Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-09-14

none OF their hateful features because they
have assumed the name of trusts instead OF
conSplracleS.
We believe that these trusts are the nat
ural offspring of a market artificially re-
stricted; that an inordinarily high tariff be-
sides furnishing the temptation for their ex-
istence, enlarges the limit within which they
may operate against the people, and thus in
creases the extent of their power for wrong
doing. With an unalterable hatred of all
such schemes we count the checking of their
baleful operations among the good results
promised by revenue reform
While we cannot avoid partisan misrepre-
sentation, our position upon the question OF
revenue reform should be so plainly stated as
to admit of no misunderstanding. We have
entered upon no crusade of free trade. The
reform we seek to inaugurate is predicated
upon the utmost care for established in
-dustries and enterprises, a jealous regard for
the interests of American labor, and a sincere
desire to relieve the country from the injus-
tice and danger of a condition which
threatens evil to all the people Of the land.
We are dealing with no imaginary danger.
Its existence has been repeatedly confessed by
all political parties, and pledges of a remedy
have been made on all sides. Yet when in
the legislative body, where under the Conssi-
tuition all remedial measures applicable to
this subject must originate, the Democratic
majority were attempting with extreme mod
GRAFTON to redeem the pledge common to both
parties, they were met by determined opposi-
ton and obstruction, and the minority, re
fusing to cooperate in the house of repre-
sentatives or propose another redemedy, have
RENTED the redemption of their party pledge
10 no o,,I tf,,1, Of fho
The people will hardly be deceived by their
abandonment of the field of legislative action
to meet in political convention and fippantly
declare in their party platform that our con-
sentative and careful effort to relieve the sit
uation is destructive to the American system
of protection. Nor will the people be misled
by the appeal to prejudice contained in the
absurd allegation that we serve the interests
of Europe while they will support the inter
ests of America.
They propose in their platform to thus sup
port the interests of our country by removing
the internal revenue tax from tobacco and
from spirits used in the arts and for mechan-
ical purposes. They declare, also, that there
should be such revision of our tariff laws
as shall tend to check the importation of such
articles as are produced here. Thus, in pro
posing to increase the duties upon such articles
to nearly or quite a prohibitory point, they
confess themselves willing to travel backward
in the road of civilization and to deprive our
people of the markets for their goods which
can only be gained and kept by the semblance
at least, of an interchange of business, while
they abandon our consumers to the unre-
strained oppression of the domestic trusts and
combinations which are in the same platform
perfunctorily condemned.
| They propose further to release entirely
from import duties all articles of foreign pro-
duction except luxuries the like of which can
not be produced in this country. The plain
people of the land and the poor, who scarcely
use articles of any description produced ex-
clusively abroad and not already free, will
| find it difficult to discover where their inter-
ests are regarded in this proposition. They
need in their homes cheaper domestic neces-
saries; and this seems to be entirely unpro-
vided for in this proposed scheme to serve the
country.
Small compensation for this neglected need
is found in the further purpose here an
nounced and covered by the declaration that
if after the changes already mentioned there
still remains larger revenue than is requi-
site for the wants of the government, the en-
tire internal taxation should be repealed
ssrather than surrender any part of our pro-
tective system"
Our people ask relief from the undue and
unnecessary burden of tariff taxation now
resting upon them They are offered fres
tobacco and free whisky. They ask for bread
and they are given a stone.
The implication contained in this party de-
claration, that desperate measures are justi-
fed Or necessary to save from destruction or
surrender what is termed our protective sys-
| 4axoo yl,o1 ,f
such system is entirely consistent with the
regulation of the extent to which it should be
applied and the correction Of its abuses
Of course in a country as great as ours,
with such wonderful variety of interests
often leading in entirely different directions
it is difficult, if not impossible, to settle upon
perfect tariff plan. But in accomplishing
the reform we have entered upon, the neces-
sity of which is SO obvious, l believe we
should not be content with reduction of
revenue involving the prohibition of impor-
tations and the removal of the internal tax
upon whisky 1t can be better and more
safely done within the lines of granting &C
tual relief to the people of their means OF
living, and at the same time giving an i'm
petuS to our domestic enterprises and further
ing our national welfare
If Misrepresentation of our purposes and
motives are to gain credence and defeat our
present effort in this direction there seems to
be no reason why every endeavor in the future
to accomplish revenue reform should not be
likewise attacked and with like result. And
yet no thoughtful man can fail to see in the
continuance of the present burdens OF the
people, and the abstraction by the govern
ment of the currency of the country, newt
able distress and disaster. All danger will be
averted by timely action. The difficulty OF
applying the remedy will never be less, and