The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-10-19
Is FREE TRADE WANTED?
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION WHICH
EVERY VOTER MUST ANSWER.


prcssions which Are Of vital Import
ancc TO Every Man Who WIN Casts q
Ballot I'm November.
In political contest so important to all
tho people Of this country and affecting 80
closely and patiently the financial policy
OF the nation and consequently the ma.
terial interests of its citizens, every voter
should clearly understand, the positions
occupied by the parties asking his sup
port Fortunately there. Is but one con-
troverted fact regarding their positions
the attitude of the Democracy. The Issue
Is squarely one of taxation and may be
concisely stated thus How shall the gov.
eminent collect the revenues for its sup
port? The Republican party says by the
imposition Of protective duties upon i'm
ported articles which compete with those
Of home production. 1t Is unreservedly
for protection to home industries.
What Is the position of the Democracy?
Is II q free trade partyf These arc ques-
tions Of vital Importance and should be
explicitly and honestly answered by each
voter before he casts his ballot for or
against the policy which that party rep
resents. For the purpose of showing ex-
actly what Is the attitude Of the Democ.
racy. we will submit the declarations Of
the party in its national conventions, the
latest act of the party in congress, and
the expressions of it's leaders and OF I'M
prejudiced foreigners. II from such
sources the unbiased truth cannot be dis
covered then 1t is understandable.
In 1856 the national platform Of the
Democratic party said: 1.-THE time has
come for the people of the United States
to declare themselves in favor Of progress
sive free trade throughout tho world"
In 1860 the platform of 1855 was re.
affirmed In 1864 no declaration was
made upon the tariff. In 1868 the plat
form was tariff for revenue with Incl.
dental protection" In 1872 the party
recognized that there were "honest but
irreconcilable differences with regard to
the respective systems Of protection and
free trade" and remitted tho discussion
Of the question TO tho congressional dis
tricts.
In 1876 tho tariff plank was: 1--WE de-
mand that all custom house taxation
shall DO only for revenue"
And in 1880 it repeated this saying:
"A tariff for revenue only"
In 1884 the phraseology was again varied
although the meaning was not changed.
The gist of the tariff plank was in these
words: 1--WE demand that Federal taxa
ton shall be exclusively for public pur-
poses and shall not exceed the needs of
the government economically admins
tered"
In the platform of 1883 there is no spe.
cifc declaration upon the tariff, but the
presidents message and the Mills bill are
Endorsed and thus become tho present
tariff platform of the party.
Tho nolicv nnnoupca1 nv fha y,reeidepf
and adopted by tho Democratic conven-
ton is very plain. There is, the president
says, surplus this year of $4,000, 900.
This must be got rid of by reducing taxa
ton, and as he declines to touch the in
ternal revenue the reduction must be
made in customs duties which amount to
$217, 900, 900. OF this sum $42 900, 900 is
derived from luxuries which it is not pro-
posed to touch. OF tho balance $58, 000,-
900 comes from sugar, and this item Is not
reduced above 81. 900, 900 by the Mills
bill, adopting Democratic figures. There
remains balance of $117 900, 900 customs
duties upon which the reduction Of the
surplus must be made. and, by the figures
of Mr.. Cleveland and his party, there re-
mains q surplus of $102, 000, 000 1t istoo
plain for argument that reduction Of
$10S, 000, 900 upon duties only $15 ZOO. 900
larger is free trade. But this is the in
evitable logic Of the presidents message.
The other article in tho tariff creed Is
the Mills bill, which Is much less radical
than the presidents recommendations,
although still in the direction Of free
trade. The reason why it is less radical
Is naively explained by Mr.. Mills, who
admits that it is crude and unsatisfac-
tory, but the best that would pass It Is
Dot the ideal Democratic measure, but
merely beginning-the first move in on
attempt to carry out the ideas Mr. Cleve-
land expresses. It has free wool, which
The Philadelphia Times two years ago
said meant free trade. and the general
trend of the bill is clearly in that direc-
ton.
Such, in brief, are the official declara-
lions of the Democracy and the positive
act of the party in congress.
But there arc clearer expressions than
that. Mr.. Cleveland, the candidate and
leader of the party. refers to the present
protective tariff as vicious, inequitable
and illogical source of unnecessary taxa.
ton" Henry Watterson, the boldest Of
the so called tariff reformers, and whose
party standing is shown by the fact that
he was this year the chairman of the COM
mittee on resolutions in tho national con-
vention, says: 1.-The Democratic party is
o free trade party or nothing" Roger Q.
Mills, author of the bill which that con
vcntion indorses, states II desire free
trade and will not help to perfect any law
that stands In the way of it." In this
connection the significant facts may be
stated that two members of Clevelands
cabinet are likewise members Of tho IA
nous Golden club, England's most noted
FREQ trade organization. aud ex-Secretary
Lamar, now on the supreme bench, is
also member, as arc the author of the
Mills bill and the chairman of the COM
mittee that formulated tho Democratic
platform of 1883.
With such indubitablo evidence from
sources distinctly official and all friendly
to tho Democracy, how can any sano man
say that the Democratic party is not
clearly and unequivocally free trade
partyf To hold that it Is not one must
falsify it's record for thirty years, must
nullify the plain terms Of the presidents
message and give the lie direct to tho
British sympathizers with the Democracy
who, knowing exactly what free trade is,
80, 4l,a ,,,o.sa..o xyh;cl, 10 n{3,;o1Iv IN