Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-24

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Eieemed morning ccl e.
Republican, Of course. w
the whole programmes W
yarty in this year Of gr n
lacily IS the staple out OF which ~
AZ discussion Of the tariff is md
hat else could it be made Off h
Arthur was tariff reformer OF as p
nounced type as MIR. Cleveland is.
1884 the party platform was as expid
on this head as our own, or as Mi
Jleyoland's recent message. The TACT 10
when that message was given to the.
world, Mr.. Blaine, with his custom. svyI
"smartncss," thought he saw brcas,N
in our walls, and without waiting to louie
second time, he sprang at what he
thought an open road to victory, and ran
with all his following at his back against
an impregnable rock Of sound principle.
Loath to acknowledge the mistake, aIl-
pcarances must be kept up at any cost,
aud that cost is truth. III
This attack upon the HERAlp's posi-
tion Is a case in point In the fifteen
years of its existence, this journal has
never wavered in its devotion to the
interests of American industries, and
American labor industries in particular.
On this tariff proposition it has always
stood where it stands to-day, on Demo,
cratic principles. And barring q CONF
municatiop now and then, signed by the
writer's name or nom dc plume, admitted
like matter Of similar nature on other
subjects, and in accordance with q wide
latitude allowed by the policy OF the
HERALD, not word of Free Trade, or
anything akin to that empty doctrine
has ever found its way in these columns.
We do not, indeed, believe that lthp
road to riches is by way Of unnecessary
taxation. We do not believe that any
government has any right to tax one
class Of the people to enrich another.
Nor do we believe that rate of duty
pnce put on any commodity can thereby
become the ark OF the covenant to yhis
Nation, and that it is sacrilege to disturb
a schedule once established. We do hot
believe that our neighbor in his lucid
Intervals believes in any OF these pro-
positions any more than We do.
As the matter stands at this mometrt
we find tariff schedule in force which
was made to provide for the expenses Of
gigantic war. That war is past, and a
large portion OF the debt incurred in its
behalf is paid off. No more of our bonds
are fairly redeemable now. Still this
schedule continues to bring into the
Treasury vast sums of money, and there
is no honest, economical or just means
Of disbursing these funds again. Fhe
surplus, as this is called, amounts
to nearly one hundred and
dity millions of dollars year We be-
lieve with the President that this state ol
affairs is serious menace to our pros
perity. We do not think it good govern
ment to tax the people to create sur
plusage OF revenue.
Again we do not think that labor i!
very much benefited by tariff protection
while our ports are free to the paupers Of
hungry Europe and overcrowded Cathay
Believing this, we think that SO far as
possible the burdens OF taxation ought tC
be removed from the neces
saries of life so hard for the
lsborer to come by even in this
land OF plenty. The street car
drivers, the great army of railroad en-
ployees, the farm hands in all States
in the Union, the policemen on their
beats in our cities, the great army o.
overworked and underpaid shop girls
and half starved sewing women, whom
poor wages and scant food often drives
into the paths OF crime-we think tina
some thought should be taken for them
that they may have their thin shawls anC
shoddy coats a little cheaper; tina
they shall not pay duty oil
their salt and on their potatoes
Take the list OF articles at the grocery
store, and that OF wearing apparel in the
dry goods store, the hats on their head
and the stockings on their feet, the glass
of beer they drink when well, and thu
medicine they take when sick-all the,
eat, wear or use, is taxed. The roof tina
shelters them pays duty, and so does tn,
coal that cooks their taxed dinner in ;
taxed pot. They eat it off a taxed plate
with taxed fork, as they sit by taxed
table, and on taxed chair. We do moi
think such taxes should be made un
necessarily heavy.
Now there is before US the Mills bill
h the main we are for it. 1t proposes
70 take $54, 900, 600 Of taxes off imports
and $2s I" 40 away from internal rev