The Forrest City times., 1888-08-11
An Issue at Last

Chicsgo rmes.
 The candidate of prodigiously res ,,cct. able ancestry is himself prodiglously re- spcctable. He has respectable church connection. He has respectable practice as . railroad attorney, He has . respect. able and respected home, ils Associate
 10 rich and respectable il Is almost pro- fanation to speak of % much blue blood and treasure familsarly as Ben and the Banker" Morton is the son of clergy man. Cleveland is the son of . clergy. man. Thurman Is the son of clergyman. Harrison is the great grandson of the declaration of independence, the grandson of thirty days uccupancy bt the White house, and the son of personally un- distinguished Harrison. When the parties are thus equipped with candidates of eminent responsibility discussion may principles. Happily, too, there Is no con cealment upon the one issue before the electors of the country.
 Mfr Cleveland's candidacy fepfesehts the desire of the country for reduced tariff taxation. The effort has been made by his opponents to represent him as the advocate of free trade but his own mes sage. to which the pending Mills bill is as hearty . response as could be had in congress of many minds, is a true defni- ton of his position. That fiiessage Is tho key y-note of the Campaign. Its substance, tersely stated. is that over-taxation is producing a treasury surplus inimical to the general welfare. and that to correct this condition taxation should be reduced not by the abolition of internal taxes. which, being laid upon liquor and tobac- co, are borne without hardship. but by tho enlargement of the free list at tho custom. houses and the revision of our present tariff laws, covering over four thousand articles, some of them of prime necessity The Presidents position Is supported by an argument admirably lucid. His message should De in the hands of every elector who means intel. iigently to cast his vote in the coming presidential contest. Mir. Harrison's. candidacy represents the desire of the protects, co-ordinates of the government in the matter of taxation, to maintain if not to increase tarif taxation now averaging 47 per cent Four years ago the Republican party pledged itself to the people to correct the inequalities of the tariff. It will not now admit that the tariff has any inequalities. It is will ing that the internal tax on tobacco and on alcohol used in the arts shall be re- moved. If tho surplus continues 1t de- clarcs in favor of the abolition of the in. ternal revenue system rather than have the tariff touched
 The Democratic position that taxation shall be reduced is not combated. The issue arises on the method of reduction. The Democratic proposition is to retain the internal taxes and reduce the tariff. The Republican proposition is to abolish | the internal taxes, that Is the taxes on whisky and tobacco, and retain the tariff taxes. Stated simply the question Is; shall there be high tarif or a low tariff, heavy taxation on the neccssaries and comforts of existence or light taxation | thereonf
 How such an issue is likely to affect thoughtful electors is hlnted in the pres ent attitude of Seth Low, formerly Mayor of Brooklyn, who resigns his member | ship in local Republican organization because he cannot agree with the Repub- | lican position on the tariff. It is seen also in the declaration of George William Curtis that mo friend of a reduction of the surplus by moderating the tariff tax upon the necessaries of life and raw materials could suppoft General Harrison unless he feared grave peril from the sue | cess of Cleveland. This is an apprehen- sion, however, which. although strong | and natural in 1884, has now disappeared. Mir Cleveland made his own platform in his message. and there has been nothing | in his administration which has alarmed the business interests of the country. General Harrison appears in the canvass | as the representative of high and higher protection and of free whisky and tobacco rather than of . lighter duty upon any class of articles produced in this country" Except as it bears upon the present contention the history of parties has logically nothing to do with its settle ment. The question ought to be determ- ined upon it's merits. Electors who be- long to 8 party will vote it's ticket Electors who are free and think for themselves have the true view of parties. which are means to an end, and will select that instrument which will give effect to their conviction of what is best to be done for the country.