Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-07-18


PROTECTION FOR THE LAROR-
ING MA N-THE MORRISON
BILL BURIED AT
CHICAGO.
No one who understands how thorough
ly the Democratic party of this country is
identified with the people of the land and
how largely it's ranks are made up from
those of our countrymen who earn their
bread by daily toll, had any fear that at
Chicago the representatives of the party
would fail to protect the interests and
represent the views of the mass of the
American people. The only doubt on the
subject had been raised by the Henry
Watterson- Morrison Tariff Reform party
who after taking the wrong road, attemp-
ted to conceal their error by crying out
that good many more were on the same
route. The Morrison-Tariff-R Reform bill
was only heard from once at the Conven-
ton of the National Democracy and here
is the account of the reception it got:
Some one tried to throw firebrand into the
meeting by offering resolution that the Con-
vention endorse the Morrison bill. Half of
the Convention was at once on its feet. There
were shouts of "No!" "Nol" and Kisses and
confusion One delegate, jumping to his
feet, said that such an endorsement would kill
the platform Chairman Villas, with ready
wit, squelched this movement by stating that
under the rules he was obliged to send it to
the Committee on Resolutions.
1t was buried alive and never heard
from afterwards.
"Firebrand" is good name for it,
That is what the Morrison bill was and all
that it is. 1t was firebrand when it was
introduced into Congress and those who
introduced it will probably be glad,
now that they have seen their folly, to see
that the National Democratic party has
stamped it cut. We now give the COM
mon sense tariff plank which the Nation
al Convention did adopt:
'sKnowing full well, however, that legisla-
ton affecting the occupations of the people
should be cautious and conservative in method,
not in advance of public opinion, but respon-
sive to its demands, the Democratic party is
pledged to reUise the tariff IN spirit tai72oess
to all interests.
But in making reduction in taxes it is not
proposed to injure any domestic industries
but rather to promote their heating groloth.
From the foundation of this government taxes
collected at the custom-hou have been the
chief source of federal revenue; such they must
continue to be. Moreover, many Industries
have come to rely upon legislation for success
full continuance, so that any change of law
must be at every step regardful Of the labor
and capital thus involved. The process of re-
form mast be subject IN tue execution to tits
plain dictate Of justice.
AU taratio7a shall be limited to the require
ne71ts Of econonical gooeraanee1at THE Necessary
reduction in taxation can and must be effected
aoit7sout de115ging american labor Of the ability
10 compete successfully aeitt .toreign labor, and
aoit7sout imposing zoacer rates Of duty than mill
b. ample to c00er d71y increased c0stcf 110ctio1
a0zich mag eaist in consequence Of HteMgher rate
Of a1ages pre0ailing in this country.
Sufficient revenue to pay all the expenses of
the federal government economically admins
tered, including pensions, interest and prilei-
pal of the public debt, can be got under our
present system Of taxation from custom house
taxes on fewer imported articles, bearing
heaviest on articles of luxury, and bearing
lghtest on articles of necessity. We there
fore denounce the abuses of the existing
tariff and, subject to The preceding ljmita-
tons, we demand that federal taxation shall
be exclusively for public purposes and shall
uOu eXGeeQ biie ueeuS Oh Tie SONefulieul,
economically adnainistere9.p
Now we reproduce the tariff plank of
the Republican National Convention,
which met IN Chicago III June last:
SIT liz the FIRST duty of good Government
to protect the rights and promote the interests
of its own people. The largest diversity eff in
dustry is most productive of general prospect
ty and of the comfort and independence of
the people We therefore demand that the
imposition of duties on foreign imports shall
be made not 'sfor revenue only" but that in
ratsing tue requisite reye,aues for the Goverm-
ment, Such duties sholl be 90 le0ied as to afford
security to our dicersi1ied i1dtst1'ife and pro-
tectjon to the rights and aeages Of the za60rer, 10
the end that actjge and intelligent labor as qoeN
cal5tdy may haUe its just REGARD, and the Ia
boring nun Ais share in tile National pros
pe1ity Against the so caii<ad economical sys-
tenn" of the Democratic party, which would
degrade orr labor to the foreign standard, We
enter earnest protest The Democratic
party has failed completely to relieve the peo-
pie of the burden Of unnecessary taxation by
wise reduction of the surplus.
The Republican party pledges itself to correct
the Inequalities of tile tariff and to reduce the
surplus not by the vicious and indiscrminate
process OF g horizontal reduction but by
such methods as viii relieve the taxpayer
without injuring the laboref oT the great pro-
ductiye interests of the country. We seoog-
nize the importance of sheep husbandry in the
United States, the serious depression which it
is now experiencing, and the Danger threaten
ing its future prosperity; and we therefore re-
gpect the demands of the representatives of
this Important agricultural interest for read
justment of the dHty on foreign wool, in order
that such industry shall heye full and ade
quate protection.
We publish both of these platforms to-
getber. geTEdtina, with the points in each
bearing most directly on the question of
protection, italicised. The Democratic
party not only guarantees protection to
the laboring man bnt makes it obligatory
that no reduction of revenue shall be made
that cannot be made without deprizing
American labor of the ability to compete
successfully with foreign labor" That is
the protection that American labor de-
mapds, and that the Democratic party
pledges itself to give. Both Of the CON-
peting political organizations offer pro-
tectlve tariff; both of them pledge a re-
vision Of the tariff; but one of them in ad-
dillon promises to reform the government.
That promise is made by the Democratic
party and it boldly takes up candidate