Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-10
A FARMERS VIEWS.
He is Not for Free Trade nor Free
whisky.

Los ANGELES, August 8, 1888.
EDITORS HERALD The following is an
extract from letter received by me from
prominent farmer in Macon county,
Illinois, whose opinion have asked on
the tariff question. If you think it worth
giving to the public, would be pleased
to see it in the HERALD.
V. H. L. HENDRICKS.
Il X \ \
You ask me to give you my opinion on
the tariff question, and on political sub
jects generally. feel safe in saying that
it is every day becoming more
in Illinois and the entire East, that there
is widespread disaffection in the Re-
publican ranks. 1t is undeniably true
that the farmers of Illinois have long ex-
pected some reduction in the tarif-Re-
publicans and Democrats alike expect it.
Both parties in their platforms in 1880
and 1884 solemnly declared that the tariff
should be reduced. During the admin
istration of President Arthur commits
sion composed entirely of Republicans
was appointed to examine the question
and report to Congress the result of their
investigations. That commission was
composed of eminent men, selected by
President Arthur because of their intelli-
gence and fitness for the important posi-
ton, and, as l have stated, were all Re-
publicans. The committee visited all
the chief manufacturing districts in the
United States, expending months in ex.
amining the subject, and taking volumes
of testimony, the witnesses being busi-
ness men and almost wholly Republi-
cans. The investigation resulted in a
report recommending that the present
tariff be reduced at least 25 per cent.
Subsequently President Arthur, in
message to Congress, strongly urged his
party at once to proceed to reduce the
tariff. He insisted that there must be
reduction, and that it was better that his
party should get the credit Of it, rather
than allow the Democratic party to
achieve that honor. But President
Arthur's sensible request was unheeded.
The party met in 1884 and resolved in
favor of a reduction of the tariff in such
Industries" of the country. The Demo-
cratic party resolved substantially the
same thing. Grover Cleveland, on the
platform Of 1884, was elected President.
He has construed the platform, and his
message to Congress insists that the
tariff shall be reduced, keeping always in
view an ample and Just protection for the
manufacturing interests of the country.
What is known as the Mills bill is the
result of the Presidents message te Con-
gress. The present tariff amounts to an
average of $47 on the 500 of imported
goods. By the Mills bill that tariff is re-
duced to about $42 on the 500, and a
number Of articles, such as salt, jute,
lumber, wool, etc are placed on the free
list-that is, no tariff on imported arti-
cles of that kind is charged or collected.
You will readily see that, instead of
being in favor of Free Trade, as Repub-
licans falsely charge, the Democrats only
ask that the tariff may be3reduced $5 on
the 500. Their reason for doing this is
a large surplus revenue in the National
Treasury, and it is accumulating at the
rate of over $50, ,0O0,0 annually.
This was the condition of things when
the Democratic and Republican Conven-
tions met short time ago. The Demo
cratic Convention endorsed President
Cleveland's message and the Mills bill.
The Republican Convention at Chicago
denounced both, and said in addition
that, rather than surrender any part of
their protective" system, they would
repeal the International Revenue laws
that is, remove entirely the tax from to-
bacco and whiskey and have free whisky
and tobacco. That is really the question
between the two parties to-day, and that
is why there are so many thousand dis
affected Republicans who are temper
ately inclined all over the coan-
try. They cannot see that it is
better to make whisky free and keep the
tax on salt, lumber, etc. articles which
they must have in order to live. This
year the people we're thinking for them
selves. President Cleveland has driven
the Republican party to the wall by his
message in compelling them to say yes
the tariff, as they had for years been
do 80. When compelled to "show their
hands," so to speak, they said they would
not reduce the tariff, but, to prevent the
increasing surplus in Treasury at Wash
ington, they would make whisky free.
A Republican would-be orator, to
whom listened the other night, after
vigorously shifting the Democratic party
hip and thigh, denounced President
Cleveland as Dictator, and was loudly
applauded by his political friends.
Grover Cleveland is the great leader of
the Democratic party, and he is debating
to the Republican party. He has forced
them to tear off the mask. No more
false pretense no more resolving one
thing and doing another, and still
parading before the public as
the party OF morality par excellence.
Mr.. Cleveland has compelled the Re-
publican party to "come out OF their
hole" and say whether they are in favor
of free coal, free salt, free lumber, etc.,
or in favor of free whisky. What did
they do? They said in unmistakable Ian
guage that they were IN favor of free
qchisky. 1t sounds disgraceful to hear q
"moral' party say that. 1t looks un-
worthy the age in which We live, but
they said it just the same. 1t is not the
Republican party of the days of Lincoln,
Chase and Seward. 1t is the free whisky
party OF Jingo Blaine and Kid-Glove or
Chinese Cheap Labor Harrison or Bung-
starter Morton, the English banker
This is why honest, old-fashioned Re-
publicans can't stand it.
One of them said, in my presence the
other day: "Suppose honest old Abe
Lincoln was living. Do you believe that
he would make whisky free and keep a
tax on what every man must have? No,
sir; not at all. He would say: "In-
crease the tax on whisky and make the
tariff tax lower" Thousands of men
uho bovo octod with tho =, - =, g.