The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-10-27
For Congress,
HERM AN STUMP,
OF HARTFORD COUNTY,
Election Tuesday, November 9Th, 1883.
The Issue.

The Democratic party occupies no new
ground, in the present campaign, on the tariff.
1t stands to-day where it ever has stood as
party, in favor of tariff for revenue with in
cidental protection-such protection to Ameri-
can industries as is incidental to the laying of
a tariff for the necessary revenue for the gov
eminent economically administered. This is
proper tariff and proper protection. More
than this is unconstitutional, and a robbery of
the people. 1t is unfair and unjust to tax one
set of men for the benefit of another; but that
is Just what protection means. From the
foundation of the government until now, we
have had no such thing as free trade, though
every tariff bill from the foundation to the
present day has always contained free list,
that is, a list of articles that were admitted
free of duty. 1t has always been the policy
of the government, except in times of actual
hostility, to raise its revenue by indirect rather
than by direct taxation. Hence the tariff,
which is nothing but an import duty or tax
levied upon goods brought into this country.
The tariff has often been changed. Sometimes
II 10 anu 1858, lut
exigencies ofthe government. But there never
has been absolute free trade, and those who
chargefree trade against the Democratic party
at the present time, know that they are guilty of
mendacity. The present tariff is higher than
any we ever had before the war, and it was
made higher to meet the increased expendi-
lures growing out Of the war. But the war
has been over for more than twenty-three
years, more than half the debt paid. and
yet war taxes are still maintained. The
present high rates are not only burden
some and oppressive to the people, but yield
nearly hundred millions of dollars per an
mum more than the government needs. The
Democrats are striving to lower these taxes
and relieve the burdens Of the people, but the
Republicans say no, that they will keep the
taxes as they are, for the benefit of labor.
How false and ridiculous their position. In
stead of labor being benefited by high taxes,
it is burdened and oppressed, and that pro-
position is as plain as the sun at noon day.
Besides, the tariff is laid chiefly upon the
necessaries of life, while articles of luxury,
such as are consumed principally by the rich,
pay but comparatively low tax. These in
qualities in the present tariff ought to be cor
rected. This is or ought to be land of equal
laws and equal rights, with no special privi-
lodges to any class of citizens over any other
class. Hence the Democrats desire to correct
these inequalities of the tariff, and give to the
poor man and the laboring man an equal
chance with therich. As the tariff now stands
the poor have not an equal chance with the
rich, and the consequence is the poor are get
ting poorer and the rich richer. While we
have few hundred millionaires and monopo-
lists, who own large protected manufactures
and corporations, the masses of the people are
fast becoming impoverished and embarrassed.
This is but the legitimate result of protect
ing the few at the expense of the many.
The Democratic party is directing all its en-
ergies to the correction of these evils, while
the Republicans are striving to perpetuate
them, warning against the best interest of the
poorer classes and of society generally. The
ballots of the people on the 9th of November
must settle the question between these con-
fcting systems. Much has been said and
written upon the subject and in the effort to
elucidate it, there may have been those who
only mystifed it, and darkened counsel by
multitude of words But the people are be-
ginning to understand it. They know that
tariff is only tax, and that this tax is paid
by the consumer of the goods on which the
tax is laid; that the tariff schedules embrace
over four thousand articles, and that taxes
are laid heaviest upon the necessaries of life,
such as articles of food and clothing and all
agricultural and mechanical implements used
by the poor, while articles of luxury used by
the rich, such as silks, laces, velvets, wines,
ribbons, iewelry, &C., are taxed comparative
" low. They know also that the wages of
labor are not regulated by the tariff, that the
countries of Europe having the highest tar
ifs pay the lowest wages. That wages are
not uniform in this country, as they would be,
if they were regulated by the tariff, for the
same tariff exists in all parts of the country,
whereas wages are higher in all the new
western states, where there are but few
protected industries, than they are in the
eastern states, where there are large protected
manufacturing establishments. The unpro-
teeted day laborers and mechanics, as rule,
are also better paid than factory operatives
This proves that wages are not advanced by
the tariff, and so far from the tariff benefit
ing the laboring man, it absolutely adds to
his burdens, increases the price of living and
makes him poorer instead of lettering his
condition. If this were not true, the laboring
man would be enjoying high wages and con-
sequent prosperity no'r, for be has had the
benefit, lift be a benefit, of a high tariff for
quarter ola century, and if it has not worked
out its beneficent results in all that time is
there any prospect that it ever will
Let the laboring man settle and fix the
negative of that proposition firmly in his own
mind, and vote for Cleveland, Thurman and
Stump and for tariff revision, revenue reform,
and more prosperous times, Then he will
realize the wisdom ofhis decision, and he and
his wife and children will reap the fruits of it
in steaaier employment, better pay, and re-
duetion in the price of the neoessaries of life.
No voter in Carroll would vote to retain