Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-10-23
What the Platform Means.

Mhat the Rlat1Orm MEANS
The position of party is to be judged
not only 6y its declag ations but by lis
acts. At the last session of Congress
the great majority of the Democratic
representatives made desperate attempt
to pass the Morrison bill which proposed
to reduce all our tariff duties 20 per cent
Mr. He'd u !. /. his recent speech ac-
c. pliug his denomination. declared tha
this measure was "an unnecessary ant
uniutelligent blow at the industries o.
the whole country" Yet 15l Demo
cratic representatives voted for it, will
| only A against it, and it lacked foul
votes of passing. That division, to-
gether with the election of Mr.. Carlisle
As Speaker, proved that the Free Trader.
have control of the Democratic party
They came so dangerously near winning
this triumph even with Presidential
election directly in front of them aDC
with Republican President and Senate
as check Elect Cleveland with Dem
0cratic Congress. and does any rationa
man believe they would tail to carry Out
their purpose?
Now, as to the platform. 1t WAS re
ported to The Democratic Convention BY
Mr.. Morrison, the author of the MorrI
son bill. The chairman of the Platforn
Committee Was not named at the outset
The selection was left TO he determined
after the position on the tariff question
should be decided. When that was set
lled, Mr.. Morrison, the candidate of the
Free Traders. WAS chosen. Mr.. Malcolm
Hay of Pennsylvania, was the opposing
candidate aud he was beaten because he
vas Protectionist. Morrison, Carlisle
Wattersun, Hurd and all the other Free
Traders declare thai the platform meets
their views. Ii they are satisfied with
it, how can it suit honest Protectionists
We have given some of the surround
ing evidences which show the charact eI
of the platform. We now proceed di-
rectly TO its own terms. The core OF
the tariff plank is contained in these
words, I'VE, therefore, denounce the
abuses of the existing tariff; and, subject
to the preceding limitations, we demand
that federal taxation shall be eXcluS We
y for public purposes. and shall not ex1
ceed the needs of of the government
economically administered" This means
exactly the same thing as "a tariff for
revenue only" 1t expressly excludes
the principle of protection. Ii the tariff
is to be for public purposes exclusive
y"-tbat is solely provide the revenue
for the GUvernment-then il is not to
inc u 10 the purpose of protection, and
Is not to be regulated 10y its require
ments. If this law does not show that
the platform is an anti-prOtection plat
form, we do not understand the plain
meaning of plain words.
But we want to deal with the ques>
ton ia entire fairness, and we do not
overlook the qualifying wOrds-''subiect
TO the preceding limitations" What are
these limitations? The platform says
that "manv industries have come to re-
ly upon legislation for successful con
tlnuance, SO that any change of law must
be at every step regardful of the labor
and capital thus involved" This is the
portion of the platform, if any, which
must be treated as favorable to protec
ton. 1t does not say that protection
should be maintained; it only indicates
that in passing from protection to non
protection the 'change of law" should
not be too violent As this declaration
was reported by the man who pro
posed at one blow to strike off 20
per cent. from all our duties-a blow
which would have crippled many of our
industries we have practical illustra,
tion of what he considers "regardful OF
tha labor and capital thus involved
Taking the platform in the light of its
trainers and of their acts, we do not see
how any rational man can regard it as
other than opposed to Proteotion.-Phila
Press.