The Republican journal., 1883-05-03
Free Trade and Tariff for Revenue Only

The Democratic press is not having very
happy time over the tariff question, while the
! Republican party is practically a unit for the
! protection of American industry and American
labor, and that is The settled policy of the party
/ proclaimed on the stump, embodied on its plat
| forms, and carried out in legislation so far as
| Democratic opposition will allow. That our
| present tariff needs revision no one disputes.
| The Democrats have not only made no efforts
/ in this direction, but have antagOnZed all other
movements. Their press and leaders are at log
! gerheadS on the issue Some are for free trade.
some Tor tariff for revenue only, while the
southern press is daily more Outspoken in favor
Of protection. Thu free traders have not con-
descended to explain where the revenues are to
come from to meet the national expenditures.
which must increase with the growth of the
country. nor do those who demand a tariff for
revenue only tell us exactly what they mean by
that phrase. Probably they do not know them
selves, and simply use the words as a party
>hibboIeth.
Mayor Harrison. of Chicago. at the recent
Democratic banquet in that city, toy his hear
crs, in speech which proved the sensation Of
the evening You may make your tariff for
revenue only in your next platform, but you
Will split the Democratic party" Charles A.
Dana, of the New York sun. when inter,iew
in san Francisco. said The effects Of a free
trade plank IN the Democratic platform during
the coming Presidential election would in New
York, in the present condition of public opn-
ion. pc ruinou>. 1t would also lose New Jer-
sew Connecticut, and probably Indiana" &C.
The American Register perhaps the ablest eX-
ponent OF unauthorized Democratic opinion in
the press Of to-day, says that no doubt what
Mr.. Dana means by free trade is "a tariff for
revenue only, and that ''would most certainly
defeat the Democracy in New Jersey, New
ork, Connecticut and Indiana, and indeed
leave no earthly chance for it in Ohio. Pennsvl-
yania and Illinois," 70 this list may well be
added Georgia. Alabama, Louisiana and prob
ably others Of the Southern States. The Regis
ter further explains;
The phrase 81 tqild f,,. ,y,e4ue ouIg."is I'M
dcr>tood 10 be the free trade position because
il is understood to exclude and preclude tie ilett
n a'r,fe'fm ptotertto4. Shall it rule and ruin:
II defeated the Democracy in 1850. Shall it be
allowed to defeat it in 1884? That is the pertin-
till enquiry now. rs Carter Harrison said in
his speech at Chicago: 1T will never bring lis
a single vote from the Republican ranks, While
II VIII take hundreds of thousands Of voters
away from the Republican party"
Here Is good Democratic authority and doe
trne TO offset the free trade and tariff for rev
rnuc only utterances OF Democratic papers in
this State and elsewhere. The Register comedies.
in effect, that the Republican position is right
that free trade is wrong; that '.taritf for rev
cnue only is simply free trade in disguise;
and that American industries should be pro-
teced and American workingmen and women
protected. The Republican party means that
they shall he protected and if the Democratic
party Is rash enough to make the issue the Re
publican party Will no doubt have, us the
American Register predicts, the aid of humid
reds Of thousands of Democratic voters.