Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-09-13

lOSJtECus HulCut Willie
ing the few that combine, rob the body
of our citizens by depriving them as
purchasers, of the benefits of natural
competition
Such combinations have always been
condemned by the Democratic party.
The declaration of its national conven-
tiOn is sincerely made, and no member
of our party will be found excusing the
existence or belittling the pernicious
results of these devices to wrong the
people. Under various names they
have been punished by the common
law for hundreds of years, and they
have lost none of their hateful features
because they haI e assumed the name
of trusts instead of conspiracies.
We believe that these trusts are the
atIrGl Ntfsrri e = Z ark t'i3i
ally restricted; that an inordinately
high tariff, besides furnishing the temp
tation for their existence, enlarges the
limit within which they may operate
against the people, and thus increases
the extent of their power for wrong do
ing. With an unalterable hatred of
all such schemes we count the check
ing of their balefuI operations among
the good results promised by revenue
reform.
While we cannot avoid partisan mis-
representation, our position upon the
! question of revenue reform should be
so plainly stated as to admit of no mis-
understanding. We have entered up
on no crusade of free trade. The re-
form we seek to inaugurate is predi-
Gated upon the utmost care for estab-
lished industries and enterprises, a
jealous regard for the interests of
American labor and a sincere desire to
relieve the country from the injustice
and danger of condition which
threatens evil to all the people of the
land.
| We are dealing with no imaginary
danger. Its existence has been repeat
edly confessed by all political parties,
and pledges of remedy have been
made on all sides. Yet, when in the
legislative body, where under the con-
stitution all remedial measures ap-
plicable to this subject must originate,
the Democratic majority were attempt
ing with eqtreme moderation to re-
deem the pledges common to both
parties, they were met by determined
opposition and obstruction, and the
minority refusing to cooperate in the
House of Representatives, or propose
any other remedy, have remitted the
redemption of their party pledge to the
doubtful power of the Senate. The
people will hardly be deceived by their
abandonment of the field of legislative
action to meet in political convention
and fiippantly declare in their party
platform that our conservative and
careful effort to relieve the situation is
destructive to the American system of
protection. Nor will the people be
misled by the appeal to prejudice con-
tanned in the absurd allegation that we
serve the interests of Europe, while
they will support the interests of
America
They propose liz their platform to
thus support the interests of our coun-
try by removing the internal revenue
tax from tobacco and from spirits used
in the arts and for mechanical purposes.
They declare also that there should be
such a revision of our tariff laws as
shall tend to check the importation of
such articles as are produced here
thus in proposing to increase the duties
upon such articles to nearly or quite q
prohibitory point, they confess them
selves 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 perfuuctorily con-
demned. They propose, further, to re-
lease entirely from import duties all
articles of foreign production Except
luxurles,) the like of which cannot be
produced in this country. The plain |
people of the land and the poor, who
scarcely use articles of any description
produced exclusively abroad and not
already free, will find it difficult to
discover where their interests are re-
garded in this proposition. They need
in their homes cheaper domestic neces-
sar1es; and this seems to be entirely
unprovided for in this proposed scheme
to serve the country. Small compen-
sation for this neglected need is found
In the further purpose here announced
and covered by the declaration, that if
aiter the changes already mentioned
sASA> o1AA AClhallS u larger TtN0Hu6 |
than is requisite for the wants of the
government, the entire internal taxa
tlon should be repealed rather than
surrender any part of our protective
system.
Our people ask relief from the undue
and unnecessary burden of taxation
now resting upon them. They are
offered instead free tobacco and free
whisky. They ask for bread and they
are given stone. The implication con-
talned in this party declaration that
desperate measures are justified or nec-
essary to save from destruction or sur
render what is termed our protective
system, should confuse no one. The
existence of such system is entirely
consistent with the regulation of the
extent to which it should be applied
and the correction of its abuses.
or course in country as great as ours,
with such wonderful variety of inter-
ests, often leading in entirely different
directions, it is difficult, if not impossi-
Bile, to settle upon perfect tariff plan.
But in accomplishing the reform we
have entered upon, the necessity of
which Is so obvious, / believe we
should not be content with a reduction
of revenue involving the prohibition of
and the removal of the
internal tax upon whisky. It can be
better and more safely done within the
lines Of granting actual relief to the |
nponlp in thar mao NO of Exy;po ord Of