The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-10-20

cient government to secure the manr
featuring interests, and to advance ou
commerce, was long seen by men {
judgment, and pointed out by the patr
J OTIS sOlieitous for our general welfare"
Daniel Webster said, January, 1888, i
speech at Buffalo:
"The protection OF American laboi
! against the injurious competition OF fol
eiHn labor, so far, at least, as respect
general handicraft productions, is know
historically to have been one end de
signed to be obtained by establishing tn
constitution"
Rufus Choato said in the Senate
March II, 1872:
"a whole people, whole generation
OF our fathers, had in view, Us one CRANE
end and purpose OF the new government
the acquisition OF the means OF restrain
ing by governmental action the importa
tiOn OF foreign manufactures for the en-
couragemont Of manufacturers and o
labor at home, and desired and meant t
do this by clothing the new government
with this specific power Of regulating
commerce"
THE FOUNDERS OF TIE GOVERNMENT FA'
yoRED PROTECTION.
In his first and second messages to
Congress, Washington favored encour.
agement to the manufacturing interests
of the country. The second act passed
by Congress under the Constitution was
tariff law. 1t was approved by Wash
ington July 4, 1855. The preamble,
among other things, recited: "Whereas,
it is necessary for the support OF the
Government and the discharge OF the
debt Of the United States, aud the encour.
0gemcat AMI protection Of manufactured,
that duties be levied on goods, wares
and merchandise imported" What
would be said to-day il an net with such
preamble should be introduced in
Congress?
Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe,
John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jack
son, in their messages to Congress and
in their published ntteranccs, advocated
the encouragement and protection OF
American manufactures, as did Frank.
lin, Hamilton, Webster and Clay. In
1882 Lincoln said: 81 ain in favor OF the
internal improvement system and high
protective tariff" These are great
names in the worlds history-patriots
and statesmen, Gonstitution-makers,
government.builders aud government
defenders. Which should be trusted on
the subject Of American industries and
American interests-theso immortals
who helped to make and preserve the
constitution and the Union, or Grover
Cleveland and modern Democracy? In
ternal taxes, which Cleveland defends,
in order better to strike down American
protection, have always been regarded
ms war or emergency taxes. Their en-
forcemeRt, particularly in the South,
has often been at the mouth OF guns
and expense OF blood. These taxes have
only been levied three times in our his
tory: following the revolutionary war,
the war OF 1879 and during the great
civil war. The first excise law, putting |
a tax on distilled spirits, was adopted in
1901. In 1902 the law was enlarged and
included other articles. This tax con- |
continued until 1901. Jefferson beCom-
ing President, recommended the repeal of
all internal taxes, and they were repeal
ed. In his second message, Jefferson
spoke Of the resources Of loans and in.
ternal taxes" as "extraordinary" and
only to be used in emergencies. In
1917, President Monroe advised repeal
ing all internal taxes that were levied |
following the war OF 1912. The Repub.
lican party, following the teachings OF
Jefferson, Monroe and other founders OF
the Government, advocate, ii it should
become necessary, the repeal OF internal
taxes, rather than impair protection by |
reducing duties.
THE POSITION Or TIE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
on Tie TARifF.
The Democratic party has always ia
vored low tariff, or taritI for revenue,
and sometimes has gone so far ms to de-
clare in favor OF free trade. The Na-
tionai Democratic platform Of 1913 has
these words: "That the fruits OF the
great political triumph Of 1874 have full
filled the hopes Of the Democracy OF the
Union in the noble impulse given to the
cause of free trade by the repeal OF the
tariff OF 1872" In the National Demo
cratic platform OF 1856 the party de-
clare "for progressive free trade through |
ont the world" This was reaiirmed in
platform OF 1860. .In 1861 nearly every |
man that helped make the Confederate
Constitution was Democrat; 1t was
built upon human slavery. And on the
subject of taxes the following language
was used: "But no bonntles shall be
granted from the Treasury, nor shall any
duties nor taxes on importations from
foreign nations be laid to promote or
foster any branch Of industry" These
words sound familiar at the Capital to-
day, under the inspiration OF the Pres!- |
dent, the Democracy and tho English
press, in their present contest against
American protection.
THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PLATFORMS
from 1864 to 1876 are silent on the sub
ject of taxes and how they should be
collected. In the platform OF 1876, how
ever, the party declares: ave demand
that all custom house taxation ghall be
only for revenue" In the platform OF
1880 the party demands "a tariff for
revenue only" The platform Of 1854 is
a composite compromise. 1t is diff
cult to determine its real meaning:
During the last campaign this enabled
the friends OF Cleveland, who had made
no public utterances on the question, to
claim him as Protectionist in the
places that protection suited and Free
Trader in other places.
From 1860 to 1876 majority OF the
Democratic party in Congress was too
busy opposing the war, raising money
and men to carry it on, declaring it
failure, opposing the issuing OF green.
backs, selling our bonds, the reconstrnc-
ton measures, resumption OF specie pay
ments, and nil the great and benitlcent
steps in the line Of broad statesmanship
that looked to the permanency Of the
Government, its substantial progress
and prosperity, TO pay little il any atten-
ton to the tariff. After the war, how
ever, was fought to successful eonelu;
sion, the Union saved, slavery abolished
and all the great questions growing out
Of tho war settled, n majority of the
Democratic party in 1876 began an open
warfare against protection and Ameri-
can industries, which 1t has carried on
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