Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-08-10
Froe Trade vs. free yvhtsky.


"a quOndam republican who cannot 90 the
Chicago PLATFORM" writes to the Wisconsin
and asks:
CHOW does the exaggerated free whisky
accusation brought against the republican
party by democrats, di9fer in the degree of its
injustice from the free trade accusation
lodged against the democrat party by repub-
licans''
at is poor rule that doesn't work both
ways this correspondent suggests. and ADDS:
''If in partisan language, the democrats who
favor a reduction of the tariff may be desg-
mated free traders republicans who favor
reduction Of the tobacco and LIQUOR tax may
equally be designated the party OF free
whisky "
Here is a fundamental discrepancy which
the Wisconsin, viii try to point out:
If President Cleveland December message
may be taken to define the attitude OF his
party, the ultimate aim of democratic legisla-
ton, to be attained with reasonable expedi-
ton, is the establishment of the principle and
practice OF free trade. To that ultimate aim
tariff revision such as is proposed in the Mills
bill, is and is intended to be, only a stepping
stone to be used and left behind. As a means
to the end aimed at and as an essential part
of that end, the principle of protection for
protectors sake, is to be rooted out and
destroyed. The goal of democratic legisla-
ton, clearly intimaJed in the message Of
the president which his party has accepted and
Endorsed, is the practical realization in the
United States of the British heresy of free
trade. To call the party anything else than
the party of free trade therefore, would be to
come short Of defining its true intent.
But this attitude of the democratic party
is not even remotely paraueled when placed
against the attitude of the republican party
in its relation to the whisky tax. AS the pur-
pose Is to defend and maintain the policy and
practice Of judiciOus protection to American
industries According to the declaration of
their Chicago platform, the republicans, in
order to reduce revenues and abate a needless
treasury surplus, are pledged to a repeal Of
the tobacco tax: to repeal of the tax on spir-
irts employed in the ART and manufactures; ;
to a retention Of present duties on such i'm
pOrtatiOns as directly compete with the pro-
ducts Of American mOnsGrOsities; 10 an abOli-
tiOn all the duties on all such imported arti-
cLes, except luXuries, as are not or cannot be
produced in this country. By these means
any Of them or all of them in the order nam
ed, as may be needful-the republican party
would reduce government income, and II after
all these means had been employed there
we're still need to further reduce federal rev
enues tnen, but not before, the republican
party would abolish the internal revenue
tax on whisky rather than sbate the protect
i've tariff imposed for projections sake and re-
quired tOmainIain the prosper. ty of American
industries
The democratic party subOrdinates all else
to the overthrow of prot ected interests and
the establishment of free trade as its distinct
aim; the republican party subOrdinates all
else ITO the maintenance of its benefceut
American policy OF protection and rather than
modify that policy to the injury of American
Workingmen, it would even consent were
all internal revenue taxes.
Even men less 1air-miHded than our ''quOu-
dam republican" must be able TO see this dis
tinctiOn. Milwaukee Wisconsin.