The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-10-18
PARTY 1EaisIArIoN SINCE 1865.

huOli iNbhe ldlhlnR anu "il'luS id
been INDUCED in of late, in aud out o
Congress, in respect of the revision o
the tariff and the respective attitudes o
the two great parties Of the countr.
upon that question. Misinformation i
the principal ingredient in the alleged
arguments referred to, which is les
noticeable because, in these latter day
information does not seem to be consid
cred indispensable to the politician anC
the publcist, il he only have a theory
and convictions.
The Democratic party has so often de
clared in its platforms, and by the
mouths of its leading speakers and writ
ers, that it favOrs revision Of the ia
riff, and reduction of the"war taxes,
and 1.-The surplus" that its adherents
and even some of that select and emf
nently respectable class known as Mug
wumps,' who hover between parties at
ghosts between worlds, members OF
neither, affect to believe that such dec.
larations are honest, even though they
search in vain outside OF those platforms
for evidences OF such a belief.
Let us examine those professions in
the light Of the history of our tinancial
legislature since the war.
The requirements of a great war rem
dered necessary the levying Of enormous
taxes, to which the patriotic cheerfully
and the unpstriotic grumblingly sub
mitted. The disbandment Of the
armies made it possible and
necessary to reduce that taxation,
and it was done from time to time as
the needs and a due regard for the credit
OF the Government permitted.
In 1866 our taxation reached the high
water mark, so to speak, in which year
the revenues of the Government from
customs and internal revenue taxation,
were $4SS, 900, 900, of which $4,000, 900
were collected from customs duties, and
S3O0, 200, 900 from internal re venue taxa
tlon.
During the ensuingTnine years the rev.
enues were so far reduced that in 1915
the total increase from these sources was
$262, 100000, from internal revenue,
reduction of 1921 900 900 from the high
est point, and this, too, Notwithstanding
the fact that the population in 1915 was
at least ten millions greater than IN 1866,
the consumption Of taxable articles and
the income therefrnm being increased in
the same proportion. For every dollar
OF that reduction the Republican party
ID entitled to credit, aud to special credit
because the Democratic party, by its
representatives in Congress END through
its newspapers and public speakers, set
itself steadily against every measure of
revision and reduction.
In December, 1875, the Democratic
party obtained possession and control OF
the House of Representatives, where
alone measures affecting the revenue can
originate, and, excepting the two years
from March 4, 1881, to March H. 1889, has
retained control every since--that is to
say, for ten years. During all those
years the National and State platforms |
OF that party protested, with an earnest |
ness 30 pronounced as to simulate hon
esty, that war taxes must be abolished, "
the robber If must go, "the surplus
must be reduced" and such other
changes on their pet hobby as only pro-
fessional platform-huilders can ring
but they seem to haYs so far exhausted
their strength in promise. that none was
lett for performance, as, while we can
md a lot of that sort of stuff in their
platforms and speeches, we find none in
their statute books.
In December, 1881, the Republicans
again obtained control of the House OF
Representatives for two years, during
which time, in the face Of the most
strenuous opposition OF the other party,
war taxes" and the revenues from 1.-THE
robber tariff were reduced some 90 per
cent. by an intelligent rtvsion of the
tariff, many articles being adtel 20 the
free list; and that is the only material
reduction that has been made since 1875.
Nor has the Democratic House of Rep
reSentatives sent to the Republican Sen
ate, during the ten years of its control
OF the House, any measure for the re
duction OF tariff duties except that non
descript piece OF patchwork known NJ
the Mills BILL" which has passed
through such variety OF manipulatons
that its reputed authors can no longer
recognize their offspring, and which in
Its present form is the most perfec,
specimen Of class legislation in favor OF
the rich and against the poor, to be found
IN all the history Of our tariff legisla-
ton.
Not only is this true, but in the Ohio
campaign Of 1888 the Democratic party
asked for and received the votes OF the
OHIO woOl-growers, in sufficient mum
bers to elect its Governor and a ma jorlty
OF the members OF the GeneraiAsaembly,
on the sole ground that it had resisted
the slight reduction of the wool duty
made ry the Republicans in that year.
thus not only rspudIating all its tariff
utterances, but claiming n reward for SO
DONG, while in 1888 the same party is
dong IT'S utmost to abolish that duty en-
tirely.
To fairly estimate the reduction of the
revenues made since 1865 it must be
borne IN mind that since that time our
population has Increased some 30 per
cent, while our imports have increased
from $23S, 100000 in 1865 to 5000, DOC, 900
IN 1883, and that upon the basis OF the
revenue laws as they were in 1865, the
income OF the Government from these
sources would now be, at the very low
est estimate, not less than 500 000, 000;
whereas, bg reason of the reduction re-
ferred 10, the revenues for 1887 from
those sources were but 1886. 900, 600, so
that the actual reduction of war taxes.
so called,i represented by the difference
between tho two last-named amounts,
to wit {: 1864, 900, 900.
A careful study of these facts is com
mended to all those who affect to see no
hope Of reform in the matter of taxation
save through the fundamentally Of the
Democratic party, and more especially
to those MuRwump emascuaies who
consider ii an unerring indication OF
patriotic craftsmanship to prefer an I'M
tried foreign theory to a practicable
working system,an who inevitably ally
themselves with pretense, If it come in
fine linen, with high-soundng words,
rather than with merit if clad in its
working clothes.
II it is the protective feature of our
tariff system that these gentlemen wish
to destroy let them say so, openly and
frankly, and present a matured revenue
tariff measure, so that the issue may be
fairly Joined and be squarely fought to a
finish, but it is cowsrdly ard unfair 10
dodge behind prelext and pose rs the
great and only party of tax reduction,
while unable or unwilling to formulate
any practicable measure OF reform, This
assumption OF the role OF the reformer
Is mere subierfuge; claim to which
they have not the color of title,
The Republican party is the only only
party in this country which has shown
its ability to cope with those intricate
financial questions consequent upon the
transition from state Of war to a peace |
basis; from an inflated currency to a
solid monetary system; and that party |
has followed the steady decrease Of cx- |
penses by as steady a decrease Of income, |
undistu bed by the partisan tricks OF
ohstructonlsts and theorists and the |
petty pretense Of the bowling dervishes
Of financial quackery.