The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-07-18
THE PLATFORM.
How tho Tariff Plank was Constructed so
n not to Satisfy Anybody.

mined should BE- put in the Democratic plat
form IL he had any influence in the Conven-
ton. Buffers tariff plank declares that no
taxes shall be imposed upon the people, ex-
cept to meet the expenses Of the Govern
ment economically administered, and con-
tinues:
ResoiUed, That the necessary revenues shall
be derived from duties levied on imports;
that the materials used in the arts and manu-
features, and raw materials, and the necessa-
ries of life not produced in this c. untry, shall
come in free; that in imposing customs du-
ties the law must be carefully adjusted to
promote American industries, not monopo-
lies, and to foster and cherish American
labor.
Resolved, That internal revenue Is q war
tax, and that so long as it continues the
money so raised shall 60 toward the relief Of
the people from the burdens of war, as by
paying pensions and providing for disabled
soldiers who were Confederate or Union.
The members Of the subcommittee, Mr..
Watterson says, were willing to accept all
but the last clause Of this plank, but they de-
sired to express the ideas in different phrase
ology. Butler insisted upon the adoption Of
his plank, and dissented strongly from what
he termed the aggregation OF negatives re.
ported by the subcommittee. The other
seven resolutions adopted by Butler refer,
first, to the public lands, which he desires
shall be reserved for actual settlers, and not
be controlled in largo tracts by capitalists or
monopolists. He has currency plank which
will satisfy tho most ultra Grsenbacker. He
has labor plank that will please the work
ingnen Of the country; plank affirming the
intention Of the Democratic party, II given
the power, to amply protect the rights Of
American citizens abroad. The plank was
designed to capture
THE IRISH VOTE,
which General Butler believes Is in danger
Of going to Blaine. And a plank emphati"
cally declaring the sense Of tho party to be
opposed to monopoly Of every description.
Butler had also q resoluti on which he desired
to put in the platform declaring that the
United States will not permit any foreign
power to build canal across the Isthmus Of
Panama without the full and antscedent con-
sent Of this Government, and gives notice
that when it is deemed necessary for the
United States to take possession of the canal
already in process Of construction, 1t AL be
seized without regard to the rights Of any
nation or person. He also had q plank on |
the civil service, which declared that the
offices are the property of the people who are
taxed to maintain them, and that frequent
changes am ong Office holders are necessary
as protection against official malfeasancs
and misconduct, and to prevent the aristo- |
cratic tendency toward the creation of a class |
Of perpetual office holders.
Soon after the subcommittee made its re-
port the fighting began, and for nearly seven |
hours the wrangling continued, even after |
tho platform hal been agreed to, and there |
was a sharp contest oyer the election of q |
permanent chairman to present the report to |
the Convention. The lines between the free
traders and the protectionists were so sharply |
drawn that upon nearly every issue concern |
ing the tariff there was a vigorous fight. |
When the subcommittee made its report 1t |
was expected there would be a minority re- |
port, signed by those members OF the COM
nittes who demanded an explicit declaration |
in favor of incidental protection; but after |
discussion Of great length an agre sment was |
reached making the report unanim Gus with |
. single exception, that of Butler, whs
REFUSED TO SIGN IT.
Tho committee changed the text Of the |
tariff plank reported by the subcommittee
in many particulars, and after the proof of |
the plank had been received from the printer |
further alterations were made. The tariff |
plank fnally agreed upon is neither satisfac-
tory to the fres-traders nor protectionists. 1t |
does not declare in favor Of tariff for reve-
nue. only, phrase that every enc under
stands, nor dses 1t provide for incidental |
protection; bat Is, in Buffers estimation and /
that Of the protection members of the COM
mittse, series Of platitudes that sound well |
enough, but give no certain promises to the
people. The principal fight In the committes
VT, in relation to the substitute proposed by
Mr.. Mcpherson, which, in substance, de-
clared in favor Of tariff revenue so adj listed
as to give protection to American labor, and
encourage American industries. Mr.. Nc
Pherson's proposition was rejected by q vote
Of q to IA, Davis and Converse not voting.
Mr.. Converse then offered the tariff plank of
the Ohio platform as q substitute for the sup
port Of the committee. His motion WIS de-
feated BY . vote Of 30 to 8. This substantial
victory was received with delight by Frank
Hurd, who passed the greater part of the day
around the committee room doors. Hurd
declared that the reputation of the Ohio
platform by the representatives of the Ma
tional Committee would be told on the stump
in every city of Ohio during the campaign
The fres-traders outside were somewhat dis
appointed whom soon afterwards PROPOSE
ton to adopt the tariff plank of tho st. Louis
Of 1876, which declared for a
"tarif only for revenue" received emily Ave
votes. The report Of the sub committee
originally made contained declaration that
all taxation shall be exclusively for public
PURPOSES.
Objection was made to the use of the word
exclusively" Mcpherson, Converse, But
Ter, Hay and others demanded that this word
should be omitted from that paragraph. Mr..
Hay declared that the word exclusively"
was tho fatal word, "only" in meaning and
effect. He said the insertion of the word
"enly" in the tariff plank Of the convention
LOST THE ELECTION
10 the Democrats, and that unless aexclu.
sively" was struck from the present plank he
feared q repetition Of the results of four years
ago. He declared that the Democratic party,
dependent for success rs 1t YVES upon the
votes OF three great manufacturing States in
the East, could not afford to mako fight |
upon tariff exclusively for revenue. Henry
Watterson replied to Mr.. Hay. Henry was
The author Of the "only" business in the Gin ,
sinnati convention, and he defended the
word. He denied that the tariff for revenue
only beat the ticket in 1880, and cited the fact
hat In 1876 the party carried the election ,
With similar declaration In tbs platform
He said that the Democrats failed 10 put 9 |
.tatesman at tho head Of the ticket in 1880 | ,
II man had been nominated In whom the
country had confidence, the phraseology of {
he tariff declaration would net have caused
ais defeat. and Mr.. Wattsrson believed that
Z Hancock had not run away from the issue,
1e would have been elected. He cited the
amous New Albany, Indiana, election,
xhere on tariff for revenue only issue the
Democrats made heavy gains. Ben Butler
made lively speech in support Of the mo- 9
lon to strike out the word 'scxclusively.n :
ae said the whole business meaning of the :
proposed tariff plank was .
PURE NONSENSE,
md he was opposed TO It, In 1880 the use Of :
he word "only" In the Democratic plank ]
vas used a. q club to beat out the brains Of 4
he party, and the proposition NO to use the