Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-10-04
The Daily Intelligencer.
LANCASTER. OCTOBER 4. Isssl
The Republican Bill.

The Republican Bill.
The Republican senators have at last
been delivered OF bill to reduce the
revenue, and the Republican party has
followed the example of the Democratic
party in declaring that the tariff needs
reduction, and in proposing plan which
win diminish the revenue, they say, some
s,venty.five millions Of dollars.
The Republican orators who have been
announcing the Democratic party for
seeking to reduce the tariff, will find
themselves in some embarrassment before
this Republican proposition to do the
same thing. The Republican journals
that have been persistently claiming that
the Democratic party Is for free trade
because it proposes tariff reduction, find
themselves in trouble in striving TO ex-
plain to their readers that this Republi-
can undertaking to reduce the revenue is
in the interest of protection.
The fact is that the Democratic party
has taken the only tenable position in de-
manding q reduction Of tariff revenue I;
which is rendered absolutely necessary by
the fact Of the accommodating surplus. The
Republican leaders have been evidently
surveying the position and have been
forced by the logic Of the situation TO
c)me down to the same platform. This
surrender reminds one forcibly Of that
which the coon made to Captain Scott.
They come down before the November
gun is fired. Chairman Quay has not
agreed with the Senate Republicans that
there was any such necessity to fall into
the Democratic position. Quay thought
he could hide behind the branches, and
keep up the cry for protection without
declaring any definite plan for reducing
the revenue without reducing the tariff,
until after the election. But the Repub.
lican senators thought that the people
were not so stupid as Quay thought them
and that the best policy was to offset the
Democratic plan Of revenue reduction
with one of their own.
In this tariff contest the Democratic
party therefore has undoubtedly drawn
first blood. 1t is admitted all around
that the tariff must he reduced
and the Republicans are barred
from declaring that tariff reduc.
ton means free trade. The people
have the two plans Of reduction placed
before them, and know that the tariff
difference between the parties is EN-
bodied in the difference between the
measures.
The Republican bill makes greater
reduction In the sugar duty than tht
Democratic bill does, cutting it ava,
one-half while the Democratic measur,
takes Off one-fifth. This is the main re
duction made in the tariff by the Repub
licans, being estimated by Senator Sher
man, at &27 ,O00, 900. The other reductions
in the tariff amount to &s,O000 200, with
about &c, 100000 added to the free list
The reduction proposed in the internal
revenue Senator Sherman estimates al
e2i $4,000 on tobacco, securel by re.
mitting all taxation, save 81. so per thou.
sand on cigars, and s6,4iS,000 on spirits
used in the arts, wbiaAA-are made
free. 1t will be naed that the Republi-
can ms3S2.5pies the Democratic policy
inEf - sErs~ut the same total reduc.
ssdlInsa1zASetiug even the same articles;
and differs chiefly in making its cut on
sugar deeper, and saving wool and other
important materials Of common use and
manufacture that the Democratic bill
proposes to cheaper.
The Republican purpose in falling
down heavily upon the sugar producing
interest of the country, notwithstandin;
the loud protestations of the Chicag,
platform In favor Of such protection I,
home products as will shut out for
eign competition, is very plainly exposes
Is an election scheme, when it is note,
that sugar is the product of states tha
the Republicans do not hope or seek t,
carry. The party can afford to an
-tagonize the sugar-producing interest
'frssd.one would think that it could hard
enee5rd to thus distinctly advertise tn
holl0wDess of its pretension as the cham
pion of all home-producing interests. i
tells the world that its tariff policy i
made to get it votes, and for that only
and where it has no votes to get it has n,
protection to offer.