St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-09-25
a Tariff for Revenue Only.


We extract the following from an
editorial in the Lake Charles CONNER
cial:
One of the main issues of the COM
ing political campaign is that of pro-
lection against free-trade, or. more
properly speaking, of a high tariff
against a tariff for revenue
onlv. The Democracy of Calcasieu
have never wavered from the
trne Democratic doctrine on this issue,
and are in perfect accord with the
great majority of the party in Congress
as represented by Speaker Carlisle and
Mr.. Morrison, in favor OF reform and
reduction of the present exorbltant war
tariff. to a ratio more IN conformity
with the needs of the government.
We sincerely believe that reduction
of the tariff on imported goods will
lave the effect of reviving our ship
n;ne interests and of giving new life to
our export trade, which have been
Well nigh annihiated by the present
.sso-caled protective tariff" We be-
lieve that high tariff, if it does pro-
tect anything. protects the manufactn-
yer alone, at the expense of everybody
else. We believe that protective
tariff is no protection to labor, and we
give. as an instance, the fact that labor
in the protected sugar parishes is paid
e5 cents day, whilst labor in the I'M
protected industries of Calcasieu is
maid $3.50 a day. We believe that q
atarjff for any other purpose than
revenue is tobbery," and we object to
being robbed any longer We believe
that the so-ealled "great American in
dustries that clamor for protection are
counted by hundreds, and the number
of our unprotected industries, which
are taxed to support these few protect
ed industries, may be counted by mil
Lions.
We call upon our statesmen to look
at England, which has grown rich,
commanded the worlds trade, eycelled
all other nations in her many dlversl-
fed industries, and now carries in her
bottoms nine-tenths Of the commerce
of the world, by her system of free
trade. as an example more worthy of
imitation, than that of the other ma
tions of Europe, whose people have
become impoverished, and whose in
dustries and commerce have become
stinted and reduced by miserable
and narrow minded system of protec
ton. We believe that sugar can be
better protected by tariff for reve-
nue. only, than by tariff for protec-
ton. for the sake Of protection, which
carries with it unholy combinations
and alliances with all sorts of interests
demanding protection, however unde
serving of protection, or however ur-
able to add to the common revenue.
These principles which have actuated
the Democratic party of the country
from its origin, and are the same which
now control the majority of the party,
to the exclusion of Mr.. Randall, of
PENNSYLVANIA, and a few followers of
doubtful political cast, should be in
corporated in resolution to be adopt
ed by the Parish Convention; and our
delegates to the Congressional Conven-
ton at Franklin should be instructed
| to vote for no candidate for Congress,
who will not consent to support them.
| IF this much cannot be obtained, how
ever, in view of the clamor of opposi-
tan that will certainly rise from the
sugar parishes, this much, at least.
should be exacted from the nominee it
is that he shall pledge himself to abide
by the decision of the Democratic eau
Gus in Congress upon all political ques-
tionS