Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-07-31
The Democrats and the Tarilf.

Every one acquainted with the politics
of this country knows that the Demo
cratic party is the party of Free Trade.
All its declarations = all the drift
of its policy in the past confirms
this. Fresh evidence is found in the
record of the party leaders during the
recent session Of Congress in the strug-
gle over Mr.. Morrison's ruinious hori-
zontal scheme and the unqualified utter
ances OF too hasty party organs under
the impulse of zeal that was not duly
balasted by knowledge.
Any deliverancc that the Chicago
convention might have made upon the
subject would have been received with
much doubt by the country; but the
tariff plank adopted leaves no room for
question that the Democrats are intent
upon pursuing their traditional and des-
tructiye free trade policy. Their tariff
plank is numbered with much pettifogg-
ing jugglery in which they promise
esprit of fairness to all interests and
protest that they do not mean to sin
jure any domestic industries, but rather
to promote their healthy growth Ey-
erybody knows what that means. Over
and over again, in all forms of phrase
and with every conceivable guise of de-
ception the Democratic oracles have as
sured us that to remove Protection and
leave our industries at the mercy of for
eign competition would stimulate Amer
lean activities and promote their
healthy growth. " The tariff they say
must and can be reduced without de-
priving American labor of the ability to
compete successfully with foreign la
Dor. Comforting assurance The
old school medical practitioners were
wont to bleed man to the last gasp in
order to promote vigorous action of the
arterial system. So these Democratic
doctors propose to bless the working
man hy cutting down his wages from
onc-half to twoihirds in order to afford
him the stimulating opportunity to toe
in and compete with the pauper hordes
of European labor. They will ''pro-
mote the healthy growth of American
farming interests by destroying the
farmers home market, and bring about
an era OF general activity and prosperity
by closing out great factories ard turn
ing everybody into the fields to raise
corn and beans for Africa and the isles
of the sea. A charming programme in
deed; and one that can hardly fail to
find favor with American mechanics
and workingmen.
Whenever during the past thirty
years the Democratic party has recorded
its views it has declared in favor of free
trade and against Protection. In 1856
the party platform pronounced for PRO
gressive free trade throughout the
world" In 1860 this was simply reaf-
tirmed. All mention of the subject was
omitted in 1864 In 1868 the demand
was for "a tariff for revenue upon for
eign imports" la 1872 the question
was again set aside in Difference to Mr..
Greeley who was the candidate. In
1S76-"We demand that all custom
house taxation shall be only for reyen-
ue.' 1880 "a tariff for revenue only
and this year the platform denounces
existing protcctives, and demands that
"FederaI tardtion shall be EXCLUSIVELY
for pubiic purposes, and shall not erceed
the needs Of the government"
Let 1t be remembered that this is the
same party that won the canvass of
1914, on the cry of Polk and Dallas
and the tariff of '42,' and having won
Immediately set to work to reform"
the tariff in the direction of free trade
with what disastrous consequences is
matter of history.