The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-06-21
THE INDEPENDENT.
SATURDAY, JUNE q, 1894.
Protection,

Protection,
Protection is term when applied In
governmental affairs, where all are sup
posed to be equal before the laws and
share equally in the benefits arising
therefrom, which is at variance with the
spirit and genius Of our institutions and
libel upon the declaration that all are
free and equal and entitled to the same
inalienable rights, It is declaration
that there is something to protect; that
one portion of our citizens are entitled
to benefits which are not common to us
all; that laws should be enacted for
their individual advantage and prefer
ment. This condition of affairs was
never intended by the founders of our
government.
Political economy teaches that tar
if framed upon the theory Of protection
will necessarily impoverish the many
for the enrichment of few monopolies.
Twenty years experience with the pres
ent system of protection has demon
strated the teaching of the best authors
upon this subject. It has fostered and
built up monopolies and created mill
;onaires all over the land; it has de-
stroyed our commerce; it has impov-
erished our people; destroyed the pro-
duct of farm labor and mortgaged the
soil which our farmers til; it has made
the rich richer and the poor poorer and
at tie same time increased the price of
living on all the necessaues which we
consume. A ta"iff for any other pur-
pose than that for raising revenue for
the support of the government, is n
moral obliquity and at variance with
the best interests of the country, and
should be opposed by every citizen who
has the good of his country at heart
This question is coming to be we'll un-
derstood by the great masses of our
people and SO soon as the great Demo
cratic party is able to convince the pee-
pie that they hold to the faith of the
founders of the party on this question;
that to them and to them alone we must
look for reform On this important sub
ject, the people will trust them with
the administration of the government
In 1880 the Cincinnati convention
evaded an open and straightforward
declaration on this question and Win
field Scott Hancock, the nominee of the
party for the high office of president,
forfeited his chances of an election by
admitting the right of protection. In
1876 the st. Louis convention con
tanned an open and straightforward
declaration on this question and Tilden
and Hendricks swept the country by
half million majority Of the intelli-
gent white voters
The following IS the plank on that
subject, contained in the st. Louis
platform:
"Reform is necessary in the sum and
mode of federal taxation, to the end
that capital may be set free from dis
trust and labor lightly burdened. We
'denouhce the present tariff laws upon
nearly four thousand articles, as mas
ter piece of injustice, inequality and
false practice. 1t yields dwindling,
not yearly rising revenue. It has
impoverished many industries to subsi-
die few. It prohibits imports that
purchase the products of American Ia
Dor. 1t has degraded American COM
merce from the first to an inferior
rank upon the high seas. It has cut
down the sales of American manufac-
lures at home AMI abroad, and depleted
the returns of American agriculture, an
industry followed by half our people.
1t costs the people five times more than
it produces to the treasury, obstructs
the process of production and wastes
the fruits of labor. It promotes frauds.
fosters smuggling, enriches dishonest
officials and bankrupts honest mer-
chants. We demand that all custom
house taxation shall be only fol
revenue
The New York "Star" saws that w.
w Karr tho uall Lnnun criminal In W