The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-01-21
THE FREE TRADE BUGABOO.

wares of all kinds, that it hates our
manufacturers, and is III league will
England and his majesty the devil tc
bring to ruin every American indus
try.
This kind OF blathcr ought to con
denim its authors as either ignorant or
insincere, but still it may and does i'm
pose on some people. We wish to say,
therefore, that the democratic party
does not advocate free trade. 1t
passed tariff laws before the republican
party had been conceived III the womb
of sectional passion. Every tariff tax
it ever LAID, whether it was one cent or
twenty. was to that extent protective.
II knew that it was protective, else 1t
was all idiot, and no IL has ever
accused jefferson, or Madison, or
Jackson, or Calhoun, of being that.
These men did not advocate an
adjustment of the tariff, but they did
oppose protective taxes, laid primarily
for that purpose, AS wrong i'll principle,
injurious in their ultimate effects and
Outside of the constitution. But such
adjustment OF the revenue tariff as to
afford encouragement to home manu-
features, without making them a charge
upon other industries, has been the
general policy of the party. We say
general, because both parties have at
times varied from the principle, MIR.
Webster and Massachusetts at one time
opposing the protective idea in a bill
passed on the recommendation of Mr..
Madison.
But we did not start ont to write a
history of parties on this question;
what we NEAR to emphasize is the
position OF the democratic party to-day.
No man who has authority to speak for
it speaks for IN abrogation of the tariff.
1t takes that to make free trade. If,
then, the tariff is to remain, and it can
articles if one thousand are placed upon
the free list, the democrats are as
anxious as the republicans that what
ever tax is laid for revenue shall Incl
dentally foster American manufactures,
but they DO not propose in doing this
to permit oppression of other indus
tries, aud here Is where the shoe
pinches, as this gentry is so used to big
subsidies that it is 10th to let go of
them.
As Mr.. Cleveland has so well said,
we are now confronted by q condition,
not a theory, and the question OF free
trade is not involved.
In his message there is not a word of
free trade. lie says:-''In an adjust
ment of our tariff the interests of Amer
lean labor engaged in manufacture
should be carefully considered as well
us the preservation of our manufac-
lures" With provision as to the tactics
of the republicans the message also
contained these words :-"Ou progress
toward a wise conclusion will not be
improved BY dwelling upon the theories
of protection and free trade. This
savors too much of bandying e%pithets.
1t is a condition which confronts us,
not a theory. Relief from this condi-
ton may involve q slight reduction OF
the advantages which we award our
home productions, but the entire with
drawal of such advantages should not
be contemplated. The question of free
trade is absolutely irrelevant, and the
persistent claims made in certain
quarters that all efforts to relieve the
people from unjust and unnecessary
taxation are schemes of so-called free
traders is mischievous and far removed
from any consideration for the public
good"
MIR. Cleveland must be judged by his
Town utterances, and not by words
which are sought to be put into his
mouth by enemies. He is a statesman
as fearless of wealthy monopOhsts as
he. Is conservative of the general well
fare, and he appreciates that to at once
totally revolutionize a system such as
has grown mp under our protective
laws wonld create widespread disas-
ter, and he contemplates nothing of the
kind. We give his own words above
and to emphasize them so as to place
them beyond csvil, we add to them the
language of the democratic platform
upon which he was nominated and
elected president. They are as fol-
lows
The democratic party Is pledged to revise
the tariff In q spirit OF fairness to all interests.
But In making reductions In taxes, IL 10 not
proposed TO iDiure any domestic industries,
hut rather 10 promote their healthy growth.
From the foundation OF this government
taxes collected ut the custom house have been
the chief source Of federal revenue. Such
they must continue to be. Moreover, many
industries have come TO rely upon legislation
for successful continuance, so that ANY change
OF law must be at every step reghrdful Of the
labor and capital thus involved. The process
OF the reform must be subject IN the exeGu
ton to this plain dictate OF justice-all taxa
ton shall be limited TO the requirements of
economical government. The necessary re-
duction In taxation can and must be effected
without ieprlvlng American labor of the
ability to compete successfully with foreign
labor. and without imposing lower rates Of
duty than will be ample 10 cover any In
creased cost OF production which may exist
In consequence OF the higher rate OF wages
prevailing In this country. Sufficient reve-
nue. TO pay all the expenses Of federal govern
ment economically administered. including
~ pensions, Interest aud principal OF the public
debt, can he got under our present system OF
taxation from custom house taxes on fewer
imported articles, bearing heaviest on articles
of luxury. and bearing lightest on articles Of
necessity. We, therefore, denounce the
abuses OF the existing tariff; and subj ct TO
the preceding limitations, we demand that
federal taxation shall be exclusively for pub
lIc purposes. and shall not exceed the needs
OF the government economically administered.
- -
Because Of his position on iaDd dis
tributlon, Mr.. Clay is quoted by re-
publican journals as indorsing the
principle of federal distribution of
money to the s~tsies, and incidentally
sustaining the principle Involved in the
Blair bill. On the contrary, Mr., Clay
joined with President Jackson in
~denonnciHR any system of taxation that
would produce q surplus, and denied
the constitutionality Of the distribution
Of money obtained by federal taxes
among the states for II purpose
whatever. The republicans have so
run away from constitutional restraints
that they are debarred from deuaudiup