Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-07-21
HISTORIAN BLAINE AGAINST CANDI-
DATE BLAINE.

HISTORIAN BLAINE AGAINST CANDI-
DATE BLAINE.
Mr.. BLAINE is ready writer. His style
is smooth easy and captivating. But with
nil that he is reckless writer-reckless
with regard to his statements, relying more
upon the beauty Of rhetoric than the truth
fitness of his statements to carry force.
His letter OF acceptance is au illustration
in point
While it is eyid0n, from perusal Of Mr.
BIAISEs book, Twenty Years Of Con-
gress," that he is a biased writer still 1t is
true that BLAINE as the historian 10
fairer than BLAINE as the candidate. In
his b, OK We lind an Interesting discussion
of the Taft in which be comedies that there
never has been Free Trade party in this
country. He shows that there have been
advocates OF free trade theOries-thst many
Of these individuals have held prominent
positions in the Democratic party, as some
of them have in the opposition vet he is
fair enough to admit there has n5yer been
. an organized Free Trade party in this
country,
In his letter OF acceptance. 50 anxious Is
Mr.. BLAINE To construct some issue that
will divert public from himself
aad his record he recklessly in an elaborate
argument, seeks to prove that the Democrat
ic party has always been a free trade party.
Going upon the assumption that lie
well stuck to answers the purpose of the
tr,,th. the Republican campaign bosses
eyince a determination TO 60 ahead with
Misrepresentation and unfair and reckless
statements
A brief review of the record Of the Demo
cratic party viii convince any candid mind
that at no time in its history has the Dem
Ocratic party declared in favor Of free trade.
The best authority for the principles Of
party Is its own declaration in the platform
1t announces Commencing with the first
Democratic Convention ever held aud the
6rsI platform of principles formulated aud
announced, We revert TO the convention OF
1882 This . the tariff resolution adopted
by the National Democracy that year:
Rssoired, That an adequate protection
To American industry is Indispensable 10 the
prosperity OF the country; and that an
abandonment of the policy at This period
would be attended with consequences ruin
Gus 70 the best interests of the nation.
Upon this platform ANDREW JArasoN
was re elected, defeating HENRY CHAR. la
1886 MARTIN VAN BUREN was elected 81
the same platform, the Whgs being siIen
Lhis year on the tariff.
In 1910 the Democratic Convention n
Baltimore adopted the following: Re
soired. That it is the duty of every branch
of the government to enforce and practice
the most rigid economy in conducting our
public affairs, and that no more revenue
ought to be raised than is required TO defray
the necessary expenses Of the government
This year the Wings were again silent on
the tariff aud carried the election upon the
Log Cabin and Hard Cider cry.
In 1874 the Democrats re affirmed the
Tariff plank Of 1910 and upon that Polk
aud DALLAS swept the country.
In 1913 the plank Of 1870 was again
adopted with the addition Of the words,
"and for the gradual but certain extinction
Of debt created for the prosecution of q
Just and necessary war meaning the
Mexican war This year General TAYLOR
va, elected upon his popular war record,
In loj2 the Democratic Convention again
reaarnred the plank of 1910 as enlarged in
1913, and swept the couutry BY the election
OF Franklin Pierce.
The same wear the Wings adopted tariff
Tor revenue platform. And it is worthy Of
note that the Free Soil Party, the seed from
which the RepubkeRn party sprang, adopt
ed the Democratic idea and couched in a.
most the SAME language their declaration
on the tariff IL read rs follows =. mo
more revenue shOuld be raised than is re-
uuised to delray the strictly necessary sx-
penSeS Of the public service, and to pay OF
the public deJi The Republican party in
its youthful purity and before it became
the prey Of corporate monopoly. was true to
the Democratic theory of tariff Again, in
1856, the Democratic party planted itself
on the old platform of 1910, while both the
Wing and Republican platforms were omi-
nOusly silent on the tariff And again the
Democrats carried the country.
And in 1860 both the DOUGLAS and
BEEcKSnDGS conventions stood on the old
platform and thus for twenty consecutive
years, we find the national Democracy oc-
rupying the same ground without even
change Of phraseology in its language,
The Republican convention at Chicago
which nominated LINCOLN adopted a
tariff plank exact in substance and almost
similar in language to that adopted BY the
Democratic convention ., Chicago in 1884 !
Which nominated CLEyEIASD. The declara-
tors Of The Democratic party since the war !
use. 80 fresh in .oGr memories to- require