The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-01
DEMOCRACY AND DUTIES.
Mr.. RAYNER WANTS THE PARTY
TO STAND BY ITS COLORS.


He Is Willing to Have the Tariff Bill
Modified, But Wants the Principle
Involved Lived Up To-Mr. Grosve-
nor Makes a Speech on the Other
Side.
WASHINGTON, April S0.-In the House
to-day the call of States for the introduc-
tion of bills for reference was dispensed
with, the members being permitted to file
their measures at the Clerks desk. The
House then went into committee Of the
whole on the tariff bill, and was addressed
by Mr.. Grosvenor, Of Ohio. He referred
to what he characterized as the stock
charge that this was an attempt of the
Democratic majority, stimulated by the
message of the President, to repeal and get
rid of the war taxes. 1t was said
that the protective system was a system
born of the late war. There were, he con-
tended, no war taxes left, save and alone
the system of internal revenue taxation,
which was in this country what it had been
in all other countries, a resort to which the
country was driven bv the exigencies of
war, and which ought to have been the first
monument of taxation to be stricken down
and removed.
A CHANGE OF FRONT.
1t was strange that the Democratic party
arrayed itself, led by an amateur states
man, the President of the United States,
| in defense of the internal revenue system
that suddenly the Democratic party had
become the champion of that system.
For twenty years the gentlemen repre-
senting Southern States had not only de
nounced the general system of internal
revenue, but had opposed all efforts of the
| government to enforce the law, and had so
| thoroughly educated the people of the South
into the belief that the system WAS tyran-
nous, that they had builded up a great
sentiment in the South that to defeat and
violate and destroy that system by fraud
and violence and bloodshed and murder
was but the assertion OF
the God-given right of rebellion
against the tyrannous enactment OF
a tyrannous government. Now, the Dem
ocratic party, directed by the message OF
| the President ordained that the most sa-
cred monument of taxation in this country
was now, and must be in the future, the
| internal revenue system.
ANSWERING MR.. NELSON.
Discussing briefly the speech of the gen.
tleman from Minnesota, (Mr. Nelson) be
quoted that portion of the speech in which
| the gentleman put free wool and free
| lumber against free whisky and free
| tobacco. When the gentleman undertook to
put Republicans who favored repeal of the
| internal revenue law into the category OF
being in favor of free whisky and free to
bacco, he made a great mistake. The
| proposition to repeal the tax on whisky
was to remit the power Of taxation to the
States, and to permit the States to take the
place of the general government.
TRIED TO CORNER MR.. HEMPHILL
Referring to the remark in Mr.. Hemp
| hills speech that the present tariff law was
unconstitutional and robbery, he queried
how it would be any less robbery by reason
of a reduction of rates. If a robber took
| from him $50 (all he had) it was robbery; if
he took $40 and left $40 it was still rob.
| berry.
MIR. Hemphill, South Carolina, explained
| that he did not contend that the tariff was
unconstitutional. but that the tariff was un-
constitutional when it raised revenue be-
yond the needs of the government.
| Dir. GroSvenor suggested that If the in
| ternal revenue system was abolished, the
present tariff would not produce more rev.
euue than the government needed. II
| when the internal system was repealed, il
was found that the tariff brought in a sur
plus revenue, there might be some point in
| the gentleman's argument. In concluding
be said the majority of the Committee or
Ways and Means had framed bill which
was so sectional in its character that il
appealed to every Northern man to stand
like wall of iron. against the passage oi
| the measure.
LOOKING AT THE PLATFORM.
Mr. Rayner, ,-of Mary land, quoting from
| the Democratic platform IN 1884, SAID that
| the people were anxious to find out whether
| the platform was an array of glitterine
sentiment, or a solemn pledge which the
party proposed to redeem. II the former
| let it be so announced, so that the country
might understand that while the Demo
cratic party was ready on all occasions tc
viIify and abuse the tariff, when the time
| for action arrived, it became so fascinated
with the lovely creature that it feared tc
strike blow lest it might spoil or mar tht
charm of her features, or the sym
metry of her proportions The gentlemen
on the other side in their platform
had promised to do nothing, and they had
faithfully kept their promise. The country
was looking to the Democratic party alone
| 70: deliverance The question presented
was whether that party should proceed for.
ward TO victory or backward TO disaster and
defeat. 1t had no right to halt and raise q
flag Of truce.
SHOULD FACE THE MUSIC.
If the party expected to be controlled by
| local interests, and present divided front
and break up into fragments on this issue
its platform was snare, and the emblem
on its banner was a lie. The party had
! issued tariff reform notes 70 the people, and
| the question was whether it would pay OF
repudiate. The people demanded that the
! government should stop robbIng them.
| The government did not require "A surplus
| to pay its debts. 1t was there to protect
whoml Not the laboring nor agricultural
! interest 1t was there TO protect centralized
wealth and monopoly which was draining
the life-blood of the nation. The contest
was between the protected monopoly and
capital on the one hand and an unprotected
| people and the taxpayer on the other: and
| In this contest he stood with the unpro-
tected people for revenue reform. Had The
government gone into permanent partner
| ship wi n the capitalists of New England
Every 500, 100000 that was paid into the
| Treasury made the nation nearly 500, 900,
600 poorer and the protected industries
nearly 500, 100000 richer.
TIE CUT on GLASS.
Mr.. Nutting, Of New York, inquired how
many men among the thousands employed
in making glass were in favor Of reduc.
| ton of the tariff on that article.
Mr.. Rayner thought that the committee
had made too large a reduction on glass
but he did think that there ought TO be O
reduction. He did not think that the pres
ent reduction would justify any mnnufac-
! turer in reducing wages one cent There