Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-06-13
The Tariff Issue.


the Republican leaders are weakening in
no small degree on the protection heresy
This is made manifest by the tariff plank
of the recent Chicago platform, which
reads as follows:
at is the first duty of a good government TO
protect the rights and promote the interests OF
its own people. The largest diversity Of in
dustry is most productive Of general prosperi-
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
for revenue only, but that in raising the re-
qusite revenues for the government, such
shall be so levied to afford security to our
diversified industries, and protection TO the
rights and wages of - laborer, to the end
that active and intelligent 'sbor, as we'll as
capital, may have its just award, and the la Dor
ing man his full share in the national pros
perity."
1t will be observed that his last declar-
alton is in marked contrast with the une-
quivocal proclamations on the tariff sub
ject which have been made in the plat
forms of many of the Republican States.
within the last couple of months. The
tariff plank in the Pennsylvania Republi-
can platform, framed about a month ago
read as follows:
ave unqusli6edly approve and demand the
continuation of the system of protection to home
industry which has proved itself to be the basis
of national independence, the incentive TO in
dustriat skill and development, and the guar
antee of u just and adequate scale of wages for
labor; and We denounce all attempts to reduce
the rates of tariff below the level which will
accomplish these objects"
| This latter declaration is an unequivo-
cal statement of the Republican position
upon the tariff question, and is substan-
TALLY the same as that adopted by the
various Republican State convention !;
and the fact that the party leaders have
not had the courage 20 corporate it in
its national platform, but have seen fit to
resort to the most contemplate and mean
ingless equivoca'ion upon the question,
shows very conclusively that the grand
old party is in a trying dilemma over
this vexatious tariff question.
This tariff plank, like the famous ''Oh'o
idea,n 70 Capable of being fruustrurtf into
sanctioning the present or a higher pro-
tective tariff, or of being interpreted as
admitting of such reform OF the existing
tariff as to bring the duties down to rev.
enue basis 1t is fact well known to
every one who has any knowledge at all
of the nature of tariff taxation, that the
surplus revenues may be diminished by
raising the tariff duties as we'll as by re-
ducing them. When, therefore, "protec-
ton to American industry" is conceded
to be the prime or even q coordinate OBJ
iect of tariff taxation. then it is evident
that the requisite revenues of the gov
eminent" may be $50 levied as to afford
security to our diversified industries in
greater degree than at present, with a
corresponding increase of the present on
erous burdens of the masses of the people
who are the consumers of the products of
the aforesaid industries.
it is this well known phase of the tariff
question which has given rise to the cur
rent phrase among tariff refermers of tariff
for revenue only" which the willy trim
mers who constructed the Republican tar
if plank endeavored to play upon. While
recognizing no right in Congress to levy
tax upon imports tor any other purpose
than 'for revenue only the Democratic
party comedies that the duties levied for
this purpose will necessarily bring incl
dental protection to such American indus
tries as are engaged in the manufacture or
production of the articles upon which the
duties are levied.
In the present state of the public feeling
upon the question of tariff taxation and
the recent past history of the legislation
upon it, the consumers of the country de-
mand plain statement of the tariff ques-
ton at the hands of political parties, and
any unequivocal declaration upon that all
absorbing question at this time is regard
ed as contemplate and damnable. 1t will
result, therefore, that the bait which the
willy politicians at Chicago have thrown
out in the shape of a most indirect and re-
motely implied promise of tariff reform
will not be caught at by the people, but
these trimmers will realize before the cam
paign has progressed very far that upon
this question, in the popular judgment,
'she that dallies is a bastard"
1t is, therefore, of the greatest import
ance that the Democratic tariff plank
should be explicit, unequivocal, terse, clear
and to the point effectually negativing
the idea that Congress may place the i'm
port duty upon eny article Of domestic
consumption above the point at which it
will yield the greatest revenue to the gov
eminent, whether under pretext of 'pro-
tecting American industries and labor
or otherwise. 1t should also incorporate
the idea set forth in the recent Maryland
platform, that the highest revenue duty
should be always placed upon luxuries,
and it should also be provided that cor
responding excise tax be kept up on such
luxurious articles as are manufactured
within this country. The people will be
satisfied with nothing less than this, and
it will be prudent to avoid any equivoca-
ton in the shape of the "Ohio idea" The
Democratic party may we'll afford to send
its defiance to the manufacturing mono
poles and the few thousand factory hands
they control, and it need not 60 much out
of its way in explaining how the ''inciden-
tai protection" is to be adjusted