The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-07-16
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All,htlgs considered. the terlf' platform
Of the Chicago Convention Is more sstls.
factory 10 tha friends ol revenue reform
than they had reuson to expect from the
construction Of The Platform Committee,
So ia, from being al abstraction or a gen.
erali.y, the resolution explicitly declares
that It Is the purpose OF the Democratic
party 40 reduce taxation to lie lowest
limit" consistent with due regard to tho
preservation Of the public iai!h. This tax.
alton, 1t IL further declared, "shall Ia ex.
ciueively far public purposes, and shall not
EXCEED lao needa oil the Government
economically administered" That Ia to
coy. duties hhall not he imposed, as now,
for the private purposes OF bene fitting q
lew ut tho expense al the many. AZ plain
as language can mako It this Ia denaud
for q revenue tariff as distinguished from q
tariff for protection. '.t.sa5 .la..
In making reduction OF the tariff upon
this principle tho platform declares that
care must be taken that no violent changes
are made, lest injury be done to industries
thSt have come 10 rely upon legialation for
succt fdl continuance. The advocates Of
tariff reform have always maintained that
the reduction Of duties to q revenue stsn.
da1d should be gradual and cautious, 30 rs
not 10 upduly disturb any Of the manufac.
turing inter- sts Of the country, The only
apparent concession in the platform to the
views Of tho protectioniats ia in the phrase
declaring that ''ihe necessary reduction in
taxation can aud must DO Effected without
deptiying American labor Vi tho ability to
compete successfully with foreign
labor, and without Imposing lower
rates Of duty than will bs ample
to cover any increased cost OF production
which may exist in consequence OF the
higher rate Of wages prevailing in this
country" For the sake Of harmony such a
concession corid bs safely made by, the
advocates OF tariff reform. 1t Is by reduc-
ing the taxation upon the necessarles Of
living anu raw ma!erials Of manufactures
that American labor will be able 10 com.
pete successfully at homo and abroad. II
the gradual progress Of tariff reduction it
will DO long time before the rates Of duty
are brought 10 low as 10 cover tho nominal
or real difference in wages in America and
Europe. W. .'5.1s-
In the teyse and vigorous arraignment O..
the Republican party the platform charges
that parry With pfefsssing 10 protect Amer.
lean msnu!aciures and TT the same time
''eubjtcting them to an increasing aood OF
manufactured goods ands hopuleea compe-
tltion with manufacturing nations not ore
Of which taxes raw ins.eriala." In this lies
az implied but IONS the less distinct pledpe.
then, that the Democratic party means 10
reform this tariff policy by Repeating the
duie9 on tho raw materials oil msnufsctur
ing industry. Finally, the platform declares
that s5thcitnt revenue can be- obtained bv
dulles on fe~er imported commodities.
and that thvae duties should bear
"iightest' on articles Ct necessity" This
platform, secured in hard struggle with
tho sdytcates Ct protection, is 4 s!sp in I'd.
vance. LIS explicit declaratioue Of th.
putpo.e OF the Democracy 10 ,cform and
reduce the tsr!g will bs much more sa:is
factory to the mssses OF voters tlan mere
general resolution III favor Of '.tsrif for
revenue OILY" as these declarations are III
harmony win the doctrine Of revenue
,arid. Tho platform sninss in contras;
with the rro.ec!ive.larif Gseenback plat.
form Gf General Butler, winch the copvsu.
tot r. jsc!ed b. IS overwhelming usjority.