The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-01-07
ABUSE NOT ARGUMENT.
lFrom the Chicago Tribune, Rep.

lrrom the Chicago Tribune, Rep.J
= The question of reducing the 100
million surplus revenue and CORRECTING
the Irregularities of the tariff, as pIede.
ed in the republican platform of 1884.
has now been sufficiently discussed
among the republican papers of the
country to permit an estimate of pubJic
opinion as reflected by them. we are
surprised to find among them a con-
siderable number of small concerus
(not yet out of the horn-books of nol;ti.
ical economy which are hostile TO the
republican platforms policy of redncS
ing the war taxes, and to the Tribune
for advocating it. These unreasonin@
little organs are disposed to be captions
and snarling i'm their comments, even
to the extent OF assuming the papaI
functions of accommodation and
reading the Tribune out of the party.
Among all these critics, however,
whether they write in good or bad
temper, whether they are prejudiced or
unprejudiced, we have not found one
that deals with the question fairly or
logically, or that shows by even plaus-
ible arguments that there is no necessi-
ty for reduction; not one that demon
strates from facts and figures that the
tariff cannot be properly, justly and
beneficially reduced; not one that
proves it has the right to violate the
pledge made in the republican platform
OF 1854, or that that pledge was given
to be violated. We have not found one
republican editor who has given any
reason why these enormous war taxes
on the necessities of life should be con.
tlnued, or why they cannot be safely
reduced, or why the reduction cannot
be properly adjusted so that the tariff
should still be high enough as q pro-
tective measure. Not one has shown
that reasonable reduction would be
any damage TO legitimate manufacture
ing Interests, or that consumers ought
to keep on paying these war taxes
when their necessity for revenue has
ceased. We have scanned all the little
thick-and-thin tariff papers to ascertain
If any one of them could seriously xrgue
that $l0O, ,OO0, 900 Of unnecessary taxes
should be collected merely to be squan-
dered; that but for the war of the re-
bell,on there would have been any such
tariff as we have now or any necessity
Tor it; or that sixty million consumers
have not the right to demand relief
from wantOn and tyrannical taxation
-on the necesssrIes of life for the benefit
of millionaire monopolists.
We submit therefore, as matter of
common propriety aud decency, these
small critics should set forth their
reasons or be quiet. They have no
right to assail the position of President
Arthur and emphasized by the r9pub-
lican national convention of 1884, un-
less they have ample and valid cause.
Ii they have any reasons for SO doing,
will they not kindly state them and
send us marked copies, 30 that the
Tribune may discover the error of its
WaysT--Mill they further show us how
tney expect tno-f.syty to win with to.
bacco on the free list, w.. haif IN.
soldiers pension fund destroyed, ~.;S-
the war taxes continued, and where
they expect to count upon new votes.
unless it be democratic votes in Massa-
chusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio,
where they are not needed? They
have much to say about the votes of
workingmen, but they will kindly
remember that Henry George got
70, 900 votes In New York City on o
platform of absolute free trade, with
land tax on top of IL; that here in
Cook county 25 900 votes of working
men were polled on platform in favor
of abolishing the war taxes on the
necessities OF Life; that the recent
gathering OF Knights of Labor at
Minneapolis not only refused to adopt
any resolution favoring the continuance
of these taxes, but placed it squarely on
the platform of the farmers of that state
demanding relief If the little editors
cannot get the vote of the farmers all
over the great west or of the working
men all over the country, what are
are they going to do2
The Chicago Tribune stands where
it has always stood-right in the mid
die of the republican congregation
and plainly states the reasons why ii
abides by the republican creed, the
principal doctrines of which are the,
republican tariff reduction of 1857, the
reduction made in 1888, and the pledge
made in 1884 to reduce the tariff still
further. In the curt language OF
| General Mcmahon: "J suis; .i'y
reste." The Tribune is here and stays
and tells the reason why. Would it
not be well for its little critics, before
piping ont any further treble excom-
munications, to take their bearings and
see where they are, lest they 60 upon
the rocks and are dashed to piecess