The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-30
DEMOCRATS AND THE TARIFF

The harmony of the Democratic party
upon the tariff question is further developed
by the publication OF letters from two of the
ablest and most distinguished Democratic
members of tie United States Senate. Mr..
Vest, of Missouri by odds the finest orator
in the chamber on his side, at least, has felt
impelled to declare himself by reason of GER
tain structures made upon his course, which he
does i'll these very clear and emphatic words;
81 am Democrat, and for a revenue
tariff. believe that any other tariff is I'M
constitutional but / also believe that every
| tariff for any amount is necessarily pro-
| tective, and believe also that such tariff
| should be equally distributed among all the
industries of all the sections which need
protection. | do not care whether you call
| it tariff for revenue, which is incidental
| protection, or tariff with discrimination in
| favor of American industries, or judicious
| tariff, as Jackson termed it; but every tariff
must protect to the extent to which it is
| levied or imposed. So said Jefferson, Madi-
son, Monroe, Jackson, Polk, Benton and
every other Democrat of distinction, includ-
ing Calhoun. l can afford to let the little
doctrinaires of tariff literature bark at ME
whilst in such company"
The phrase "little doctrinaires of tariff lit
erature," evidently refers to such eminent
regulators of the party policy as Mr.. Waiter
son and Mr.. Hurlbert, not to mention Others
of lesser note, who were kicked to death by
Carter Harrison at the recent Iroqouis BAN
quet
The other senator is Mr.. MCPHERSON, OF
New Jersey, who speaks quite at length, and
talks about the degradation of labor through
free trade just as if he were a Republican.
Mr.. McPhersons language is calculated to
make the little doctrinaires howl and gnash
their teeth. This is what the New Jersey
senator says:
with national debt amounting to nearly
So 600, 600, 000 and large sum needed annu-
ally to pay the interest upon this debt, to-
gether with enormous drafts upon the trea-
sury on account of pensions, to say nothing
of the amount needed annually to run the
government it would seem to conservative
minds not good time to take a gigantic
stride downward to free trade, or toward it,
to an extent which would shock. every indus
try in the land, even if it did not bring with it
absolute disaster and ruin. To such a policy
every intelligent business man, whatever his
theory about a tariff, must be unalterably
ODpOSeu. II rec LTdu6 In6dUS QlTeCJ Taxa
ton, which, under the Federal constitution
would require the taxes to be apportioned
among the several States according to their
respective population. Hence, under free
trade one State might be required to pay
10 per cent. tax on all their taxable property,
while the people of another State, having
double the wealth according to population,
would only be required to pay per cent.
tax. -.-,.
Under free trade, therefore, the thrifty
and saving property holder would of neces-
sity bear all the burdens of government,
while the spendthrft and extravagant who
now sQuander their means in articles of
luxury and fancy, thus contributing under
our present SYSTEM many millions of dollars
for the support of the government, under
free trade would pay nothing. Even at the
risk of being charged with q lack of political
sag acity, l cannot subscribe to such doc
trine. Free trade would give
monopoly of our markets to foreigners to eat
ont our substance and absorb the untold
wealth springing from the endless product
of our hard labor and rich fields.
4 / believe in tariff for revenue. with
protection or discrimination, within the rev.
enue limit, and have no sympathy with the
doctrine that the tariff should be levied for
revenue regardless of its effect upon home
industries"
Senator Mcpherson closes his reply as fol-
lows:
ITO debase and degrade labor is to impair,
if not to destroy, republican government OH
this continent, and the man who does it. be
he President or cabinet minister, senator or
representative, or private citizen, of high or
low degree, has no more right to be classed a
Democrat than l have to call for three cheers
at a funeral. 1t is charged that l was the
only senator claiming To he Democrat who
cast his vote for an Questionable tariff bill.