Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-05-12
q aanraster .gntelltgemrcr.
s.o.nAy EVENING. MAY u, 1884.
Fxpcdient and Right.

Expc0lent an0 hikute
No intelligent observer OF public
events in this country and no real
yr,epd of its best business interests
certainty no Democrat who understands
and believes In the Democratic consti.
tutional theory Of taxation-will deny
the unmistakable popular drift toward
revision OF the tariff and TO such an ad
iustment of its details as will prevent
n,onopolies and treasury surplus, While
at the same time 1t will not unduly dis
turb nor derange the business interests
OF the country. Even the so called free
traders are not for free trade at present,
while the most ardent protectionists
and the most interested manufacturers
admit that the present tariff, made over
twenty years ago, and mended and
patched frequently since, is full OF crudi
ties and absurdities, iniquities and ine-
qualities. The exact rate of duty on
each article to be put on the tariff
schedule, or the particular articles to be
added to the free list, are mat
ters Of almost infinite detail, upon
which the views Of people are bound
to differ according to their locali
ties and interests. These are not ques-
tions of party politics and cannot be
stated nor settled in platforms. What
gross folly it is, therefore, to make such
o matter as the Morrison tariff bill
which was not the outgrowth Of any
definite policy except the horizontal re-
duction Of existing rates-a test OF
Democratic fealty
Absolute protection, or free trade, or 8
tariff for revenue with incidental pro
lection are, each in themselves, dis
tinct doctrine of revenue and taxation,
which may by national convention, not
by q congressional caucus, be made a
party principle. But until that is done
it is mere midsummer madness to talk
of reading Democrats out of the party
simply because they differ as to the
details of duties schedule. The fact
that majority OF Democratic members
think one way does not bind all their
colleagues to think and act the same way
on every question. Otherwise NJ ssrs
Blackburn, DOrsheimer and others,
who voted against the majority Of their
party and with the Republicans on the
naval appropriations bill, ought as
reasonably he expelled for that vote. BY
such processes the organization would
soon be pulled to pieces.
But II is insisted, by those who taxi
the view that adherence to the Ken
tucky idea ~ on the tariff is the sol
standard Of Democracy, that there is n
other issue upon which the party can g
before the country. If this were tru
1t would be plful confession, indeed
II nearly quarter century's experienC
of Republican shames and crimes is
have no effect upon the popular min
the discussion Of the tariff will pass owe
1t like a summer cloud, If the party ths
for all this time has maladministered tt
government is not to Re held responsib
for that maladministratiOn, it will NJ
be driven from power by distrust of il
ability to raise and steal the revenues {
the country.
Asa matter Of party policy, there
no ground for difference Of opinion a
to whether the Democracy should adop
the kentucky idea," on which the
were defeated in 1850, or tue "Peunsyl
vania idea, as expressed in the Ohi
and Allentown platforms. Upon tn
former we have hope some day of C.r
rying Minnesota and Iowa, with th
certainty Of meantime losing Ohio
Pennsylvania, New York, New Jerse
aud Connecticut. Upon the latter "
have far more than 2 lighting chanc
fol- every doubtful state and positiv
assurance Of holding every Democrati
safe. 1t would be as bal politics t
adopt the inexpedient course as it woul
be bad craftsmanship.