The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-09-27

III mountsln slrean IL opposed Dut could no
stay the the movement of the waters and mad
no progress except as it was pushed along b,
the forces which 1t resisted. An observing
friend wrote me recently that in his opinion
democrats were ''like the lost tribes" seeking
to reap where they did not SOW" There is
perhaps, some confusion In this scripture
metaphor, but that helps rather than mars The
likeness. Now, contrast with the life Of the
republican party. II was patriotic when thai
virtue involved sacrifice. 1t was honest wher
honesty involved the most oppressive tax bur
dens. 1t has been the foe of slavery, of igno
rance, 81 race prejudice. 1t has emancipated
race from physical slavery and has sought to
add the gifts Of freedom OF thought and action
1t has voluntarily surrendered public patron
age, and has protected its official class from
political assessments. 1t has been responsive
to the most enlightened public sentiment, and
has furnished from its own ranks the pioneer
reformers whose earlier steps it has followed.
All of these things are accepted as true by
every republican who voted for Garfield In
1880, and have been more forcibly stated in
speech and press by many Of those who now
propose to aid in turning the country over to
the democrats.
Mr. Schurz has lately made suggestion in
tended TO molify the grief republicans would
naturally feel in leaving their party. 1t is
drawn from that fertile source of consolstory
remark. "All flesh is grass" He reminded
his hearers that the republican party could not
power. After this sad thought had settled
down upon the mind of his hearers, he added:
swell, then, l beg you soberly to consider,
whether, all things taken into account, the
present time is not as .propituous one as you
can ever expect to fine
This is almost as fine an Illustration Of
non-sequitur as Hoods picture of man sit
ting in the vehicle from which his horse has
become detached. We are not always justified
In Fastening what nature has made inevitable
That the republican party must die in the
course of nature does not furnish reason why
its useful life should be strangled by its
friends No patriotic man will help to de-
stroy party, or to put 1t out Of power, except
to substitute better one-one that averages
better The democratic party has given no
evidence that 1t has lost its aptitude for blum
dering Its restoration to power Is no less to-
day than In previous campaigns menace to
the business interests of the country. Its hos
tility to our currency system, especially to the
national banks; Its rude and clumsy assaults
upon our revenue system and the saturnalia Of
spoils 1t would inaugurate are tull of peril to
the commercial and Industrial interests of the
country, and to the orderly transaction Of It's
public business No one could tell what to
expect, and period of business unrest and
apprehension would inevitably accompany its
to power. What would it dol Can
Mr.. Morrison tell u.s. or Mr.. Randalll With a
majority of about eighty in the house Of repre-
sentatiyes, it was unable in a seven months
session to do anything that was useful except
to pass the appropriation bills, and it was very
slow about that. To have party come into
power that has mo definite principles" leaves
to chance. Forecast is impossible.
The time will not be "auspicious' for put
ting the democratic party in power until that
party discovers and adheres to some fixed
principles; until the civil-servicc reform has |
become so rooted that this very hungry and
very thirsty" party can not tear 1t up; until the
southern question has been settled, and the |
electoral vote of the south is no longer counted |
before the ballots are cast. 1t may be that |
congress is pOwerless to secure to our colored |
citizens In some of the southern states the free
exercise Of their political rights, butwhen such
bloody outrages as those Of Danville and Ha-
.lehurst occur 1t is something to have the ma
ority report on the side of honest and peace
,ble elections. 1t would be well to wait until
hat party shows some willingness to forget
md some capacity to learn; until it improves
is rest from governing by some wise sugges-
ion Is legislation. The march of the age is
Upward. The dead things of the past are step
,ing stones to higher things-not lower-and
N upward career will not lead the country into
'churz is premature-it belongs to some COM
ng generation. 1t should be Indefinitely post
,oned.
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
Let us look little into the details and see
THAT the democratic party has done in that
ower. 1t has had a majority in the house of
representatives since December, 1875, with the
RECEPTION of two years, Qorty-seyenth con-
ress), and during the forty-siXth congress had
majority in the senate also. At all the cleo
ions which returned these democratic MAORI ,
les the loudest professions and promises of
eform legislation were made to the people.
he existing revenue system was denounced as !
thieving oppression, and yet three whole
congresses and the long session of another ,
and has haa,, |
lished except some minor modification of the !
wv in respect of the tax on whisky, tobacco j
nd quinine. In a single congress FORTY :
eventh) the republicans, with a very small :
ls1ority in the house and maiorit IN the :
tariff commission, received lis report, and
lacted Il new tariff law, going over the entire
hcdule, item ny item. / do not say this law t
wise and perfect in every detail; no tariff L
hedue ever was. 1t may not have accom- O
ished as great reduction of revenue was S
but twas sincere and intelligent b
fort in that direction, while maintaining the t
'incple of discrimination in favor OF Ameri- i
N industries. 1t appears from the latest re- b
)rt OF the bureau of statistics that our Gus p
ms receipts for 1854 were $20,000,000 less L
an in 1888. II
Before the operations of the law of 1888 had "
cn fairly tested, and while the manufacture d
g and importing interests were still In the b
ocess of adjusting themselves to the new a
iiOuuiC, u dthotihliS nOuSc VI itpiccShNn- | "
res was organized by the election OF free 81
ide speaker, who organized the committee OF
iys and means In the interest of what is II
lied revenue reform. Three months OF the Il
ssion passed before any action was taken. b
len the morrison bill'' came forth. Its b
incipal feature was horizontal reduction OF C,
per cent of the existing duties That is one II
III of the duties fixed by the tariff law of d
50 was RENTED to the Importer. II was C,
nfession of inability to deal with the ques- VI
n intelligently and in detail 1t was not only Fl
lpid, but wicked, unless II was conceded that
existing duties were relatively equal, and OF
It the conditions of life In all our industries m
re the same. Both OF these things were de- IL
d. democratic campaign has been made W
! won In Ohio upon the proposition that the n,
Iuction OF the duty on wool In the act OF Ii
3 was out Of proportion TO that on wooden A
DDS, and yet the Morrison bill took no note III
this discrepancy, but again reduced the duty al
wool. 1t was revenue only"-I beg par
1, the phrase has been changed--a "revenue re
bill. The representatives Of large at
or organizations came before Mr.. Morrison's
nmittee and protested against the bill as pre-
icial to their interest and to the interests Of WI
country, but their plea went unheeded. Two de
representatives Of New of
TX and Brooklyn free trade clubs-aso came nc
ore the committee to give the sanction Of Fri
lr opinion and that of their clubs to the re-
rrison bill. Let me quote briefly from one SD
hem, Mr.. E. Ellery Anderson He said mi
have been instructed to come before YOU | ~