Wichita eagle., 1888-10-09
in France ss75.ooo, 600, Great Britain $685.

in France 1915, ZOO, 900, Great Britain $685.
| 900, 900, Germany $20O.0O0000.
| Under this system of tariff we have pros
pered in all things which make "a nation
great. That in a large degree our nation
al prosperity is attributable to the
tariff system, even the enemies to
| it admit: but they aver that the time has
come TO abolish that system or to modify
the same on the basis of free trade. Now
! do not understand that ''free trade" as
we use the terra, means abolition of all
| duties on imports. For the last few years
the only free trade country in the world,
England, has collected duties on imports
exceeding GO, 000, 900. The Democracy
would engraft the English free trade sys-
tenn in this country.
Democracy is now and always has been
as a party, opposed to any tariff legisla-
ton based on the idea of fostering or
building up any industry. The body OF
the Democracy is south, that of the north
is mere appendage; hence the body in the
councils of the party will control. On
this question it has never changed. Like
it's prototype, the royal bourbon family, it
forgets nothing, but learns no new thing.
The constitution of the Confederate states
contained this clause: "No bounty shall
be granted from the treasury, nor shall
any duties be laid to promote or foster
y.
Democratic idea then, and is now; and
every Democratic orator or advocate OF
the election of Grover Cleveland espouses
the same policy
A Democratic tariff based on the single
idea or object. for revenue only, means
that no duties shall be laid to promote or
foster any industry. and that no discriml-
nation shall be made between articles;
hence 1 maintain that the definition
of Dem ocratic free trade which
have heretofore given you Is correct, and
now repeat it: 1T means that the levy
ing of duties on imports shall be for reve-
nue. only, and in such a manner as to help
home industries and labor as little as pos
sible"
Every POLITICAL economist from John
Stuart Mills to Adam Smith and on down,
Will admit that varied industry is best
for that country which possesses it. De
lnocracy admits that protective tarlH
fosters or promotes different branches of
industry, and that this IS true, all history
proclaims. The wealth and greatness of a
nation must be- and is, determined by the
variety OF its resources and industries. A
nation with but a single resource or in
dustry is dependent and poor nation.
reference to the condition of those who
perform the labor in Australia aud India,
IN raising wheat will reveal the fact that
they are poor, and their condition but lit
tie better than absolute slavery. But
come home and remember the southern
states of our Union, when they tried to
make the one product, cotton, king In
stead OF adopting or pursuing policy
whic build up workshops and manufactO-
ries in the vicinity of their plantations,
they shipped their crude products TO for
elgn countries or to the Nor-h, and ex-
changed them TO- clothing, furniture, ma
chimes, tools anu even food. They had no
would
ever have developed it; and had they not
had legaliZed slave labor, it would have
been so in fact.
A tariff for revenue only, in 1920, Grip
eled, and even in many instances de-
stroyed the infant industries of this coun-
try, and the supply of labor was SO far in
excess of the demand therefor, that grim |
want and poverty were familiar associates |
OF the laborerS, mechanics and artisans of
the land. The American had to sell |
barrel of flour to buy pound Of tea, a |
barrel of flour to buy TWO pounds Of |
coffee.
From 1924 to 1885 the American system |
of tariff again prevailed, and under it's |
influence our industries revived and pros |
pered, and labor was renumerative. The |
system was again abandoned again in |
1885, and by 1897 our factories were closed |
and the laborers Of the country reduced |
almost TO abject poverty; and for the first |
in our history, soup houses were opened |
to feed the unemployed. The panic which
then ensued lost to the country as much,
almost, as it cost to suppress the late re-
bellion; and our national credit was so
impaired that we could not negotiate a
loan of Sl0, 600, 900 with Europe, and it was
tried in 1740; but in the latter part of thst
year the American people, with a Harri-
son at the head of a ticket, drove Democ-
racy, with its tariff for revenue only, from
/,
in 1888.
The platform deals in some glittering
on the subject, then passes to
else, refers to it again, and then
reaffirmS the platform of 1884, wanders off
and returns and indorses the Mills bill,
and puts down another plank on some
hing, then RECEIVERS itsolf and commends
5he presidents message-a combination of
inconsistencies. Now, what must the
Democrat do in order to determine the
position of his party? He must hunt ND
5he platform of 1884. read that, then read
5he platform of 1885, then the Mills bill as
t used to be, and the presidents message
IF December, 1887. This would require
more reading than the average Democrat
lOes in a lifetime. The Republican party's
position on this. as on every other question,
nay be expressed in strong, plain language, |
hat leaves no doubt as TO its meaning
That piece of proposed legislation, de-
nominated the Mills BILL - is misnomer.
The enacting clause ought to be: AN act
o benefit the south and check the pros per-
ty of the north.' More than one hundred
trtlcies by the bill are placed on the free
iSt, and an examination of them will show
hat most all of them are articles of pro-
luction peculiar to the north, while those
lrticles of production and manufacture
which give the south prosperity, are still
The committee on ways and means,
which framed the bill-thIee-fourths of
hem are from states south of Mason and
line. They do not represent the
,reat commercial, industrial, progressive
tates of the union 1t may be by that this
nd similar means the Democracy of the
outh propose to accomplish by legislation
What they failed to accomplish on the field
# battle. Editor Grady's New South
dea has been repudialed by them. and but :
few days ago one of their orators said:
While the ship may be new, the same
aptain is on the quarterback, the same
ilot at the helm, and the same passengers
broad, and with the help but of three
tates of the north we control the country
gain, {
THE CITY COUNCIL