Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-10
Views of q Republican Manu-.
facturer.


Mr.. Moses Lyman, prominent Re-
publican manufacturer, aud Vice-Presi-
dent of the Harrison and Morton Club,
following to the Waverly Advocate, one
of the strongest Republican newspapers
in that section of New York State
Mr.. EDIroR-Will you allow one who
does not believe in the platform
the Republicans adopted at Chicago
in June little time and space ?
This campaign has been heralded as one
of "cold facts" not personal abuse; OF
business and economic principles, no.
buncombe and the cry Of "wolf, wolf l"-|
as old as Esop. The tariff is the issue
on which the two great parties Join battle
in November, and it is great pity the
whole country cannot be canvassed by
speakers as Illinois was in the Senator
ial contest between Lincoln and
Douglass, each arguing his case before
that great jury, the people, and so educat-
ing them on the most vital and import
ant questions OF the day. Lincoln
would speak for an hour and then Doug
lass would answer for an hour. Next
dav the order was reversed; but the
great Western crowds heard both sides
and formed intelligent judgment. Cam
paign lies were mailed" before they got
cold in this way sophistry was quickly
unmasked, and the CRY of "wolf" scared
no one. This is just what the people of
the whole United States need now, and
it is Just what they are least likely to
get.
In common with thousands of Repub.
licans, especially in the East and North
west. am looking to the Senate now for
bill regulating and reducing the tariff
which shall be better than the Mills bill
and which shall become law. If the
Senate, like the House, does nothing
but act the part of dog in the manger-
neither present lines of their own, along
which the great surplus may be reduced
and taxation lessened, and the tariff
reformed, nor allow the party in power
to do this in their own way-then, in my
judgment, they will lose thousands of
intelligent Republican votes in Novem-
ber and will court and deserve defeat
believe in the tariff doctrine of Grant,
Garfield and Arthur, and largely that OF
President Cleveland, which was good
Republican doctrine in those days.
When the war came, and several years
before it, our average rate of tariff duty
was from 10 to % per cent. With the
war and our expenses mounting up to
81 900, 900 day, the tariff was raised.
What for? Not protection to the laborer
or manufacturer by great odds, but to get
money from the laborer, the manufac-
turer, the importer and everybody to
carry on the war. Internal taxes were
laid, like the income tax, the stamp tax,
as on bank checks, matches, medicines
and most everything, and the peo-
pie cheerfully bore all to save
the nation. When the war closed,
internal revenue taxes were steadily |
removed till those on whisky and to- |
bacco only remained, but the tariff duties |
exacted are substantially the same as in |
the days of the war. They now average
about Al per cent, and we have surplus |
OF money collected from the people that
we have no legitimate use for, amount |
ing to over $l25 ,000,0 900. The Mills bill
proposes to reduce these taxes in the |
way of tariff to about 40 per cent, and to
put on the free list many articles of raw
material on which the manu- acturers of
the country now have to pay duty. In
common with thousands of others be-
lieve this removal OF tax from
raw material will cheaper pro-
duction, help industry and benefit
everybody in this country. The
Mills bill is far from perfect, and
has some glaring Inconsistencies but
what have the Republicans in Congress
offered better? Not thing! They
have simply sat there, month after
month, obstructionists S.atesmanship,
patriotism, manliness, would have led
them to frame and present a better bill
and to 60 before the country this fall
asking that their party be put into
power, not for what it had done quarter
of a century ago, but for what it offered
to-day and would accomplish the next
four years for the relief and prosperity
and progress of the country. Were 1 in |
Congress, as between the Mills bill and
the do-nothing obstruction of Repub-
licans, would vote for the Mills bill. |
Can the Republicans of the country get
anything better from the Senate than the
House has furnished? Thousands are
waiting anxiously to see.
Moses LYMAN.