Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1884-07-23
Butler on the Democratic Platform

General Butler in his speech in the
democratic convention, on the adoption
of the minority report on platform,
thus punctures its shallow pretenses
and subterfuges on the question OF the
tariff:
I object to the tariff plank of the
platform adopted by your committee
for it took them thirty-six hours to
frame it Laughter land if it took
those able gentlemen that time to frame
it and get it in form there must be
some reason for it. And if they could
not find out what it meant in thlrty-slx
hours how are my laboring men to find
out what it means? Laughter. The
tariff plank of the platform should be
so that he who runs may read. lAp-
plause.l The difficulty was there was a
radical difference between us; differ
ence of principle. The very able chair
man of your committee, Colonel Morrl-
son, for whom have the highest re-
spect Applause -because he believes
there should be no such thing as pro-
lection of American labor by revenue
taxation; indeed, I think he believes it
cannot be done, and I believe there
should be such protection. such foster
ing, such cherishing. He could not
Weld his convictions; could not yield
mine, and therefore our associates on
the committee had to spend all that time
to say something whIcAwould say one
thing and mean another thing in an
other way.
And now I reach the platform. Read
that tariff plank and there see 1t you
can find out what it does mean. APP
plause.l But it does not mean prOtec-
ton. If it did Colonel Morrison is too
honest man to bring it here. And
yet it is twisted so that 1t might mean
protection.
Democrats in the convention, you
passed tariff plank in 1876, tariff for
revenue only, and you had statesman
on it that could carry any platform on
his back, and yet when in 1880 you had
tariff for revenue only it broke the back
of the most gallant soldier Of this coun-
try, and you lost; and now you have got
tariff for public purposes exclusively:
What is the difference? Exclusively"
ongy ;n { dyer means R;s 9 *
boys play. The success Of the cam
paign, in my opinion before God. de.
bends upon the question thisnight, II
YOU once say to the workingmen of
New York, New Jersey, New Hamp-
shire and Massachusetts that you mean
protection to their interests where you
can, and say that with no certain sound,
God help you, for I can't. Your plat
form says that you want to cut down
taxes so you can protect workingmen,
and you say it must not be cut down
below that. What are you going to do
if you do not cut them DOWN. You say
nowhere in your platform that you will
not discriminate in favor OF the work
ing men and women of the country,
who are the true democracy OF the
country. You may say-my very good
friend, Colonel Morrison, will say that
he does not say that protecting labor is
fostering and cherishing labor. 1 do
not use the word protection because
do not want to flaunt the red flag to the
bull-for 1 do not believe that. For
more than fifty years the democratic
party has told the Workingmen OF the
country, ever since Andrew Jackson in
1882 declared in favor of judiciOus
tariff, that tariff did afford protection
to them, and they believed it. They
have taught it to their children
and their children's children. And
they are to vote, and not you. You
can't unteach them in single cam
paign unless you get the chairman of
the subcommittee, who drew the plat
form, the gentleman from New York,
to 90 into every school district in the
country and explain it. speak in the
interest, therefore, of the democracy.
I speak for your success, and it is for
YOU to say whether you will grasp that
success which is laid down to your
hand.