The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-04
FROM THE PEOPLE.
rhe Democratic party and the Tarif.

The Democratic Party and the Tariff.
70 the Editor Of the Indianapolis Journal
That the Democratic party has no tariff policy
worthy of the name; that it is insincere in its
present tariff planks, as it has always heretofore
been upon this and every other great issue: that,
if it should be successful next November, it
Intends no legislation Of profit to the laboring
man, is manifest, not only from the inability of
the party. through its recognized leaders IN the
last Congress, to declare for either protection Or
free trade, but from the record of the party from
1856 to the present time. During all that
period the Republican party has been the firm
and consistent advocate Of protection. Not class
profession, but protection to the daylaborer and
the farmer. the artisan and manufacturer alike.
The facts that the farmer has a home market
for his produce, and at a fair profit; that the la
boring man receives better wages than he can
get anywhere else in the world; that the wealth
of our Nation has increased pa per cent. during
the twenty-four years Of Republican rule over
what it was from the settlement of Virginia in
1907 until 1866, are conclusive arguments that
the legislation of the Republican party upon this
issue has been for American industries and
Americans.
The policy Of the Republican party, as set
forth in its platform at the Chicago convention
of last June, and by both Blaine and Logan in
their letters Of acceptance, is an unquahtied IN
dorsement of the rights of American citizens
and their protection, rather than a catering to
the utopian theories Of certain English eeono
mists, whose one object is the reduction OF
well.paid American labor to the standard OF the
English laborer.
The doctrine Of free trade, as advocated by
such Democratic leaders as Watterson, Morri-
son and Carlisle, is ~quixotic In its nature. and
can never be maintained in this land but by
taking from the laboring man the few hard
earned dollars he has laid away for the purchas-
ing of a home, the education OF his children. or
as a security against penury in old age. Pollt-
ical economy is not what John Stuart Mill de-
clafes it to be, and what certain Democratic
leaders would induce every labering man TO be-
lieve-fA science based on assumptions" 1t is,
rather, a science based on inductive truths rela
tive TO the production and consumption of
wealth. Statistics and historical facts should be
the authorities in all economic discussions, for
it is from this source that all economic prin-
ciples are derived. And they all, even from the
palmy days of Ph9nicia, which Senator
Mcdonald told US SO much about, are
arguments for protection; for this reason and no
bthef did John Stuart Mill, and other freeNtraders
In his day, SO strenuously object to the use Of
statistics and historicalfacts in these discussions.
The free-traders of to-day are allied in this
respect to Mill and his associates.
The inconsistencies Of the Democratic party
upon this question should be argument sufficient
to convince every man whose livelihood depends
upon the labor of his hands that his interests
are not advocated by the Democratic party.
These inconsistencies We now propose to
notice.
In 1855 the Democrat party assembled in its
national convention at. Cincinnati 1t is but
right to infer that they were representative
Democrats, and that they had their eountry's
in that convention they began a long career of
mistakes, that have since become the marks Of
the Democratic party. Our manufacturing eS-
Establishments were then few in number Eng.
land ranked Arst of all nations in manufactur-
ing interests; she had more wealth, more skilled
Jaborers and paid them, as now, too low q
rate for work done, to allow American compe-
tition. Yet, in the face of these facts the Dem
ocratic party declared, The time has come for
the United States to declare themselves In favor
of free seas and progressive free trade through
out the world In 1868, at New York, they
said they favored a tariff for revenue
upon foreign imports, and such equal taxation
Under the internal revenue laws as will afford
Incidental protection to domestic manufactures
and encourage the great Industrial interests of
the country" Surely, consistency is a thing
unknown to Democracy. In 1872, their tariff
plank was both novel and ridiculous. After the
nomination of Horace Greeley, they voted an in
dorsement of the liberal Republican platform;
one resolution of which demanded that the tariff
discussion be remitted ito the people in their
congressional districts. They advocated neither
tensions as to a policy. In 1876 and 1880
they declared themselves favoring tariff
for revenue only For this campaign
they have q plank fayoring tariff for public
purposes exclusively Upon that plank various
constructions are placed, yet ~inspirIt, it is the
same plank upon which the party was defeated
in 1880. Many of their leaders are opposed to
it. Mr.. Voorhees, arose in the convention that
adopted it and asked that his vote be especially
recorded against it, Mr.. Randall fought it.
Its adoption was a victory for the freetrade efe-
ment, Morrison, Mcdonald, Carlisle and Waiter
son. It means nothing more than free trade.
1t is merely a ruse to catch voteS-a Democratic
shibboleth to hold a solid South
Thus we find that since 1856, the Democratic
party has favored absolute free trade, a revenue
tariff, Incidental protection, a remission of The
subject to the Congressional districts, a tariff
for revenue only and tariff for public pur-
poses exclusively
If the party has a policy upon this question,
some exponent of the doctrine would do the
party an inestiEnable service to state il. and al
the same time, If possible, to explain away Its
Inconsistencies This question is a vital one to
the laboring man, and his interest is in the party
favoring protection; the security of his home
and the education of his children both demand
it. JOHN Nv PERRdN.
NEwPoRT, Ind, Aug. L
|
How to Procure Temperance Legislation.
To the Editor OF the Indianapolis Journal:
All the Legislation we have ever had in the
State OF Indiana in favor of temperance was
accomplished by the election to the State Legis-
lature of honest, conscientious men, and not in
consequence of any resolution, or anything OF
the kind contained in the platform of any polit-
icai convention. We shall never destroy the
liquor traffic IN any other way than by the cleo
ton to the Legislature of honest, conscientious
men, and am satisfied thatthe Temperance peo-
pie of the State have it in their power to abso-
lutely prohibit the liquor traffic In a very few
years, if they would only exercise the common
sense in this matter that they do in other mat
tiers of everyday life Let us see If I am cor
rect in what / say 1t is a notorious fact that
the nominating conventions are, 10 a majority of
Eases, controlled by |. very few persons acting in