The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-04-03
Revenue Reform and What IT Is.

has been prominent from the first
Never was reform in the revenue
needed as it is now.
There is no denying the extraya-
gance in the general government un-
der Republican rule. A party in
power that collects from the people
millions more than necessary to eco
nomical administration, should not
receive the confidence and support of
good citizens.
Republicans say their system of
protection" is necessary to secure
prosperity to the manufacturing in
dustries of this country, and also to
all other business. Results do not
| Justify the claim, and the experience
of the last ten years, with panics,
prostration, bankruptcy and ruin,
tells fearful tale.
In addition, the vast shipping in
terests of twenty-five years ago is
gone. The American commercial
marine, that used to be our pride,
and was familiar to all nations, has
disappeared under Republican ''pro-
lection" Jefferson laid down as an
essential principle of good govern
ment, Economy in the public ex-
penses, that labor may be lightly
burdened," and encouragement of
agriculture and commerce as its hand
maid" And Madison announced as
a principle of vital Importance to the
people, the necessity ''to promote,
by authorized means, improvements
friendly to agriculture, to commerce,
to manufactures, and to external as
well as internal commerce.
The Democratic platform of 1910
declared ''that justice and sound pol
icy forbid the Federal Government to
foster one branch of industry to the
detriment of another, or to cherish
the interests of one portion to the
injury of another portion of our COM
mon country;" and "that no more
revenue ought to be raised than is
required to defray the necessary ex-
penses of the government. These
doctrines have been repeatedly re-
affirmed, and in 1876 the Demo-
cratic platform had the following
'fWe denounce the present tariff,
levied upon nearly four thousand ar
ticles, as monstrous piece of injus-
tice, inequality and false pretense. -
It prohibits imports that might pur-
chase the products of American labor,
It has degraded American commerce
from the first to an inferior rank or
the high seas. It has cut down the
sales of American manufactures a
home and abroad, and depleted the
returns of American agriculture-ar
industry followed by half our people
We demand that all custom hous,
taxation shall be only for revenue"
Richard Golden, the great English
commoner, said: sTaxes, when nee
J essary, must be laid for revenue alone
and in the remission of those to b,
! RENTED, the interests of the consume
, are paramount, and must be consult
I ed; no taxes should be levied exclrl
sively in the supposed interests 0
Q producers or manufacturers the,
r have no right to enjoy this immunity
r because in the minority"
It viii be seen the Democratic part
I is not and never has been in favor O
high taxation in the interests of tepro
: lection" The policy ever was-tarii
0 taxation to raise revenue to suppl
i the necessities of government, an,
not unduly in the interest of favore'
!. few. Nothing else is Democratic
3 nothing else is right.
~-ua1-e-SR-
Let no one suppose that the Dem
ocratic National convention, to al