St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-05

the thanks of the laboring and business
classes of the country were due to the
executive for seiZing on that vital issue
with the grasp OF strong, honest man,
and for presenting it to his cOuntrymen
in such shape and light that it never
would disappear until the wrongs
therein presented were exposed and re-
dressed, and until the outrages OF over
taxation ceased. In the present age of
and of gilded vulgarity, the splendid
utteranceS of the presidents messages
fell on the minds Of the people as a.
token, as Il
A PROMISE OF RELIEF, il
reform and redemption from one whoC
had never broken pledge or fOrgottOn
public duty. The president had DEF
clared for the lowly and oppressed.
Since that matchless and immortal in
augural of Jefferson on the 4th of
March, 1901, no communication had
ever emanated from the chief magisoi
trate of this government more ableU
more elevated i'll craftsmanship, more
human and benevolent in its purposes
or more conducive to the general Wel-
fare and good government than the
message under consideration. Coming
down to the practical question Of taXa7
ton, he was aware he said,
that there were many objections to inter.
nal taxes, but on grounds far different
from desire to perpetuate enormous
and unjust tariff taxes on the neceSSa-
ries of life. He appreciated the fact that
for many years, and especially in several
states, the whole system had been used
as powerful instrument of partisan
political warfare, and had been OdiOuS
to every free minded citizen. He was
often reminded that it was war tax,
and that it should pass away in time of
peace. All these opinions had their
weight with him. But, while the heavy
taxes which had been laid by war
tariff on every article entering into the
wants and
NECESSITIES OF THE PEOPLE
were not reduced at all. He submitted
that the work of reform and reduction
should be pursued in that field, and the
internal revenue left to stand yet awhile
subject to certain notifications. AS to
tobacco, he suggested that the tax on
cigars and snuff producing S12,500,G GOO
might be retained, and the rest of the
tax producing SIT 100000 be abolished.
| But this, however, was feature of de-
tail. and perhaps feature Of cOmpro-
| mise. The great bulk Of abatement in
the present total unnecessary taxation
| of the people would have to take place
| in a careful and prudent review of
the tariff, and we would have to leave
| to the future what might seem the best
means and arrangements by which to
! attain that end. AS choice between
reducing the internal revenue or tariff
| taxes, he would labor to cheaper wool
| ems, linens, cotton fabrics, salt. lumber,
| coal, iron, steel and all other staple
commodities, rather than such articles
| as were INDUCED in from acquired
| habits, or luxurious modes of living.
After quoting some sentences from the
| presidents message, Mr.. Voorhees,
asked whether it was from such wise
| conservative statements guarding the
| Interests of American manufacturers On
| the one hand while seeking to relieve
| the people on the other) that the
| charges of ''free trade" were made
against the message. Did it not rather
seem that those who caviled with Mr..
| Cleveland and denounced his views,
were such as had predetermined quar-
rel, and who would not approve the
| Declaration of Independence if it came
| from his hands? Such political leaders
| might have their uses, but at the
| present instance it required no gift of
| prOpheSy to foresee that as ''blind
| leaders of the blind' they and their fol-
| lowers would roll in the l.
DITCH OF DEFEAT TOGETHER.
| IA ptlSlSUcuG dllu NlOlOHG GuOrU WAS
being made by those who managed and
led the opposition to the present admin
| istration to convince the public mind
| that the president was unfriendly to
| labor interests and labor organizations,
and that the reduction of taxes would
| be so powerfully enforced as to prove
| hurtful to the WOrkingman, and eSpe-
| cially to wage laborers employed in
manufacturing industries. He (Mr
Voorhees, might pause to ask the meant
| ing of the present condition of the wage
| workers in many of the most extensive
! manufacturing regions, why under the
| present high tariff they were engaged
| in constant strikes and severe struggles
! with their employers? He (VoorheeS)
would go far to
PROTECT THE AMERICAN LABoRER
| in every respect and to comfort his
| daily life with generous laws. His heart
| was full OF appreciative sympathy for
the wOrlingman and his household as
| they gathered around their troubled
| fifeSide, often in perjury, sometimes in
actual want and never in ease or aff1u-
| ence. But he had never yet conceived
it to be remedy for his privation and
anXieties to increase the tax on
blankets and bedclothing OF on
his salt and meager table
ware. The president had
| expressed his solicitude for the
| welfare of the American laborer and
had pointed out the vigilant care which
| his Interests should receive in the treat
| ment of the tariff. After quoting a sen
| tence from the message in this connec-
ton. he said that he did so in order to
| present complete refutatIon Gin a con-
densed form of the reckless and some
times malicious misrepresentation with
which the presidents position had al
ready been aSsailed, and which would
continue for at least the next ten
months. In his judgment, however.
the American people would have but
| small difficulty as soon as the present
improyiSed commotion had subsidized, in
determining that the presidents prom
ises, his arguments and his conclusions
were alike impregnable and alike defied
assault. MIR. Voorhees, also quoted from
the Republican platform of 1884.
| wherein it pledged itself to
CORRECT THE IRREGULARITIES
of the tariff and to reduce the supplies
and he said that that was plain, clear
admission, made three and a half wears
ago, that the work of the tariff commits
| sion had been poorly done and called
| for correction, and that the pledge had
never yet by one word, one vote, one
| step or the lifting of one finger been at
tempted to be carried out to this day.
On the contrary, the Republican leaders
had not only done nothing themselves to
remedy their own confessed wrong do
ing. but had with the whole weight of
their organization hindered the efforts
| of everybody else. If now, after this
| long delay, the leaders of the Republic
can organization in congress and else
| where assumed the attitude of tariff re-
formers, it would only be under the
| compulsion of public opinion, invoked
and adopted by the powerful statement
| and appeal of Mr.. Cleveland in his late
message. They were chiefly incensed