Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-07-27
AReuubl,cau Tariff Bill.

The Republicans Of the Senate have
determined to present tariff bill
IS substitute for the House bill. The
of the House generally think
that this is bad politics, as they consider
the Democratic measure presents a SUM-
cient issue for the canvass and that 1t
will be safer to assail 1t than to put |
against It Republican measure to be
assailed in turn; and they furthermore
fear that the Republicans in Congress
cannot be massed upon any definite
measure. The Senate Republicans, how.
ever, maintain that it will not do for
their party to confess Itself unable or
unwilling TO present bill for the reduc-
tion of the revenue, which Is acknowl-
edged to be greatly in xcess OF our needs.
They claim that the Republican party
has had monopoly Of tariff making for
many years and that 1t cannot afford to
hand the business over TO the Democrats.
Their policy Is certainly the honestest,
aud doubtless the wisest, il they are able
to frame measure that will command
their party's united support.
When they come to do the work,
however, we end that the first admis-
sion they must make Is that the tariff
rates on some articles Of large home
production must be reduced. They an
taaonize at once the declaration Of tho
Chicago platform In favor Of prohibi.
tory tariff upon all things produced by
home industry They have prepared tariff
bill which reduces tariff rates, as the
Mills bill does, and that therefore 1t Is as
much of q free trade measure as that
bill, though the reductions are upon diff.
ferent articles. They have applied their
knife to things produced in the South,
like cotton and rice, and do not touch
the products OF Republican states, such
as wool. Probably they construe their
party platform as not applying to the
peculiar industries Of the states
lately in rebellion. 1t Is difficult for
the Republican mind to comprehend
that the Union Is restored and that
S)uth and North are one again. Or per-
- -,AAr1e4ts->.ennsidar that the Chicago plat
care OF its own territory (; under this ides
the cotton and rice industries are fail
game for Republican gunners but it doe
seem as though their shots at then
should stop their mouths against any gen
eral declaration IL favor OF protecting
every American industry. Their plat.
form should have explicitly added the
saving clause I" that is carried on in Re.
publican states.3
The issue apparently to be framed for
this election is as to the amount of tax
that shall be taken off sugar, rice, to-
bacco, wool, spirits, and other home pro-
ductions. 1t will certainly not be an issue
OF free trade and protection, and cannot
be presented as such after the Republi.
cans have put their ideas into the definite
form Of a bill. This is the difficulty they
are in; they must either show the white
feather and confess that they fear to do
what the Democrats have successfully
done In crystalizing their various tariff
views into form In the Mills bill or they
must confess that they can find no other
way to reduce the revenus than the one
Democrats have taken of reducing the
tariff rates.
II the Senate programme is carried ont
we are promised an honest campaign,
though " be made fight between sec.
tions having different interests. The
public will have chance to be instructed
in the relative merits Of wool, sugar, rice,
tobacco and iron as objects of protection;
and will learn that the Democratic policy
Is to protect each of these home products
sufficiently but not excessively, wh.lo the
Republican idea Is to prohibit the impor-
tation of things made in Republican
states while opening wide the doors to
the products Of Democratic states.