The Forrest City times., 1888-09-15
as purchasers of tho benefits Of natural

Such combinations have always been con- demned by the Democratic party. Tho declaration of its National Convention is sincerely made, and no member of our party will be found excusing the existence or belittling the pernicions results of those devices to wrong the people. Under various names they have been punished hy tho common law for hundreds of years; and they have lost none Of their hateful features, because they have assumed the name of trusts and couspiracies
 We believe that these trusts are the natural offspring of Q market artificially restricted that an inordinately high tariff. besides furnishing the temptation for their existence, enlarges the limit within which they may operate against the people and thus increase the extent of their power for wrong doing.
 With an unalterable hatred of all such schemes we count the checkering of their baleful operations among the good results promised by revenue reform.
 While we cannot avoid partisan misrcp- resentation our position upon the question of revenue reform should be so plainly stated as to admit of no misunderstanding. We have entered upon no crusade of free trade The reform we seek to inaugurats is predicted upon the utmost care for es- abolished industry and enterprises, q jeal ous regard for the interests Of American labor and sincere desire to relieve the country from the injustice and damages of a condition which threatens evil to all the people of the land,
 REPUBLICANS AS oBsrRUcTfoNisrs.
 We are dealing with no imaginary dan. ger. Its existence has been repeatedly confessed by all political parties, and pledges of remedy have been made on all sides Yet, when in the legislative body, where, under the Constitution, all remedial measures applieabls to this subject must originate the Democratic majority we're attempting with extreme moderation, to redeem the pledge common to both parties they were met by detertninsd opposition and obstruction, and the minority refus- ing to cooperate in the House of.llepresen- tatives, or propose another remedy, have remitted the redemption of their party pledge to the doubtful power of the Sen ate.
 The people will hardly be deceived ty their abandonment of the field oi legisla- tive action to meet in political convention and hippantly declare in their party plat- form that our consereatlte and careful ei- Tort to relieve the situation is destructive to the American nystem of protectiont Nor will the people be mislead by the appeal of prejudice contained in the absurd alega- tion that we serve the interests of Europe, while they will support the interests of America.
 They propose in their platform to thus support the interests Of our country by removing the internal revenue tax from to- bacco and spirits used in the arts and for mechanical purposes. They declare also that there should be such revision oi our tariff laws as shall tend to check the importation of such articles as are pro duced here.
 Thus in proposing to increase the duties upon euch articles to neafly Of quite n prohibitory point, they confess themselves willing to travel backward in the road of civilization and to deprive our people of the markets for their goods, which can only te gained and kept by the semblance at least of an interchange of business, while they abandon our consumers to the unrestrained oppression of the domestic trusts and combinations which are in the same platform perfunetorily condemed.
 FOR THE POOR TO PONDER OVER.
 They propose, further, to release entirely from import duties all articles Of foregR production except luNuries), the like Of which cannot be produced in this country. The plain people of the land and the poor, who scarcely use articles of any deacrip- ton, produced exclusively abroad and not already free, will find it difficult to discov- CT where their interests are regarded in this proposition. They need in their hons' cheaper domestic neeessaries, and this seems to be entirely unproyided for in this proposed scheme to serve the country
 Small compensation for this negle cted need is found in the further purpose here announced and covered by the declaration that if after the changes already mentioned there still remains a larger revenue than IS required for the wants of the government, the entire internal taxation should be re 1aJ bar atarp Yt of our protective system"
 Our people ask relief from the undue and unnecessary burden of tariff taxation now resting upon them. They are offered - free tobacco and free whiskey.
 They ask for bread and they are given a stone.
 The implication contained in this party declaration that desperate measures are justified or necessary to save from destruc- tion o- surrender what Is termed our pro tective system, should confuse no one. The existence of such system is entirely consistent with the regulation Of the ex- tent to which it should be applied and the correction of its abuses.
 FREE wHIsKEY NOT THE REMEDY.
 or course in a country as great as ours, with such wonderful variety of interests, often leading in entirely different direc- tions it is difficult, if not impossible, to settle upon perfect tariff plan. But in ac- complshing the reform we have entered up- on, the .cessity of whic h is SO obvious, l believe we should not be content with a reduction of revenue involving the prohibit tion of importatious and the removal oi the internal tax upon whiskey. It can be better and more safely done within the lines of granting actual relief to the people in their means of living, and at the same time giving an impetus to our domestic enter prises and furthering our national welfare. If interpretations of our purposes and motives are to gain credence and defeat our present effort in this direction, there seems to be no reason why every en- deavor in the future to accomplish revenue reform should not be likewise attacked and with like results.
 And yet no thoughtful man can fail to see in the continuance oi the present bur den of the people and the abstraction by tho government of the currency Of the country inevitable distress and disaster. All danger will be averted by timely action. The difficulty of applying the remedy will never be less and the blame should not be laid at the door Of tho Democratic party if it is applied too late.
 With firm faith in the intelligence and patriotism in our countrymen, and rely ing upon the conviction that misrepresen- tation will not influence them, preiudics will not cloud their understanding and that menace will not intimidate them, let us urge the peoples interest and pubic duty for the vindicat ion of our attempt to inaugurate righteous and beneficen' reform. GROVER CLEVELAND.
 Writing Chinese History.
 Chinese history is compiled by per