Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-24

we award our home productions, but the
entire withdrawal of such advantages
should not be contemplated. The cues
ton of free trade is absolutely irrelevant
and the persistant claim made in certain
quarters, that all efforts to relieve the
people from unjust and unnecessary tax
alton are schemes of so-called free trad
ers. is mischievous and far removed from
anv consideration for the public good.
''The simple and plain duty which we
owe the people is to reduce taxation to
the necessary expenses of an economical
operation of the Government.
Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxa
ton.
"And yet this is our condition. We
are annually collecting at our custom
houses and by means OF our internal
revenue taxation many millions in ex-
cess of all legitimate public needs"
These utterances show that the Demo-
cratic party has pledged itself to revise
the tariff in spirit OF fairness to every
interest involved to reduce taxation to
the actual needs of the Government; to
administer the affairs OF the Government
with rigid economy and scrupulous fl
deity.
When tariff duty becomes prohibi-
tory the Government is deprived of its
legitimate revenue, and the consumer OF
an article of domestic manufacture must
pay price enhanced by reason of the
tariff to the protected manufacturer.
Such condition makes possible the
existence of trusts, monopolies and
com binations by which the value OF COM
modities is artifcially raised, to the in
Jury of the consumers. Under the
present tariff legislation it is not possible
to suppress these conspiracies. They
have too frequently eluded the vigilance
and scrutiny of the courts. No man
who is not blinded by partisan prejudice
will deny that the tariff system as it
stands to-day is fragrant violation of
the spirit, if it be not offensive to the
letter, of the United States Supreme
Court go Wal. 655). He says:
"To lay with one hand the power of
the Government on the property of the
citizen, and, with the other, to bestow it
upon favored indivi luals, to aid private
enterprises and build up private fortunes,
is none the less ROBBERY because it is
done under the forms of law and is
called legislation. 1t is decree under
legislative FORMS"
The candid mind will be slow to admit
that Congress has the constitutional
authority to levy a tariff duty that will
"check imports and protect home man.
raising revenue.
Judge Cooley, in his Principles of Con-
stitutional Law, page 81, says:
Constitutionally tax can have nc
other basis than the raising of a revenue
for public purposes, and whatever gov
ernmental eXaction has not this basis is
tyrannical and unlawful. A tax On i'm
ports, therefore, the purpose of which is
not to raise revenue, but to discourage
and indirectly prohibit some particular
import for the benefit of some home man.
ufacture, may we'll be questioned as be-
ing mere colorado, and therefore not
warranted by constitutional principles. "
The Republican party imperiously de-
mands in behalf OF the system of protec-
ton which this great constitutional law
yer (who is Republican, says cannot
be lawfully done under the sanction of
of the Constitution. The Republican
party, in its desperate effort to regain its
lost power and prestige, boldly advocates
a financial policy which wantonly vio-
lates the fundamental principles of the
Government. Mr.. Tidman, Limitations
OF Police Power, Sec. Al, says:
cit would be as constitutional for a
State to prohibit one class OF citizens
from trading with another as it is for the
United States to prohibit, totally or par
TALLY, the dealing of citizens with for
eign countries. 1t is a part of the civil
| liberty of citizen of a constitutional
State to be permitted to have business
relations with whom he pleases. Even
though protective tariff does not com
pei the consumer to pay more for the
home products than he would have to
pay for the foreign articles in the abb
sence of protective tariff and the home
products were of the same value and in
trinsic merit, protection is unconstitu-
tional, because it interferes with the
civil liberty of the citizen when he is not
threatening any evil to the public. But
protective tariffs are usually needed,
either because it is impossible to manu-
facture the home products as cheaply, or
because they are of an inferior character.
Hence the consumer is made to pay more
for his goods, and the tariff furthermore
deprives him of his property without due
process of law"
The tariff which prohibits the importa-
ton of foreign commodities not only de-
prives the Government of its revenue,
but gives the home manufacturer an op-
portunity to exact price for his articles
above legitimate profit. The consumer
is forced to patronize market artifcially
inflated. The purchasing power of his
money is diminished by legislation which
can not be defended successfully in the
forum of reason, justice or conscience.
He is despoiled of his property. 1t is
bestowed upon Favored individuals :" it
is given in aid of "private enterprises
and to the upbuilding of "private for
tunes" Every citizen is entitled to the
selfsame consideration, and that Gov
eminent which confers a benefit upon
one class of citizens at the expense Of
others is vicious and oppressive. That
Government which gives its subjects
fresh scope for the pursuit of business
avocations, untrammeled by partial and
unjust legislation, is to be commended.
The Democratic party has opposed every
species of class legislation.
The Supreme Court of Michigan, Vol.
Xxx, page 452, says:
"By common consent also large por-
ton of the most urgent needs of society
is relegated exclusively to the law of de-
mand and supply. 1t is this in its nat
ural operation, and without the inter
ference of Government. that gives us the
proper proportion of tillers OF the soil,
artisans, manufacturers, merchants and
nd hot lot DO