Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-03
A WAR OF WORDS.
Tariff Reform Discussed by
.Kenna and Sherman.
INTERESTING ARGUMENTS.
Each vigorously Defends His
Party's neutrality-suspicious.
for the Future.

IOr the FuJufos
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD
WASHINGTON, February AT 2
O'Clock to-day Senator Ksnna secured
the floor to reply to the tariff speech
of Senator Sherman. All the circum-
stances, he said, justified the belief
that the speech was exhaustive Of the
resources of the Senator from Ohio
and of the party of which he was
leading representative which could be
invoked in criticism Of the Presidents
message. He had treated the large
and growing treasury surplus as a
matter neither requiring attention nor
justifying apprehension. Sherman
had garbled the words which he
quoted from President Jefferson
so as to justify his own opin-
ion. Jefferson solemnly invoked a
change in the organic law of the land
to avert the danger of a surplus.
General Jackson, Daniel Webster and
succession Of Republican Presi-
dents and Secretaries Of the Treasury,
had shared the apprehension expressed
by President Cleveland. Senator
Sherman protested most vigorously
against the Presidents declaring that
internal revenue should not be done
away with. In 1867 Senator Sherman
himself had expressed much the same
opinion as he now so severely criti-
Icizes, and in 1870 and in 1882 he
had eloquently and 1prcibly MAIN
tanned much the same tiews. Senator
Sherman had charged that the Treas
ury surplus was due to the Presidents
failure to exercise his legal functions
This charge was based mainly on the
fact that the President opposed ship
ping subsidies. Upon such criticism
the President could we'll afford to
meet the issue.
Senator Kenna then proceeded to a
discussion in detail of
THE EFFECT UPON THE REVENUE
And upon domestic interests of a ju-
dicious revision of the tariff, dispu-
ting almost every econQmic PROPOSE
ton advanced by Sherman, and main
tanning that the Presidents sugges-
ton paved the way not only to relief
from The burdensome taxations and
excessive revenue, but also to in
creased prosperity, and the correction
of innumerable evils without disre-
gard for any of the established inter-
ests of the country. And yet when
the President OF the United St tes,
confronting bravely the solemn re-
quirements of his high office, and
daring to preserve patrl-
otic regard for his public
responsibilities, ventured q sugges-
ton Of a remedy which aad ever and
over again been presented and de-
manded by one administration after
another, he was assailed by one of the
acknowledged leaders of the Republi-
can organizations as frivolous in his
action and bent on destruction. Both
the benefits and burdens of our system
of taxation should be distributed fair
lv. On that system both in
ernal and external taxation should
be treated as whole. The tax
on tobacco would, he had no
doubt, be reduced, or wholly repealed.
Iron, coal, wood and other products
of labor, care and enterprise would not
be sacrificed. They would stand sub
jact to their fair share in the benefits of
whatever he system might be as re-
vised, and bearing their fair share of
the burdens of the common lot.
There was ample room for a reduction
of the existing taxes without violence
to any interests. The Democratic
party had never been an enemy to
labor, and labor would find under its
control of the government fair and
g cure reward, but monopoly, fortified
and entrenched behind twenty or
more years of Republican exaction
and misrule, would have to go. The
question before the United States at
this time is a bare reference OF
he Presidents message. The de-
bate upon the question has been
calculated to alarm and terrify the
country. but the country is now ready
for the fray. "It is my candid judg
ment," said he, that the masses Of
the people will endorse and support
this brave struggle for their rights
and the relief of their bondage. The
true
SOLUTION OF THE DIFFICULTY
Is fair and just medium which shall
produce the revenues the country
nesd ds and no more or no less. accord
ing to the plain dictates of common
honesty, as declared by the last Dem
ocratic platform, In spirit Of fairness
to all interests. While our excess
of import duties had a ten
dency to build up and foster
monopoly, it had a like tendency to
invoke free competition to labor and
reduce the workingman to mimi
mum compensation, yet the labor
ing men are blandiy told that they
are to bind themselves hand and foot
FIR ever and for ever, to a system.
which gives them all free trade and
competition, and to others, a privi-
legged few, monopoly and profit The
cry OF the demagogue, that the Presi.
dent and his policy were aiming at a
lessing Of the just reward of the lab
orer was as indecent as false. The
system of taxation Of this country for
the last twenty years has been
A STANDARD OF MENACE
And a source of constant injury to the
laborer himself. Who would deny
but that the system which had pre-
vailed under Republican administra-