The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-07-19
Comparing the Platforms.
ONE MEANS PROTECTION. TIE OTHER FREE
TRADE.

ONE MEANS PROTECTION. TIE OTHER FREr
| TRADE.
Now that the platforms of both parties art
before the country, we can compare them, and
| see exactly what each one means. The Bul
| ieiin and its readers are. of course, interested
mainly in the tariff plankS, and to these we
shall confinc ourselves. The plank of the
| Republican platform starts out with these
words: I'VE are uncompromi>ngly in favor
! of the American system of Protection Sure
! ly these words need no explanation. Their
| meaning is apparent to everyone. Not les
! clear are the following sentences: "We de-
| nounce the Mills bill AS destructive to the gener-
I'll business. labor and farming interests of the
| country I'VE condemn the pro-
| position of the Democratic party to place
wool on the free list, anG we insist that the
duties thereon shall be adjusted and maintained
| 80 rs to furnish full and adequate protection to
that industry The whole plank. together
with The condemnation of the Internal Revenue
taxes. Is 50 ont>poken and plain that it requires
no Key to nnraNe its meaning. 1t speaks for
itself, and can easily be understood. 1t means
! Protection and all that the word implies.
| On the other hand, what meaning are we to
gather from the Democratic plank: To be sure
! it would at first seem almost impossible to ar
rive at any definite conclusion as to what it
really does mean. especially when we find the
Democratic press OF the country giving it at
least three distinct interpretations. In short,
it is what is known Il stra,i,lle. aud >tupend-
ou> one at that. And yet. on looking at it close
y and carefully, il is not SO difficult to under
stand its real meaning. In the first place the
plat form indorScs the Presidents message as
the Interpretation of the platform of 1854. and
re-aiiirms that platform. The Bulletin, in COM
mon with many other journals. has shown most
c0ncliiSivelv that the Presidents message was
4 strong plea for Froe-Trade. Consequently
the Democratic platform when analyZed is
found to contain Il tariff plank that means Free
I'm hp tinn wi Eisl 4, ,tu,lf
platform went farther. and attached an annex
10 its declaration in the shape of a resolution
ndorSiny The Mills bill. Now, let us examine
some Of he features of the Mills bill
1t places the products of American industries
which have been protected, in some eases for
fifty OF sixty years. upon the free list. Among
the articles which this bill makes free are TIM
Der. hcwn and sawed, squared or sided, UNI
manufactured wood. planks. hubs for wheels,
slaves of wood. pickcts. palngS, laths, shingles,
clapboard> and Il dozen other specified articles
whir are now tiiti;.ble. Does this not mean
Free-Truc:
TIE MILLS bill proposes to put salt on the free
list, straw and flax dressed and not dress
cd on the free list. Also tow. hemp, MANILA.
and other substitutes for hemp. jute butts. jute
gum. >>al grass, and other vegetable iihreS.
Also certain manufactures of these substances,
including machinery used in the manufacture
of ittc. ! Ibis i not Frce-Trade. what is it
The Mills bill proposes to cripple our sheet
iron business by putting on the free list mot
re,lucin9 the luty) Iron or steel sheets. or
/ plates OF taggcr> iron. coated with tin. Also,
TO ohlige the Southern cotton planters. it pro-
poses tn put iron and stcr! cotton ties or hoops
on the free list. What is this but Free Trade
The Mills bill proposes 10 strike Il deadly
| blow at our chemical industries, employing 40
600 people. by putting on the free list glycerine,
indigo, iodine. alumina, boracic acid, potash
| choratc of potash. nitrate of potash. >uIphate
Of potash, soda. coal tar products of all kinds,
essential oils. and great variety of ol:cr arti-
rle>. all produced in this country. and all OF
/ which we should manufacture at home. Can
| this be anythin. else but Free Trade:
! The Mills bill proposes 10 cripple American
mining by putting on the free list Il great varc-
| Il OF earth> and clays. including china clay
| and r&>oline. also copper ore. chromate of iron
| or chronic ore. bricks, and Il variety of other
passes persons in these industries will hay,
| thclr wages reduced and many of them will bt
| thrown out Of work. Who will deny that this
| is Free-Tradc:
The Mills bill then turns from the busy in
! du-Triai centres of the East to the prosperous
orchards and vineyards of California. and by
! it~ provisions proposes to blight and destroy
| die growing fruit interests of the Pacific coast
! Absolute i'rec-Trade, says this vicious bill, for
| your dates. your plumS. your pruncs. your cur
! rants your figs, and other products. Under
the fostering care of Protective Tariff the
| fruit Interests of California have grown and
! thriNch. and unless this Democratic measure
| becomes Il law the time is not far distant when
| We shall have cheaper and better fruit of all
| kinds than any country in the world These
nave all been put upon the free list l. This i,
| not Free Trade, what is Free Trade:
| Nor is this all. There are a score or more OF
other articles. to say nothing of wool. of mar
Die of all kinds. of wood pulp and other pro-
| ducts which thousands of American wage-earn
cr> are engaged in producing. In short. the
measure is n Free Trade bill prepared by Free
Traders. This bill is indorseI by the Convcn
! tiun which framed a tariff plank indor>ing TIL,
| Presidents Free Trade message. There is ne
Trade. The Republican platform says ant
means Protection. The time is near at hant
when every voter must support one or the 9th
cr There is no such thing as dodgin" the is
sue 1t is Frcc-Trade or Protection. ITarif
| l.ca@l!e Bulletin.