The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-07-10
THE PLATFORM.

A Long Session of the Committee Proba-
ble-Doubtfui If Their Report is Pre-
senIed Today.
The committee on platform, after sitting till
2 o'clock this morning, sumed its session at
10, and heard a number of delegations asking
the insertion of planks for special interests.
Among them were the wool growers for an in
crease of the tariff on wool; inventors, for
law to better protect that class; colored men,
for full recognition of their civil rights At
ter hearing these and other claims, the COM
mittee proceeded to the choice of sub-commit-
tees TO draft a platform. The following were
selected as a subcommittee on tariff planks:
Abram s. Hewitt of New York, B. +. Butler
of Massachusetts, j. Sterling Morton of Ne
braska, Fl. j. Davis of West Virginia, Major
Burke of Louisiana, W, r. Morrison of Illi-
nois, Henry Watterson of Kentucky, and Geo.
l.. Converse of Ohio.
The committee then adjourned until s
O'Clock this evening, and the subcommittee
began its work. Because of the wide diver
gence in views between the members of the
subcommittee on the tariff question, almost
every shade of opinion, from free trade to pro-
lection, being represented, the work of formu-
lating the platform will probably be long
one, and the oDinson is expressed that two, or
possibly three platforms will be presented to
the full committee. Should this be the result,
the session of the main committee will also
probably be long one, and little hope is ex-
pressed by the members that their report will
be ready for presentation to the convention
tomorrow.
At midnight the committee ON platform had
not completed their work, having been in ses-
sion Sc hours on the subject of the tariff. A
great variety of propositions were made. Late
this afternoon Messrs. Hewitt, Watterson and
Burke constructed out of these propositions,
tariff plank. This was taken as the basis of
discussion and it was finally shaped 80 as to
meet the approval Of all the members of the
auh n0n1nniftaa aYoant RutlAr aTba nlanR
reported to the general committee aud adopted
by it delares in substance as follows:
That the need of a change in the tariff sys-
tenn is made manifest by the excessive revenue;
that since the foundation of the government
Custom House duties have fur
nished it its main source of revenue and
and that this system must continue.
Under it many industries have sprung into
existence, which depend for their continuous
prosperity upon the faith of the government;
that change from bad system to good sys-
tenn should not be made precipitately, nor in
any manner likely to injure these great inter-
estSl but rather to promote their healthy
growth. Enough revenue can be collected
from excise duty upon distilled spirits and
malt LIQUORS, and custom house duties, and
upon brewers articles to support the govern
ment, pay pensions and discharge the interest
and principal of the public debt, but FORUM
ately the reduction of taxation can be had
without hurt to the wages of labor.
The plank in the platform closes by declar-
ing that all taxation shall be exclusively for
public purpose and that no moro taxes shall
be collected than are required to support the
government economically, administered. This
is the only plank in the platform adopted.
Mr.. Morrison was chosen permanent chair
man with instructions to report the platform
to the convention when completed. The COM
mittee on resolutions stayed in session until
II 80 in the morning and all resolutions aud
planks submitted by the subcommittee were
reported back to the committee with the I'M
Outstanding that the complete platform shall
be presented to the general committee at 10
O'Clock Tomorrow morning.