Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1884-07-24
THE ISSUE JOINED.

The issue between the two national
parties is new fairly and fully Joined.
The declarations of principles have been
made and the candidates placed in the
field. 1t remains only for the people to
choose between them.
The Republican platform is positive,
incisive and aggressive ON every nation
al issue except the silver question. That
put forth by the Democrats deals even
more gingerly with the currency issue
than the Republican. while on every
other disputed question the Democratic
platform Ia fittingly termed by General
Butler a mere aggregation OF negoa-
lions. The Republicans promise pro-
lection to American labor and declare
that the tariff should be 50 adjusted as
to. insure the largest diversity of indus
try and to give both labor and capital
its just reward. The Democrats say
nothing Of protection. They avoid the
use of the word and only hold out on
the promise that they do not intend any
harm to the labor OF the country. At
the same time they insist that the tariff
must be reduced.
How any considerable reduction can
be made without increasing importa-
lions Of articles manufactured at home,
thus diminishing their sale and dis
couraging their further manufacture
here, unless wages are cut down to cor
respond with tho tariff reduction, is a
point no one in the convention tried to
show. The tariff. they tell us, should
bear heaviest on articles of luxury and
lightast on articles of necessity. But
we make comparatively few articles of
luxury. American labor engaged in
manufacturing is devoted almost exclu-
sively to producing articles designed for
every day use. Apologize and explain
as they may, the Democrats cannot car
ry out their design of reducing our tar
if now established on a protective basis
without making it much less protective
and for many industries eliminatig its
protective features altogether.
But 1t is not in public professions
alone that the real purpose Of party is
to be sought, but in its candidates, its
leaders and Its record. The men who
labOred zealously to effect horizontal
reduction in the tariff at the last session
Of Congress, and whose whole public life
has been spent in fighting il, are the
men who controlled the late Democratic
convention and moulded its utterances.
The candidates are avowed Free traders,
or, as they prefer to be called, revenue
refOrmers," and the dominant element
in the convention which nominated
them arc of the same economic faith.
Though. to deceive the ill-informed and
too confiding members Of their party
who believe in protection, the Conven-
ton couched its tariff declaration in
language purposely confused and mis-
leading, no intelligent person can ques-
ton for moment but that the success
of Cleveland and Hendricks next No
vember, with the control of the House
going to the same party, means an
assault upon the tariff and a radical re-
duction in the present protective duties.
On the other hand the Republican
party with both Its candidates strong
protsctionist, with its straightforward
protective plank, its past record and the
character OF its membership and lead
ership, furnishes the strongest guaranty
possible that its success means the per-
petuatlon of the policy Of protection to
home industry. The lines are drawn
sharp enough for any but the dullest to
perceive them, in spite of the Democrat
ic attempts to render them obscure and
uncertain. In 1884, as in 1880, one par
ty proposes to levy duties only to obtain
revenue, while the party Of Blaine and
Logan would levy them with view to
protect American labor and capital from
excessive foreign competition.