Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-31

suits of private life TO the duties aud
hazards OF war. II takes from man
that which 10 his AMI appropriates 1t to
public use. Are you inen from the farms,
the shops, and the stores, willing that
my other rule should be adopted?
May they take your money for uses
not authorized by the Constitution or
not for public welfare. or that 1t may be
piled up in the vaults to tempt the greed
ef the INSCRIPTIONS. With the war and
expenditures consequent upon II there
passed away the necessity for war
standard Of taxation. Why, then. has
such standard been continued? The
party that has held almost unbroken
power for nineteen years OF peace must
respond to that inquiry. In his last an
nual report, on the 81 Of December last,
the Secretary Of the Treasury estimates
the surplus for the current year at
$50, 900. So the question still presses
what legislation is necessary to relieve
the people OF unnecessary taxes. In a
speech recently made at Richmond, MIR.
Calkins, the candidate for Governor.
boasting Of the achievements of his par.
ty, made the statement, which accept
without examination, that "the Repub.
lican party found an empty treasury,
now II has surplus Of $4O0, ,000, 900. '
That great SUN lies idle in the Treasury
II II had been left in circulation with
the people it would become the willing
and aclive servant OF labor. II would
stimulate and strengthen old and devel-
op new enterprises. Itwould restore to
the merchant his market and give the
farmer good prices again. In the Ian.
guage OF the Secretary Of the Treasury,
the question still presses what legislation
is necessary to relieve the people of up-
necessary taxes. 1t is the question Of
revenue reform. Solve this question,
my countrymen, by reducing the taxes
and thus leaving the money not needed
by the Government in the pockets Of the
people and In the channels of trade and
commerce. The party in power will not
give us this reform. Learning and argu.
mcnt are exhausted in the political pa.
pers of these times in support of high
taxation, to the end and for the
purpose of relieving favored class.
es from the competition Of gen.
erous and liberal trade. May ask
your attention to the plan and principles
of revenue reform to which the Democ.
racy are pledged by the Chicago plat
form. Federal taxations shall not exceed
the needs of the government economical.
iy administered. Do you approve that!
Federal taxation shall be exclusively for
public purposes. Would you have it
otherwise? If taxation can have for its
object other than public purposes, then
what purposes may the object and pur-
poses be individual and private gaing l
do not question that in the adjustment
of the details of tariff the legislative
mind and judgment may and will be in.
Auenced not only by considerations of
general policy but also by the probable
effect of the measures upon the business
interests of the country. 1t is in accord
ance with this sentiment that the Demo-
cratic party stands pledged in its plat
form to revise the tariff in spirit
of fairness to all interests, and that
any change of law must at every step be
regardful of the labor and capital en-
ployed in the industries of the country
and that Custom House taxes shall bear
heaviest on articles of luxury and light
est on articles OF necessity, and that the
necessary reduction in taxation can and
must be effected without depriving
American labor of the ability to com.
pete successfully with foreign labor.
These principles of the platform are
plainly written and easily understood.
The present the conservative purpose of
the Democracy touching revenue reform.
If the four hundred millions now
locked up in the treasury were restored
to the channels of trade and commerce
who can doubt that the laborer would
find employment and the manufacturer
market for his fabrics.
The condition of our ocean commerce
is disgraceful. Practically we have no
mere hant marine We are dependent
on foreign nations for our ocean CON-
merce. Our own merchant navy has
disappeared from the seas and the
owners of foreign vessels are enriched
by the profits that we should earn our
selves. The obituary of Cur merchant
navy is written in our tariff and ship.
ping laws. The lamentable condition
in which our war navy and coast de-
fences are found at the end of nearly
twenty years of Republican rule is
well described by Senator Harrison in his
able speech delivered in this city on the
l4th Of August. He says; "The high.
est military and naval authorities of the
country have again and again in official
reports to Congress declared that we are
without a navy, and that our sea-coasi
defenees are not worthy the name, that
we have no guns for our ships, and none
for our coast Notifications.
The utter helplessness and nakedness
of our country in the matter of ships
and coast defences is conceded by every
American. and known in every foreign
port.
Who is responsible for this amazing
condition of things?
What party had the reins of political
power while the navy was rotting down
and the coast fortifications were
passing into dilapidation, Senator Har-
rison did not charge that the Democratic
party suffered this condition eff things to
come about or that il was responsible fol-
it, Nothing in its history could Justify
the charge that the Democracy is op.
posed to the maintaining of strong and
efficient naval armament.
May ask You now to consider the
question whether there ought not to be
a change in the control and management
of public affairs? What other remedy
for the correction of abuses have the
citizens of free republic! There are
many valuable reforms that cannot be
accomplished by party that has been
long in power. As an illustration, con.
slider our army of office.holders, now
above ITO, 900. Reform in the civil ser.
vice requires its reduction perhaps
10000. Who can check the evil
Not the party that created the positions
and appointed its favorites to fill them,
that is impossible. lad as the civil
service now is, all know 1t has some men
of tried integrity and proved ability.
Such men and such men only should be
retained in office, but no man should be
retained on any consideration who has
prostituted his office to the purposes of
partizan intimidation or compulsion, or
who has furnished money to corrupt
elections.
May ask your attention to one other
subject? Much is said about the proba.
BILE foreign policy OF the Presidential
candidates, and for MIR. Blaine it is
claimed that he will be more American
and dashing. His South American en-
terprise was neither. OF course we
know what vote this claim is intended
to reach. l think it will fail The
vote is too intelligent. The platforms
do not differ materially. The Repub-
lican declares we believe that every
where the protection to citizen of
American birth must be secured
to citizeus by American adoption.
The Democratic platform and the Demo
cratic party insists that it is the duty of
this government to protect with equal
fidelity the rights of the citizens, native
and naturslized, at home and abroad.
1t is an imperative duty Of this govern
ment to protect all the rights of persons