St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-30
They Want the Change of District il
Half the States to Accomplish
Revenue Reform.
An American Free-Trade Policy Elk
pected to Cause DISARMAMENT of
Foreign Armies.
Caustic Reference to the Fostering OF
Private Interests--The Free
Trade Platform.
Free traders want Reform.


great Industries, and the refusal of the rep
reSentativeS of the Republican party and
their allies to even consider the abatement
OF tariff taxation in any Degree imperatively
calls for aggressive and uncOmpromiSing po-
litical action by the friends of commercial
freedom. There can be no doubt that a ma
Jorlty OF the American people, at present
acting in unison with one or the other of the
two great political parties, are convinced of
the practicability and necessity of tariff re-
| form and the abandonment of the hitherto
dominant policy Of high, discriminating and
unnecessary taxation. A clear statement Of
the issues between the prOtectionSts and the
free traders is of itself a demonstration of
the truth OF this assertion. On one hand the
friends of protection start with the aSSump-
ton that under a free and republican form
of government the power of taxation may be
lawfully used TO aid private enterprises and
build up private fortunes under the false
plea. now demolished by the hard logic of
facts that such legislation betters business
and raises wages. For Il long period they
have reduced this assumption to practice by
imposing heavy taxes on articles necessary
to the processes of great domestic industries
for the benefit of special interests Of very
small relative Importance to the
AGGREGATE INDUSTRIAL INTERESTS
of the whole country. Thus for years past
our fiscal policy has been practically dictated
by the manufacturers of pig iron and the
growers OF WOOL although the aggregate
value of the annual product of pig iron and
wool is not equal to the value of the annual
egg and poultry crop of the country, and not
to be compared with the value of the annual
crop of either hay, wheat, corn or cotton.
Emboldened by long liberation, the demands
of the special interests increase in audacity,
as is shown in the recent proposition Of SAM
uel j. Randall, their representative, to adj
vance the duties on tin plate from l to 30
iS 10 lxr
for the preservation. by canning, of an ex-
cess of our meat, vegetables, fruit, fish and
Oil products, which without such treatment
could not be marketed but would be wasted.
The present duty, freights and commissions
added, constitutes bounty which would
cover the payment of double the wages paid
in the tin plate industry in Great Britain, but
as the foreign manufacture IS conducted at a
minimum profit (the prices of tin plates be-
ing the lowest ever known) the present tax is
regarded as insufficient, and Mr.. Randall pro-
poses, in spite of an overflowing treasury to in
crease the tax from $4,000, 600 to an aggregate
of SIS, 100000 and collect it by adding to the
, cost of the preservation of meat, fish and
fruits, decreasing our export market accord
ingly-the milk cans and pans of every
farmer, the cooking utensils and dinner pail
of every dwelling house and railroad car in
the country-all for the benefit of few iron
manufacturers and capitalists in Pennsyl-
vania. On the other side the principles of
free traders may be simply stated as fol
lows:
FREE-TRADE PRINCIPLES.
First-They demand that the whole system
of federal taxation be so reconstructed and
readjusted that all the taxes which the
people pay shall be received by the govern
ment without the diversion of any part for
the fostering of private interests.
Secoud-That the promotion and true pro-
! lection of domestic industry are to be found
in the removal of all taxes from articles
which constitute the foundation or are neces-
sary to the processes of our various indus
| tries, and that the incidence of taxation be
restricted as far as possible to articles which
are ready for final consumption and OF
which the use is voluntary rather than
necessary.
Third-They claim that the abandonment
| of the present high, discriminating and un-
necessary taxes and the levy of national
revenue on'a comparatively few articles on
which taxes can be collected with the least in
reference with the freely chosen pursuits of
the people are the necessary steps to gradu-
ally insure to the country full industrial en-
ployment and high wages, abundant protec-
ton and low cost, extended markets and a
permanent revival of commercial activity.
THE TRADE COMPETITORS
of the United States are loaded down with
debt and with the support of great standing
armies, which in turn entail a burden of tax
alton SO heavy as to impair their resources,
cripple the energies Of their people and in
crease the cost of their products. To sue
cessfully make the race for trade with
nations thus hampered, it is only necessary
| that the people of this country adopt tax
policy diametrically opposite. Other nations
must then diSband their armies and set their
soldiers to work for better wages and
better subsistence than they now
have to afford them any chance for
competing with country so rich in re sources,
so intelligent and active in respect to popu-
lation and so free in respect to government
as the United States. 1t is for such result
that the American free trade league invites
the cooperation Of the patriotic men of all
political parties. The recent trial of strength
in congress shows that a change of q single
district in half OF the states from the side of
the protectionistS to that of the free traders
is all that is required to reform the revenue
system Of the government. In more than this
number of districts change of less than )
per cent. in the vote will change the district.
A comparatively small number Of those OPP
posed by conviction to policy of taxation
and restriction asserting themselves actively
can thus produce the desired result. 1t is
therefore essential that each friend of COM
mercial freedom in anticipation Of the NOM
nations in his congressional district shall de-
termine and as far as possible
PUBLICLY DECLARE
| his determination not to vote for any caridi-
date for congress who is not opposed to q
| tariff for ''protectiop, except where it is
necessary to defeat, by electing an avowed
protectionist opponent, candidate who
straddles Democracy by catering to monopo-
! lists and traders in special legislation on the
one hand, while claiming support from the
| toiling taxpaying masses on the other. In
what cases it may be beststo put an indie
| in what others to abstain from
| voting must be left to the
| free traders of each district to decide for
| themselves. Added to this, let every friend
of the cause diligently strive to extend his
| local influence by difusiug sound, economic
| literature, and by promoting the organization
| of clubs of five or more persons in as many
| places as he can reach. Such a system re-
| quires no large expenditure of money, and
need not be necessarily dependent on the
| direction ,of any central organization. But
such an organization will exist and will be all
the stronger from the multiplication and CO.
| operation of Independent and, in a large de-
gree, individual action. 1t is thus possible
that tariff reform may be accomplished by
| the force of public opinion within both par.
| ties, compelling the acquiesceuce of those in
| power. But if the continued failures of the
Democratic party in congress, helped by
liberty-loving Republicans, to carry any
practical measures of tariff reform continue
to be met by the opposition of the Republic
can party organization and its Democratic
allies, Democratic and Republican free trad.
ecs must
UNITE TO DESTROY
party which cannot carry out its own prin.
ciples, to supercede it with a new party OF
freedom, and to compel the advocates of re-
striction to join togetherin the open field. Our
Democratic form of republican government
| requires at least one great party. having the
| courage of its convictions and ready to show
| itself party by risking defeat in defense OF
| it's principles. If the existing parties fail to
| face the vital issue of the day, the organiza
| ton of the league will furnish the nucleus for
the wider party development that NAV prove
necessary. For the present, independent
| action in the congressional districts will &c
complish every purpose. The American Free