Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-30
TARIFF REFORM.
Great Speech by Hon. W. s.
HerndOn.
EXCESSIVE TAXES UNJUST.
Wages Are Not Made Better and Ne
cessities Are Made Dearer by
the War Schedule.

s. Herndon, of Texas, reported in full by
Moye G. Norton as delivered before a
mass meeting of the people of Los Ange'
les city on Tuesday evening, September
25, 1888. Mr.. Herndon, upon being
presented to the audience, spoke as
follows:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLE
MEN AT the request of the Democrats
OF your city, have consented to address
you on this occasion upon the issues
which are being submitted to the judg-
ment of the people by the two great
political parties. The platforms which
announce the policies and principles for
which they contend have been promul-
gated. The candidates, in accepting the
high trusts confded to them by their re-
spective parties, have outlined the
policies which will control their execu-
tive action in the event Of success. The
issues are simple and clearly defined
and are submitted to the great American
jury of voters. In the exercise of their
most important civic right, they will
solemn,y proclaim to the world, on the
7th day of November, the name of that
party to which they will entrust the con-
troll and destiny Of the Government for
the period of four years. The Demo
cracy, true to it's faith in the virtue and
intelligence OF the great mass of the peo-
pie, await their favorable verdict with
the most enthusiastic confidence.
l shall not abuse your patience by dis
cussing the claims Of other parties upon
the sutfrages of the people, for the OBJ,
vlous reason that the one or the other OF
the two great parties will administer the
affairs of the Government for the ensu-
ing four years. propose to confne
myself on this occasion to the discussion
of the single question of the Tariff and
its relations to labor and taxation. The
subject, "Protection for the sake of pro-
tection," have heretofore discussed. a
partial report of which appeared in the
HERALD, of this city. do not deem it
necessary to discuss that phase of the
tariff question again tonight. Then,
ask your indulgence while l present to
you, from Democratic standpoint, the
question of Moderate Taxation against
High Taxation" This is the issue raised
by the Mills bill, of which you have
heard SO much during the canvass. The
Mills bill, approved by a Democratic Pres
ident, endorsed by the National Demo
cratic Convention, and passed by a Demo-
cratic House of Representatives embod-
les the views and convictions of the
Democratic party upon the financial
policy which ought to be applied to the
administration of the affairs of the Gov
ernment under the authority of the Con-
stitution. The Mills bill is responsive
to the exigency of the financial condition
of the country. 1t is the specific remedy
which will give prompt and efficacious
relief to the congested Treasury, and will
prevent that financial disaster which an
increasing surplus of money withdrawn
from circulation threatens to the welfare
and prosperity of the country. 1t is pre-
sented to tax-ridden people by trium-
phant Democracy to attest the good faith
and sincerity with which it made it's plat
form pledges, if entrusted with power, to
reform the vicious tariff legislation and to
carry theGovernmentb back to those simple
Democratic methods under which it
prospered for 80 many years. The issues
which were born of gigantic civil war
have been settled forever; and that
party which seeks to control the affairs
of the Government must win the sup
port and confidence of the people by the
presentation Of issues, policies and prin-
ciples which will assure the future pros
perity of the country.
The object and purpose of the Mills
bill is tersely stated by MIR. Carlisle to
be: "To reduce both revenue and taxa
ton at the same time, to abolish duties
on the necessaries of life and on raw
materials, and to simplify the taxes" "
The Democratic party seeks to vindicate
its right to control the Government by the
advocacy of the economic, financial prin-
ciples embodied in this tariff measure.
While the Republican party is forced to
admit that some prompt legislation is
necessary to avert financial disaster, il
vehemently opposes the Mills Bill, for
the reason that it is q covert attack upon
the high protective tariff system under
whose benefcent influence the country
has prospered for so many years. 1t is
seriously asserted that any concession to
the tariff reform policy will surely result
disastrously to the industrial and COM
mercial interests OF the country-that
the passage of this obnoxious measure
will disturb the amicable relations be.
tween labor and capital and will effect
the value of the products of the field,
the farm, the mine, the forest and the
factories. In it's desperate struggle for
supremacy, the Republican party ap
peals frantically to the cupidity of the
protected manufacturer, and relies con.
fdently upon the stupidity of the laborer.
President Cleveland felicitously ex.
pressed the situation of the hour when
he said: "We are confronted with a con.
dition-not theory" The Govern.
ment, after meeting it's current expenses
and dischargipg every pecuniary obliga
ton, has a surplus in the vaults of the
Treasury of 14O millions of dollars, which
have been subtracted from the volume
of money by means of which the bust
ness OF the country is transacted, under
the operation of the present tariff legis
.lation. The surplus is being increased
at the rate of about ten millions of dol
lars every month. 1t is manifest tc
every mind that the business interest
of the country demands some appropri
ate legislation by which the enormous
surplus may be legally restored
to circulation. The average tariff rate
now in force is $47.l0 on the 500 of i'm
ports. The Mills bill proposes reduc.
ton of $4.5l on the 500, leaving the
average rate at $42.49. Then, the ques
tioh raised by the measure, and upon
which the two parties are on issue, is the
propriety of making this conservative re-
Z form of the tariff. The Republican party