The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-24
DEMOCRACY AND THE TARIFF.
A Point that Will Cause Much Trouble for
the National Platform Builders.

A Point that Will Cause Much Trouble ior
the National Platform Builders.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, June 23.-During the lulls in
Democratic circles which occur semi occasion
ally. over who shall be chosen standard-bearer,
the question of the attitude of the party on the
tariff question is furtively canvassed- All the
indications point to stormy discussion of the
platform to be proposed Undoubtedly the men
of the Morrison stripe-those who believe IN an
immediate reduction of the tariff taxes, either
by the horizontal method or by well-consid-
cred method of equitable revision, as well as
the rampant free-trade element of the Frank
Hurd order-will be on the ground at
Chicago early That they will leave no
stone unturned to force the convention to take
emphatic, if not extreme grounds on this i'm
portant economic question need not be said
They will work early and late and they expect
to succeed. On the other hand that the high pro
lection element of the Democratic party, that
element which combined with the Republicans,
succeeded in burying the Morrison bill, will
attemptto veto tine action of the others is
equally assured Your correspondent has en-
deavored to ascertain to as great an extent as
possible the probable standing of some of the
doubtful" State delegations on this subject
The effort has not been entirely
successful, mainly because there is scarcely
unanimous delegation in Congress upon this
issue Mr. Morrson's friends have predicted
that the South would be, as unit opposed to
the protection policy and that the support OF
the Southern delegates may be expected for a
plank declaring absolutely against the policy of
while claiming that their efforts to uphold the
.luty on sugar are purely for revenue purposes,
IRE retieent about declaring in favor
# an absolutely revenue only tariff,
moving that if such a result should be
brought about the cry forfree sugar would be
irresistible in spite of the fact that the import
duty upon the absolute necessity Of every family
yields annual revenue of nearly so, 600, O0O
In conversation with the representative from
the Atlantic district of Georgia. 1 was informed
chat the delegation from that State IS likely to
be divided upon the tariff question. The pro
lection sentiment in the State is growing con
stantly he said, and at a recent allusion to the
defeat of the Morrison bill, in which that meas-
ure was characterized as crude instrument, the
speaker was applauded to the echo.
The probability OF unaGlmlUy III tennessee is
remote Manufactures are springing up all
over that mountainous State, and it is not at all
unlikely that within the next five years the pro
teetive sentiment will have assumed such pro
portions as to place Tennessee upon platform
distinctly favoring protection.
The Virginia Democratic members in Congress
are also at variance upon the advisability of
taking any decided stand upon the tariff ques
ton while Alabama is in about the same condi-
ton Altogether, it may be set down as almost
certain that the tariff plank of the platform will
cause more discussion than the selection of the
nominees.