Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-04-10
Lancaster .1ntclltgenrcr.
,guRspAy FysNrna, April 10, ies4
The I,cmocratIc PIa,form.

Inc DcmOcThttC EIHtIOTm.
The Democratic resolutions affirm the
continued devotion Of the party to its
ancient principles, which demand a
faithful observance Of the constitution
and the laws, and an economical and
Efficient administration Of the govern
ment, which shall preserve the rights of
all and against the entertainments of the
few. They denounce once more the
electoral fraud which unseated our
justly elected president. They favor q
tariff for revenue limited to the needs of
an economical administration and ad.
justed 80 as TO encourage productive in.
dustries at home ; and call for the aboli-
tion of the internal revenue. They
declare devotion to the interests of labor
and call for the proper control of c0Ipo
rations and monopolies. They commend
the state administration, denounce the
refusal Of the Republicans of the Legis.
lature to prevent fair apportionment
OF the state; and finally proclaim Mr..
Randall as the choice of the Penusylva.
MIA Democracy for the presidency.
The resolutions are all very good, 80
far as they go, and are clear enough on
all issues, save, perhaps, that of the
tariff, upon which the declaration is
copied from that of the Ohio Democracy.
Itisfor a tariff for revenue aud protection,
or as it used TO be expressed, u tariff for
revenue with incidental protection. 1t
does not declare the measure of the pro-
lection which our industries shall have
further than that it shall be sufficient to
encourage them. The practical question
is as TO how heavy the duties need to be
to secure this result. This Is left to
Democratic craftsmanship to determine,
and In truth it is a matter beyond the
scheme OF a state convention to declare.
Ii Democratic administration should
be placed in power under such a declara.
tion a. this it would know that it had
two things to do first, raise no more
revenue that is needful for an economical
administration of the government, aud
second, to lay the duties so as to protect
the established industries of the country.
The position taken by this declarati on
against tariff for revenue only is clear
enough. 1t calls for tariff for sufficient
revenue only that will be protective. 1t
is call tina. may be subscribed to by
all Democrats but those who are op.
posed to revenue tariff. So long as the
tariff laid only raises sufficient revenue
for the needs of the country, those who
believe in raising the country's revenue
by tariff duties, need not complain that
those duties are protective as well a.
productive. 1t is true that it will bt
difficult to lay duties that are at ono,
protective and productive, but that il
the task proposed for a Democratic ad
mnistratiOn, and until it fails to per
form it, it will be too soon to declare tha
1t cannot be done.
The free trader, who does not want
even a tariff for revenue, of course
will not agree to the Pennsylvania
and Ohio declaration, but there il
not respectable party OF thest
now unfolding their colors They
have not yet got farther than &c
demand tariff for revenue only; and il
IL not unreasonable TO expect that they
should be content with tariff for neces
sary revenue only, that will at the same
Tine encourage home industries, if it is
possible to 50 lay the revenue import as
to secure this encouragement, The
Pennsylvania Democrats did not ex
press their opinion as to whether the
Morrison tariff bill afforded proper
protection TO home industries or whether
II would raise revenue no more than
sufficient for the need of the government
economically administered. Probably it
would raise a larger revenue than is
needed and probably it would give all
the protection needed. II it does this
the Pennsylvania declaration is not hos
tile to the Morrison bill. The fact is no
doubt, that the convention if it had
expressed an opinion upon it, would
have disapproyed Of it but this would
rather have been because it conceived
that the work of adjusting the tariff
should be left to the incoming Demo
cratic administration aud should not be
attempted at the rump end Of Repub
licau one.
Tho ElnnatInn