Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-05-18
The Tariff Debate.
The Madison Democrat

Probably no debate in congress in
many years has excited the public in
terest that attends the present debate
on the tariff. The reason is obvious.
The country is discussing the tariff.
People everywhere are thinking of it
and reasoning upon its principles.
And everywhere with study and refiec-
tion there comes an eager desire to get
at the bottom of the subject. The
protected mOnopoIies have for years
been at work PROSECUTING. Fearing
that the people of the west and the
rural communities would some day
get their eyes open these monopolies
have spent millions to keep their vic
tins blinded. Tracts by the ton and
carload in praise of protection have
been printed and scattered to every
hamlet and Preside. The public has
been dragged and doped with sophistry
and false statistics and unsound logic
All the development of the country
development due to cheap land, to the
great inpour of immigration, to the
changed conditions of our civilization.
to the thousand inventions for saving
labor and cheapening production-has
been claimed as the result of the tariff.
The minister in his pulpit could hardly
thank God for his mercies without
being accused of sympathy with Brit
i8h free trade" because he gave heaven
credit for prosperity due entirely to the
tariff.
Never was such presumption shown
as the interested advocates of high
tariff have manifested Never was
exhibited greater confidence in human
credulity than they have displayed.
They had supposed that the masses of
the people, especially the predjudiced
and unthinking masses of the repub-
lican party were so stupefed 50 sodden
in the faith as taught them by the iron
and steel trust in its tariff tracts, that
they would as heretofore be mere led
cattle.
But the revolt has come. There is a
great awakening in the land, The
drunken sleep has passed off. The re-
publicans of the west have opened
their eyes, rallied their wandering wits
and find themselves in accord with Mr..
Cleveland and with the democratic
policy of tariff reduction.
They listened for some explanation
from their party leaders in congress,
wanted some light upon the repub-
lican policy, demanded to know how
the oft repeated promise Of tariff re-
vision, contained in republican plat
forms, was to be fulfilled.
When they learned from Mr.. Kelley.
the patriarch Of American protection,
that the necessities of monopoly de
mandcd that the tax on whisky and on
tobacco be removed in order to keep
alive the necessity of a tariff tax on
the necessities of life, the great body
Of republicans of intelligence have
turned away in disgust. There are
some republicans with the mere herd
ing instincts of the buffalo who would
60 with their party whatever its creed
or aim; but the thinkers Of the party
are fast coming to know that the men
who are benefited by the tariff adjusted
on its present plan are few, and the
many are harmed thereby that it robs
many Peters to pay one Paul, while
the Paul is already rich and the Peters
are many of them poor.
Let the debate 60 on. The discus
sion tends to show the impregnability
of Mr.. Cleyeand's position. Every
day brings the democratic party into
greater unity and harmony. The re-
publicans are aimless, divided, ratified,
without trusted leader or an agreed
policy. They are like the French army
h~f~.~ 49,, r~...l',.,h =" IN'',o ,,l.d
knocked to pieces by the first collision
with a resolute foe
Let the debate go on"