West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-05-11

pie, not argument, but powerful sell
fish interests welded to the yer
abuses that it is proposed to reform
No greater service can be rendered
to the cause Of tax reform than the
destruction and dispersion of this
force drilled and organized to main
tain the tariff monopolies.
The speediest way to accomplish
this is to reduce the tariff. Every
removal of duty not only curtails
the power of the existing high tar
iff combination, but it decreases the
number of those interested in main,
tanning the system. 1t is the weak
ness of the tariff ring, that it is an
artificial combination of diverse in
terests, based on greed, not princi-
pie, the members of which have tao
itly agreed to support one another
in plundering the public. The mo-
ment that one member is perma-
nently placed outside the circle of
those profting by the combination
he not merely ceases to be interest
ed in maintaining high tariff for
the benefit of the others, but his in
terests demand that he shall insist
on the reduction of the tax on nu-
merous other articles. This Vas IL
Illustrated some time ago by the open
and angry threat of the wool grow
ers that they would demand the re-
peal of the duty on wooden goods if
the manufacturers favored free WOOL
A similar threat is said to have
been made by western forest mo-
nopolist toa Pennsylvania iron man.
ufacturer who proposed the free ad
mission of lumber. Such threats
are not idle, and they indicate that
each abolition of a duty will add to
the number of those whose interests
will thereafter lead them to demand
the abolition of other duties.
But this is not only true of tariff
abolition; the same condition is
brought about by reduction of du-
ties below protective point. The log
ic of events will force the democratic
party to continue the reduction of
the tax on imports to this extent,
since it has now returned to its old
tradition in favor Of tariff for
revenue only. Such a policy will
break the tariff combination, and
disperse it's lobby" 4 +
In the face of facts like these,
would not advocates of the single
tax be false to their faith and
derelict as citizens if they stood
idly BY and failed to take an active
part in the coming Contest? Now
is the time when We can do some
thing effective, not merely towared
educating the people in sound econ
omic principle, but toward incorpo-
rating a portion of our principles
in legislation. Shall we shirk the
duty Immediately before us and
amuse ourselves on election day by
voting for a candidate not in the
race, playing base ball or standing
up to he counted?" Any one OF
these has just as much as the other
to do with our discharge of the
duties of citizenship.
For my part, have had of late
vastly more time for reflection than
suits man of my temperament. |
have considered the question of
present duty fully and carefully,
and to my mind the answer is clear.
i have resigned from the united la
Dor party because il has ceased to
be an organization capable OF any
good, and what remains of it is
about to be perverted into petty
obstacle to the success Of the only
practicable effort now making to
advance our principles. | have no
desire to join any other party, but
as firm believer in the doctrine
enunciated in Progress and Pow
erty," and <as an individual who
feels it his duty to help the better
cause to win, | intend to embrace
every opportunity open to me to aid
in the reelection of Grover Cleve-
land to the presidency, not because
he is democrat, but because he is
right. He has forced the tariff is
sue into politics and put himself
and his party on the right side of
that question, and those who agree
with him ought to stand by him
ought to stand by him and help re-
elect him, instead of passively con-
senting to the only alternative-the
election of protectionist.
There are doubtless thousands of
those with whom 1 have voted dur
ing the past two years who hold
views similar to those | have just
expressed as to our present duty. Is
there not some way in which we can
still act together in performing that
duty. VIM T. CRoAsDALE.