The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-07-14

i National Government no tariff bill has been
passed by Congress which has not been justi-
| fed either by the alleged expcdicncy OF foster
ing our "infant industries" until they should
be strong enough TO stand alone or by the me-
| cessties OF the public defense The high-duty
| tarin under which we live was enacted upon
| the latter plea; but its impositons were con-
fessedly so enormous and laid such burdens
upon the patriotism Of the people that its
nuthors-not then dreaming Of establish
| ing fixed system on any such basis
| promised that its sxactions should not
outlast the emergency which had called
| them into being, Yet nearly quarter
| of q century after the close OF tho war, and in
| the face OF oil these facts both OF history and
law, the Republican party has the dishonest
and desperate hardihood-I measure my words
Ito declare: I'VE are uncompromisingly In
| favor OF tho American system Of protec-
tion. We protest against its destruc.
| tion. The protection must be
| maintained" and in order that there
may be no mistaking its meaning and purpose
1t goes on to specify that II intrusted with
power II will as to tho revision OF the tariff, use
1t to 'checlk imports" and IL this does not suf.
| flee to reduce the surplus II will favor "the en-
| tire repeal OF internal revenue taxes rather
| than the surrender or any part OF that "pro-
| tective system" which II promised, when Or
daning 1t, to remove as soon as the needs Of
| war should cease.
The issue thus made up and forced upon us
| Is not one OF protection versus free trade. Let
| no protectonist so delude himself or lay any
such flattering JUNCTION to his soul. If there be
man, however, who seeks to precpitate free.
| trade, literally to burn down the factories and
| blow up the custom-h0uses, he should support
| this platform ana bid Godspeed to its prompt
application and rigid enforcement, because II
| its terms could be carried out in good faith IL
| would culminate In such q glut CT an already
oversuppled home market and such consequent
| loss OF employment to the American operative
| as would surely bring the whole edifce down
upon its authors, achieving by command OF the
| mob that which this party of demagoRues-liv.
ing from hand to mouth-refuses by its policy
OF obstruction to commit to the custody Of
| statesmen.
Gentlemen, 1t can not be carried out.
| know those who have proclaimed 1t too well to
| believe them capable of thinking they can
| carry 1t out or Of intending to try to carry 1t
out 1t is but trick issue trumped up for a
present purpose They have exhausted yes
! terday, and are reduced to the confidence
game of making forged drafts on tomorrow
| They think by this daring flight OF the gam
blers imagination, this Napoleonic disregard Of
| all that has gone before and nl that may come
| after, to take the country by surprise
| and to capture 1t unawares They are
| likelier to find in it their Waterloo,
| for there is nothing nothing what
ever. back OF it except broken pledges, false
VOWS and sordid ambitions. It Is simply
| reckless appeal to the cupidity of the capital
ist pnd a shameless reliance upon the igno.
| rance OF the masses, and particularly Of those
who are technically described as wage-earners.
II this were the time and place 1t could be
| shown that wages have no relation to tariffs,
being referable in all countries to supply and
demand But 1t is not the time or place. My
immediate purpose is to deal with the general
situation, not to enter upon an economic dis
cussion. want to expose the heartless insin-
cerity OF the party leaders, who-earning
nothing and forgetting every thing, and there
by showing themselves worse than the
Bourbons, who did remember omething-have
disguised themselves as the friends Of indus
try and labor in order that they may, for their
own exclusive benefit, lease the country little
loDger-since they have no power to sell it out
right-to the very combinations and trusts
they affect to denounce. This, stripped OF all
surplusage, is the real issue Of the Presidential
campaign.
Resistance to the reduction OF war taxes, and
TO the revision of u tariff admittedly unscientif-
ic and unjust took lor a long time the shape Of
4 simple plea for delay. We had, first of all, u
deal of talk about a tariff commission. Then
we had the commission Though composed ex-
clusively ofprotcctionists, this commission, con-
ceding the inequalities and expressions Of the
tariff, agreed to lower II, and proposed general
cut of 2j per cent Three years were squan-
dered in fruitless Investigations and discus
sions had not without scandals, and meant by
the authors OF the movement to be obstructive.
Finally. the tariff commission, its report, and
its bill, were thrown out and the whole
business had to be begun anew. Four ad-
ditional years were gained to the bene.
ficiaries of subsidy by factious and hair
splitting opposition to tie consideration OF
any plan affording popular relief by Congress.
All this while nobody pretended that the pro-
tectivc system was permanent system.
Everybody agreed that it was legacy of the
war, which must be modified, and would, soon
or late, be reduced to q peace footing. 1t was
not until the construction OF this fron-clad Re-
publican platform that the leaders OF the Re-
publican party felt themselves strong enough
to defy the record and to fout the intelligence
OF the time by the declaration that we shall
have no relief that instead Of lowering the
taxes we shall increase them, and that II the
policy designed to check imports does not cur
| tail the surplus it shall be supplemented by
| the repeal OF the internal taxes, substituting
free whisky for cheap clothing and Offering
every man premium to become his own bar
tender.
THE MASK THROWN OFF.
To this complexion has 1t come at last The
old Obstructive DISCUSSES are wornOut. They
will serve no longer. So a new disguise must be
invented, and this new one Is the, pretense
that protection, as they call 1t, is not policy
| but principle and that the war taxes which
| were not to survv, the necessities of war,
ure here to stay. II the political charlatans
who have contrived this mottled and audacous
| sham can through II, secure yet another delay
and with it another lease of power, so much
| is clear gain and they will take their chances
| OF evading the plan it embraces when they get
into power; for, as said, they have no idea OF
| attempting to carry 1t out, knowing us well as
| do that to do so would be to precipitate IN
| irresistible free-trade uprising among the be-
| trayed, starving and infuriated wage-earners
| to whom they are now appealing with all the
| wanton w.les and wicked falsehoods ad
dressed by the hump p-baclked Duke of Glouces-
| ter to the widow OF his murdered kins
man. repeat IT, proclaim II, II there be an
| impatient free-trader anywhere, let him give
his days of toll and his nights OF prayer to the
| fulfllment OF the promise OF this Republican
| platform. Like the original ordinances Of Sc.
cession, which laid the axe OF revolution at the
very root OF the tree OF slavery, though meant
to save 1t, it is the first step yet taken in the
United States toward the complete overthrow
! OF the customs system. can explain it only
on the theory that monopoly, like slavery, has
gone crazy; contributing another illustration
Of the saying that whom the gods mean to de-
| stroy they first make mad. Is there conserva
tism enough on the side of capital are there in
dependence and enlightenment enough on
the side OF labor to interposc between these
mercenary fanatics and the ruin they invoke;
to secure the business of the country without
disturbing its order or values; to light the high
way which leads us from scale Of excessive
war taxes to the lower peace scale OF revenue
taxes with the mild glare Of open furnace
doors, maintained by moderate profits
yielding steady work and fair wages, OF
must we be plunged by the cruel and needless
rapacity OF horde of robber barons first into
the blaze OF q brief interval Of fictitious pros
perity, to be quickly followed by the impene