Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-10-19
The Republican Revolt.

Rev. DR.. Culyer, an eminent divine
and a Republican comes out in the
in the Evangelist, against the Chicago
free whisky platform. He says;
"I claim the privilege, as an old
fashioned Lincolnite Republican, to
enter my earnest protest against its
reactionary plank on the most con-
troverted question of the hour In
1884 the Republican Convention wise
ly declared in favor of the revision of
the tariff and the reduction of the
enormous and dangerous surplus
But this years convention has strange
ly declared in favor of the practical
maintenance of the present exorbitant
and oppressive war tariff, ana m order
to provide against the accumulation
of a surplus, it suggests a repeal of
the taxes on whisky and tobacco!
Instead of taking off the burdens from
necessaries OF life, it would give us
free pipes and free whisky!
Six months ago Mr.. Blaine, in his
so-called message from Paris" very
sagaciously said: al would not advise
the repeal of the whisky tax. There
is moral side to it. To cheaper the
price of whiskey is to increase its con-
sumption enormously. There would
be no sense in urging the reform
wrought by high license in many
States, if the National Government
neutralizes the good effect by making
whisky within reach of every one at
20 cents gallon. 1t would destroy
high license at once in all the States"
Very true, Mr.. Blaine; and it would
bring in a carnival of Belzebub and
Bacchus al over the land.
l am not the only dissenter against
the extreme high tariff heresies of the
late convention. Many of the most
powerful Republican journals are pro-
testing against them, and such staunch
and thoughtful Republicans as ex-
Mayor Seth Low and Rev. DR.. Storrs,
and many others of our Brooklyn
citizens, are in open revolt against
them. DR.. Storrs said to me yester-
day that as he could not turn Demo
crat, he should initiate Sambo in the
story and take to the woods If all
of us Republicans who are opposed to
free trade and free whisky, and yet
are strenuously in favor of reducing
the present outrageously oppressive
tariff, should follow the example of
DR.. Storrs, the woods will be pretty
full by next November. The immense
surplus in the National Treasury is
fraught with increasing evils and
dangers. There is growing discon-
tent among the intelligent working
classes with high taxes ON the neces-
saries of life. The many are now
burdened for the benefit of few. 1t
is in the power of the Republicans in
the present Congress to correct immed-
lately many of the unjust features Of
this ordious war tariff, if they, will set
absolutely and bodily about it. They
will thus spike the guns of the free
traders. They will neutralize the un-
happy effect of that pronunciamento
in favor of free whisky as an alterna-
tive. They will prevent a political
cyclone that will gather volume as the
season rolls on. This is a question
that concerns both the financial sta.
bility and the public morality of the
nation. For party politics in the mar
row sense care but little; for princi.
pies that alone can make parties effec-
tive for the public veal, 1 care great
deal. Thirty years ago l used my
tongue and pen zealously for the Re.
publican party in its early conflicts
with the monster of chattle slavery.
Its name and fame are dear to me
and l trust that it may not become
itself enslaved to the reactionary rule
of those who would build up monopo.
lies at the expense of the great mass
OF the people. AS this is question Of
absorbing interest, and touches great
moral issues, do not hesitate to dis