Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-03
BLAINE AND THE TARIFF.
Viewed from a Pacific Coast Democratic
Standpoint.

otohNPoahts
In an article in the March number of
the North american Rerier John P. Irish
says:
Mr.. Blaine admits the prosperity and
uniform accretion of wealth which followed
the tariff in 1916, but ascribes them to the
discovery of gold in California and the
Crimean war. But he makes of the tariff
of 1862 the Aladdin's lamp which is alone
responsible for what wealth has been
created since, creditIng nothing to the
measureless consumption during the war
and the profits of double discounts given
to manufacturers and contractors, which,
with high prices and high interest added,
all reappeared in bonds representing the
national debt, to be paid by the labor of
the country. That burden was cheerfully
taken up and so CALAMITY carried that the
tax-paying people had the pleasure of see
ing the bonds, owned by the non-taxed
bondholder, appreciate. remember how
proud OF my country | was when our
bonds touched par in London They
crept beyond, to a premium, and the
labor of the country which carried the
load, as the camel carries sugar
while he feeds on thistles, omitted no
emotion of patriotic pride, and still
wrought as early and as late to pay taxes
to pay bonds representing the phenomenal
prices, and discounts and premiums which
fortified the organized and protected
Interests of this country Certainly the
yeomanry of the country had earned re-
spite. They had fought war to success
full issue; had restored the public credit
and were still paving taxes to produce an
annual surplus of millions over the public
needs of the Government. A merciful
man is merciful to his beast, and surely
Government should not be less to its citizens
They have been like the sroon which
carries the soup to the mouth but gets
none itself, and had not grumbled. Toforce
from them an unnecessary tax TO produce
a surplus for which the Government had
no use was the reverse of sound policy.
Both parties had said so, and, after the
fashion of politicians, each had laid the
blame upon the other, and each had
asked the country to believe that it alone
would apply the remedy. But both
failed, and looked on, insensible to the
danger, while unnecessary taxation with
drew from the people and from the arteries
of commerce and the active enterprises of
the country surplus larger every year
than the total Federal revenues were in
1860. The country had its arteries cut
and was bleeding to death, while the poll
ticians berated each other for not applying
a styptic, and Mr. Blaine was ioftily lee
turing the newspapers upon the use that
might be made of the blood. Upon such
d scene issued the President, to remind the
unfaithful of their promises dishonored,
and the greedy of the danger of eating
their seed wheat to the jeopardy of future
harvests.
Both parties were pledged to reduce
tariff taxation down to the actual needs of
the Government. Confronted with this
promise, Mr. Blaine replies that the way
to reduce the surplus is to spend it, and
his party affects to discover that when it
comes to reducing taxation, Americans
want a free pipe and glass