Milford chronicle., 1888-04-27
FAIR TRApR ANp FAIR PLAY.


whoever, in whatever part Of the world, hai
these materials to sell, may sell them to con
snmers Of raw materials, or to fabric maker
in the United States without the payment o
a tax; which in the ultimate analysis, always
comes out Of the pocket Of the final con
sumer
"Fair Trade, +" or free raw material, meani
cheaper building and more houses-mor'
employment for the mechanic, and homes fo
people now too poor to own their own. /
means cheaper clothing of all domestic fab
RIGS which will result in greater demand
TO supply this, our factories will have tC
make more time and pay their operatives
more money than they do now. It mean:
cheaper fuel. It means 10 put stop to suci
conditions as exists today when a combina
ton Of monopolists can make coal 5000 4
ton that should be furnished for $3.50, and
allow all that handle it reasonable profit
and paying the miners more wages than they
receive today.
True, the iron kings, the lumber lords, the
coal barons and the cattle kings, will squal
at free raw materials; but it is the busines:
Of this National administration aud this Con
eress to look after the interest Of the people
The monopolist noblemen aforementioned,
can take care of themselves.
Indeed, the President in his message gave
to the Democratic party what it has long
lacked-an issue and leader. For twenty
years no thoughtful man has been able to see
any other difference between the two great
parties which stood between him and there
forms he deemed essential to the well-being
Of his country than that the Zone was in
and wished to stay there, and the other was
out and didn't wish to stay there" He did
not seem to realize when preparing that,
which has been considered the most simple
and yet the greatest effort in the light of a
message since the days Of Jackson, that an
other Presidential election was approaching
He said what he thought, said it plainly and
powerfully and without qualification, nor did
he stop to enquire its probable effect upon
the public mind. Whether that document
will make him his own successor, or prevent
that result, was obviously thought which
had no place in Mr.. Cieveland's mind. Such
an example Of selfforgetfulness and ambi-
ton in this venal age, is refreshing and in
vigorating. Indeed, he is a factor oftremen-
dons potency in moulding the morals Of the
country, and men will pardon much, if there
be need Of pardon, to a man who is obviously
so strong, so dauntless and so incorruptible.
We are confronted to-day by condition
of things which has 10 analogue in all the
annals of time. Twenty-three years ago this
month, we had just passed through a four
years war, and reckoning by the number,
variety and succession of events, it is the
longest war which history records. WHO
can estimate its unparalleled demands upon
the material resources of the two belliger-
ants? One-half Of the cost-the cost to the
victor-was nearly $4,000 900, 600. The cost
to the vauquished was almost as large. At
the first blush, one would imagine that the
country paying interest on this great burden
Of debt and gradually reducing its volume,
would require several decades to affect a re-
cuperation from the disastrous collapse.
Who, even in the widest frenzy of he imag-
ination, could have conceived that within
twenty years after the close Of the war, we
should be confronted by the question, not
how to get money into the Federal Treasury,
but how to keep it ont? and get this strange,
this startling fact, stares us in the face.
Raids upon the treasury with all sorts ofsilly
and corrupt schemes, some of which have
been notably thwaTted by the brave interpo-
siton OF the President, have been the fash
ion Of the day. And yet despite all this
year after year there is still a surplus-a cor
rupting surplus estimated at the close of
the present fiscal year to amount to $40 ,ooo,-
600
Now it must be plain in the mind Of every
honest man, that the taxing power has been
,yrrancally and unjustly exercised. The
government is not money-making machine
all the money it has, comes in the shape of
taxes from the people. Ii ought to have
what is necessary for its economical admin
istrauon-that, and only that The exaction
Of larger amount is nothing more than rob
berry under the forms Of law Millions of
dollars are constantly stealing by thousands
Of invisible channels from private pockets,
where they belong, and where they are the |
equivalent Of tranquil peace and prosperity, |
o the public fsc where they do not belong,
md where they breed only discomfort, cor
upton and couvulsiou.
The question is often asked "What does
arif surplus mean ?" A Senator from one
If the Western States said some time ago, |
hat he did not believe there were three men
Il the United States who could explain it |
Whether that be true or other
wise, we are confident there are millions
Who feel it, and feel it so sensibly that
omefhiRg teaches them that a surplus tar
F is not very healthy diet for the work
ngman. Tariff is simply this The Consti-
ution gives to Congress the power to raise
evenue for the support of the Government
" laying duties on foreign importations.
Vow that is the tariff as it existed in the
minds Of the trainers Of the Constitution
he constitutional tariff; and it would have
'een well had Congress always followed the
MATT WulGu II ha'N bWolh 10 ppGNs nut II
las not done so. At first ii was tariff sim
ly for revenue then tariff with revenue
S its object, and protection as its incident
nd now we have a tariff which, in many
asses, destroys revenue, and makes protec-
ion the paramount and often the only CON
liberation. What perversion of delegated
ower The very power to do a specified
hing, is used to prevent the doing of that
hing. For it is obvious that when duties
re pTohibitory all revenue from goods so
lxed is destroyed.
The tariff, or this enormous Federal rev.
nue., is raised not by putting the heaviest
uties they will bear on all goods imported
ither for sale but it is done by making the
uties heavy--often prohibitory-on goods
nat come into competition with home man
factures and light or nothing on articles
lat do not come into such competition.
tfftos -, r,-ssr-., r-g,,,T. f.,.-.