Helena weekly herald., 1888-09-13
MISSTATING THE ISSUE.

The North american Rerie,o opens its
pages to the ablest exponents OF the prlncl-
pies of all parties, and the September num-
ber just at hand, contains an article by "a
Democrat" on "The Issue of 1887 1t Is
presumed that it is the best showing that
can be made by one of the abest OF the
party.
Though some notice is taken of the civil
| service reform achievements of Cleveland,
; it is evidently uphill business,
and can be answered with
a smile So of the fist al reforms, economy
| and honesty of the administration, its
land policy and achievements in the line
of diplomacy and the negot atiOns of
| treaties and maintaining the honor of the
flag and the rights of American citizens.
The administration is welcome to all the
credit its most devout admirer' can work
up into sight By the aid of the greatest
nagnifiers it can bring to bear.
The issue, the main aud controlling is
sue, is the tariff Aud on this point, Dem
ocrat" tries to make out that the Republi-
can party has taken up some new and un-
tried principle. Tariff for the sake
of protection to home industries and
interstate commerce, is charged as
something new. 1t has over and again
been shown that the first legislative
act of the first session of Congress. under
the constitution distinctly avowed this
principle. There cannot, therefore, be any
thing new in it, except to those who are
ignorant of the history of the country.
The Republicans are doing no more than
to stand by the principles of the founders
and fathers of the constitution
in imposing duties for the avowed
encouragement of home manufacturers,
diversified and multi piled industries that
shall give employment to skilled labor and
protect the workingman in the enjoyment
of more liberal scale of wages.
To reason, that duties should be abol-
ished because they are war taxas
is sheer nonsense. These same
duties existed prior to the war and
the only distinctive war taxes that we
have are the internal revenue taxes which
the Democrats insist shall not be meddled
with.
Even if there were any propriety in call
ing duties on foreign imports distinctive
war taxes, it might be well answered, why
should not these taxes continue TO be lev
led until the national debt, a creation and
legacy of the war, was wholly removed.
1t is well known that large portion,
about one-fourth of that debt, falls due in
less than three years and it will take more
than the present reported surplus to meet
it when it comes due.
This North American defender of Democ.
racy charges upon the Republicans two
utterly inconsistent purposes, first, high
prohibitory tariff, under which from the
very nature of the case, no revenues would
come at all, and second, a design to collect
large revenues for wasteful and uuneces-
sary purposes. Every one must know that
it would be necessary to reduce the duties
in order to increase the revenue therefrom.
The Republicans have in no respect
changed their position, and when the Re-
publican Senate presents its substitute for
the Mills bill the country will be so con-
vinced The Senate, unlike the House,
has been taking testimony of all parties
interested, to arrive at such rates as shall
yield simple protection that shall not
allow an established industry to be de-
stroyed or suspended, and those engaged
in it turned adrifG to idlness, want and suf
fering. Protection is definite object. 1t
is legitimate object for every government
to consider, and that government deserves
not the support of people that it neglects
to protect.
Protected Industries are no more the
subject of trust combinations than others
of which the coal oil trust, the worst of all
is a standing proof
If this article in the North American is
the best that can be said for the present
administration it certainly shows weak,
declining, losing case.