The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-07-13
The doctors pisa gree.


Garfield, but wise counsel prevailed and the
controversy was nipped in the bud.
The Doctors Disagree.
HisJase, that the Presidents message is a
free trade document, !or that it squints toward
free trade. 1t simply urges the solitary PROPOSE
ton of tariff reduction, affirming that with our
large national debt continued tariff taxation is an
IT'S Jalse that the Mills bin is free trade meas
ure, or that 1t lends any countenance to the free
excessive revenues to the economical conduct Of
the government; making only a reduction OF tariff
rates from an average OF AZ per cent. to an aver
Il Is false, that the Democratic National Plat
form contains a line or word that can De con-
strued into a declaration in favor of free trade
1t simply declares in favor of tariff reduction, in
harmony with the recommendation of the Presi-
Mills bill.-New Age.
As regards the first of the above PROPOSE
tons we cite the New Age first to recent
editorial in the London Times, which in the
course of a comment on President Cleye-
lands message uses this language:
SIT would be hardly possible to put the free
trade case more clearly or more strongly. The
arguments which President Cleveland uses are
those which MIR. Golden used to employ forty-five
would employ now. They are purely free trade
arguments, and as such we are very glad to see
Mr.. Cleveland using them, though sorry for the
popular infatuati0n which makes it dangerous to
give them their right name" ~ 49,,
Next we call the New Ages attention to the
comments of the London Daily News on the
same message as follows:
He president Clevelandl discusses the prInci-
ples at issue in the struggle and shows that he is
Free Trade candidate in everything but name.
The reservation is an important one for American
party purposes. e.-. t~t-
Next we cite the New Age to the language
Of the Hon. William l.. Putnam used in his
speech to the Democracy last week, which
the Age publishes in full and commends
After quoting the declaration Of principles
Of the Democratic convention at st. Louis
Mr.. Putnam said: Qua
Out of this creed has sprung that brave message
Of the President OF the United States which
forced the country to the consideration Of the
great question OF tariff reform.
Did Mr.. Putnam mean by Tariff Reform
simply reduction in the amount of protec-
ton of our industries, or did he understand
by it the ultimate abolition of the protective
system? IL he meant the former then his
criticism would naturally have been Of the
manner in which the system was being adj
ministered. II the latter then his criticism
would have been of the system. Here is
what he said
Now so far as this tariff which they call a pro-
tectiye tariff, is concerned, know OF no man, 1
have not heard, or read the remarks of any Re-
publican politician, who maintains that it is based
upon correct principles. i have yet to see the
claim that 1t Is In harmony with republican form
Of government whose normal condition demands
see that these gentlemen anywhere appeal to any
which they cali protection. Their entire argu-
ment is the economic argument. They array be-
fore you great mass Of statistics. and say this
tariff directly benefits the industries with refer
ence to which this enormous taxation is laid-that
others.
Wen, my friends, when they make this claim it
The normal condition Of a great and free people
Is relief from taxation, and when man claims to
ram a1 you and tells you that the money he takes
SAppiause9 say, gentlemen, they cannot prove
i, but the reverse can be proved. Ofcourse there
are certain minor industries that have thriven,
peen built up by the present system OF taxation !;
but am speaking of the matter at large, with re,
WITH 10 Ine genera good OF the Industries not
wealth who can always increase it under abnor-
NAL conditions of the country caused by extraor
speaking Of the general good Of the industries the
good Of the capitalists and the good Of the me
chanic and laborer who assist him.
This, the Age viii observe, is an attack
upon the protective system, not criticism
of the manner in which it had been admins
tered. Now if the purpose of the Democracy
Is TO retain this system then in Mr.. Putnam's
opinion they are going to retain very bad
system, system which he thinks enriches
the few at the expense of the many; and is
little better than legalized robbery If Mr..
Putnam believes this to abe their purpose
then the only question before the people is
how to best administer very bad system
and he neglected to discuss this question at
at all. But the reductio ad absurd,um pro-
cess is not necessary to show what Mr.. Put
nam regarded as the issue of the campaign.
He is gentleman Of honesty and courage
and he made 1t perfectly clear that the issue
OF the campaign was in his opinion between
two systems-protection and tariff for reve-
nue. only, and as he declared that the issue
was raised by President Cleveland's message
1t follows that he must believe that that
message squints toward free trade or tariff
for revenue only which is practically the
same thing.
AS to the New Ages second proposition
that the Mills bill is not a free trade meas
ure and LENDS no countenance to free
trade we cite letter from the Hon. Charles
K. Allen, Democratic candidate for Congress
from the Second district, which appeared in
the Argus last month. Mr.. Allen avows
himself in that letter free trader, and
speaking Of the Mills bill he says:
So, while the Mills bin Is far from what we
hope TO- achieve, we may support the measure
without being inconsistent
Now If the sole purpose of the Mills bill
was to alter the administration of the protec-
tive system, if 1t did not squirt toward its de-
struction obviously no free trader could con-
sistently support it. The reason Mr.. Allen.
and gentlemen of his views, can support it
is because it is step in the direction of the
goal Of free trade
As to the third proposition, that there Is
not line in the Democratic platform that
can be construed in the direction of free
trade. 1t is only necessary to say that by or
der of the convention itself that platform, or
so much of it as relates to the tariff, is to be
construed in accordance with the Presidents
message If that squints towards free trade
then the platform necessarily must squint
that way also.
If then 1t is false that the Presidents mes
sage does not squint toward free trade; IL it
is false that the Mills hill lends no counte-
nance to the free trade theory, it would seem
to follow that such able journals as the Lon
don Times and the London News, which are
thoroughly familiar with free trade argu-
ments. have been grossly deceived by it, and
that such able Democrats as the Hon. Will
liam L. Putnam and the Hon. Charles e.
Allen have been guilty of most woeful blum
dering. The New Age should turn its bat
teries on these gentlemen Immediately and
silence them before they have done the
cause they are processing to espouse-the
cause of the Democratic party-irreparable
injury.