The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-11-16

n
with the change of administration there
will come a change for the worse TO the
poor of the land. Free trade. 1t Is
claimed, viii hurt many industries and
ruin a great number, and more par
ticularly the mining interests of the
country. Whether they have any
foundation for their bugabOO ideas, or
whether they say so because they only
think so / can't say; but if you can tell
me Iand them at the same time) any
thing which viii dispel these visions OF
hard times, please let us be told, and
Oblige, ONE OF THE PEOPLE.
Mr.. Blaine went through the country
crying to the people that Democratic
victory meant free trade, and free trade
meant the shutting down of the mills,
the closing of the mines, the prostration
of manufacturing industries; that the
closing of the mills and so on meant
suffering and starvation fOr the laboring
people. The voters showed how much
faith they placed in Mr.. Blaine's
promises and predictions, by giving
an Overwhelming majority against
him, and electing a pronounced
and well known Democrat as President
Governor Cleveland was elected upon a
platform approved and endorsed by
him) which declared:
The Democracy pledges itself to purify
the administration from corruption, to
restore economy, to revive respect for
law, and to reduce taxation to the
lowest limit consistent with due regard
TO the preservation of the nation to its
creditors and pensioners.
Knowing full well, however, that legiS-
lation affecting the occupations of the
people should be cautious and con-
sentative in method, not in advance of
public opinion, but responsive to its
demands, the Democratic party is
pledged to revise the tariff in a spirit of
fairness TO all interests.
But in making reduction in taxes it is
not proposed to iniure any domestic
industries, but rather 10 promote their
healthy growth. From the foundation
of this government taxes collected at
the custom house have been the chief
source of federal revenue. Such they
must continue to be. Moreover, many
industries have come to rely upon legiS-
latien for successful continuance, SO
that any change of law must be at every
step Tegardful of the labor and capital
thus involved. The process of reform
must be subiectin the execution to this
plain dictate of justice.
All taxation shall be limited to the re-
quirements of economical government.
The necessary reduction in taxation
can and must be effected without de-
privlRg American labor of the ability to
compete successfully with foreign labor.
and without imposing lower rates of
duty than will be ample to cover anv
increased cost OF production which may
= exist In consequence of the higher rate
of wages prevailing in this country.
Sufficient revenue to pay all the ex-
penses of the federal government, econ
Omicauy administered, including pen
siOns, interest and principal of the pub
lie debt, can be got under our present
system of taxation, from custom-hOuSe
taxes On fewer imported articles. bear
ing heaviest on articles of luxury, and
bearing lighteSt on articles of necessity.
We therefore denounce the abuses OF
existing tariff; and, subject to the pre-
ceding Limitations, we demand that fed
eraI taxation shall be exclusively for
public purposes, and shall not exceed
the needs of the government eeonomi-
-cally administered.
Here the Democracy said what il
meant and meant what it said. There
is no reading between the lines. The
tariff system will be reformed, but the
tariff will not be abolished; it will be
revised lin spirit Of fairness to all in
terests." 1t is not proposed to iniure
domestic industries, but rather to pro-
mote their healthy growth. Whatever
change is made In the tariff laws will be
i'll harmony with this fact and purpose.
The tariff legislation of the Republican
party has not been in the interest of the
Workingman, but for the benefit of the
employer its operation has been such
as to build up and protect oppres-
sive monOpolies, who having the gov
eminent between them and competition
grind their wOrknen down to the
last penny, and extort from the
consumers, rich and poor, the
high salaried man and the toiler
for day wages, the highest price possible
for their protected products. The pro
lection thrown about American indus
tries simply protects the proprietor,
and enables him TO charge the laborer
two dollars for what costs but one; it
operates TO make the rich richer and to
keep the poor poor. The Democracy
hiss promised to reform this, and in line
with that promise will not Cypress in
dustries, bit it will enable the working
man to share the profits that are now
gObbled by the protected monopolies.