especially on account of division in the
| Democratic ranks, or INDIGESTION as to
whether the campaign shall be fought
on the practical or on the abstract ques-
/ ton of the tariff tax.
For receRue only is the present position
of the Democratic party on the tariff ques-
ton, but they are strong enough advO-
Gates of the tariff system to indOrse the
amendment, land tariff the only
source of revenue" as now Of
fered by leading sO-called free
trade Democrats of the North. This
means no less than abolition of the inter-
nal revenue system. even if tariffs already
reduced must again be raised in order to
meet the revenue demand of the Treasury.
Here again, then, comes the CRY from the
other side, of free whisky and free tobacco,
in the hope of adding the prohibition vote
of the Union to that of the bondholders
and mOnOpOliSts. Thus the Republicans
are preparing by their maneuvres, a
Charybdis and Scylla, for the Demo-
Gratis to steer between when they
come to make up their
platform. and it remains to be seen
whether there has been elected to the next
Congress Democrats Of bOldness and abili-
" to sweep away all this Republican
clap-trap, and give to the people assur-
ance that the true interests of the cOun-
try will not only be protected" by party
that has not plundered it, but that its ma
teriaI progress will be promoted on basis
of permanent security.