The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-02-25
REPUBLICAN DISHONESTY.

There was never anything more thor
oughly dishonest in the politics of this
country than the present boisterous and
persistent attempt of the Republican press
and party leaders to make the voters be
leve that the issue presented by the Presi-
dents message and endorsed by the Dem.
ocratic party Is that of free trade CerSUS
protection. There is not one word in the
message that can be honestly construed as
even distantly favoring what the Republi-
cans mean by the terms Gree trade nor a
word that can be honestly construed as OPP
posing the principle of protection. The
President himself fOrestalled such a per
version of his meaning by distinctly dis
claiming all thought or intention of favor
ing what is popularity known as the doc
uine of free trade" as opposed to protec-
ton, and in advance stigmatised any such
effort rs dishonest "bandying Of words"
What the President did say was, that there
was then in the treasury, in spite of a
large resort during the preceding summer
to the doubtful expedient of buying gov
eminent bonds in the open market at a
high premium, surplus of $S5,OOO 900;
that the government was collecting $780,
000 600 year in excess of its needs and
he submitted the question, shall this sur
plus be spent or shall it be stopped? He
portrayed the inc, table decentralization
and corruption that must attend the eXtrav,
agant expenditure of such vast sum, and
showed that wisdom dictated that the sur
plus should be stopped But how; II
could he done by repeating the tobacco aud
whisky tax But these taxes were in the
interest of good morals and oppressed no
body There were, however, many glaring
and expressing abuses in our present tariff
system, aud he believed that, without
affecting adversely single meri'orlous in
dustry of the country, but vastly to the ben
eft of most of them, many of these abuses
could be eliminated, and especially the
free list enlarged for raw materials, the
useless tax on which was so burdensome
to 80 many of our great manufacturing in
dustries; and he gave MS Il single instance
the tax on wool, by which the great wooden
industry of this country was brought to the
verge of ruin.
This is the question and this the issue
presented by the Presidents message and
taken up by the Democratic party. Why
do not the Republicans meet it instead of
shouting tree trade?" The Republicans
know that these abuses in our tariff exist !;
John Sherman admits 1t; their last Presi-
dent and their last two secretaries of the
treasury admitted them and urged their
elimination without effect; their own
Tariff Commission recommended the same
thing, and two of their national conven-
tons promised 1t.
The honest men In their own party,
when approached individually on the sub
ject, as freely admit that our present tariff
greatly needs reform, and exactly in the
direction indicated In the Presidents mes.
sage. Thus,-among hundreds of others
that might be instanced-the Hon. Henry
w. Leman of Chicago, representative
Republican, In an interview with an at
tache of the Chicago journal, a few days
ago, when asked his views on the tariff
question, said
| favor maintaining a tariff for protec.
ton, but only where 1t is necessary to ena
BILE home Industries to thrive. think,
perhaps, some industries need no longer
the present protection, and | favor the re-
duction of the same wherever II can be
done without Gripping the existing home
industries; and this reduction should be
made on articles of necessity first. | be
lieye the protective policy has resulted in
great good 10 the country at large in the
past, but II should not be extended beyond
the limits of reason, nor should II exist at
all whenever the industries of the country
can sustain themselves without II.
This We pronounce to be sound Demo
cratic doctrine and an exact statement of