Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-30

II
the questions of reform and measures OF
relief so urgently demanded through the
many conventions, platforms and pollti-
cal parties, struggling for the con
troll of the Gov, rlment. We must 1nier
at this stage of the contest that they Will
not adopt the Mills bill, nor offer any
measure looking toward reform and re-
lief. On the contrary, that the party
will stand squarely upon the high war
tariff of SAT. 10 taxation on every 500 OF
imports, with the intention already ex-
pressed OF raising this rate go high as to
check imports.
| propose now to examine some Of the
grounds of opposition urged against the
bill in order to test the soundness and
sincerity of the Republican party in re-
sisting this measure. The first objection
made to the bill is that it is free trade
measure and framed in the interest OF
Great Britain and is intended to be
an entering wedge between the
protective system on the one hand and
lree trade on the other. 1t charges that
the Democratic party, by means OF this
measure, is conSpiring to overthrow the
protective principles and the domestic
manufacturing industries OF this country.
IL uldH DG ItDllCu Oii1t IL tllC Olll 40 al
entering wedge, as stated, it cannot be
driven without majority of the Ameri-
can people will it; and if they do so,
it will repeat an old lesson to Repub-
licans, that majorities in this country
have right to rule. Again, it may be
answered, that if the measure is intended
as conspiracy to overthrow the institu-
tions of this land and bring ruin upon
the people, that still it will be
the people, acting through lawful ma
jorities, who compass their own ruin.
1t would be we'll for Republicans to re-
member that the Democrats are in
power, and responsible for the tax laws
they enact; and that they have as much
interest in the country and are impelled
by as patriotic desires for good govern
ment as the minority party. Such
charges are not unusual with "the outs"
who amuse themselves by scolding those
in office. Again, it may be suggested
that if the Mills bill would bring the
ruin predicted for it, that it woulu open
the way very soon for seating the Repub-
licans firmly in power. In answer to
the free trade charge, will reply more
fully, because very many people are not
advised precisely OF the mean
ing OF free trade. The charge
is hardly sincere, because every
informed person knows it to be utterly
untrue! Perhaps the best reason for the
Republicans making the charge, is to
hold it out as red flag and connect it
with England, in the hope of uniting the
Irish vote against the Democratic party.
To understand free trade we
must define the tariff, as prac-
tically used in this country,
and ascertain whether or not it be tax,
and what office it is made to perform in
our Government. A tax is the sum
which the Government exacts from
every citizen for public purposes. The
object OF tax under our form of Gov
ernment is defined to be, ''for the pur-
pose of carrying on the Government in
all its machinery and operations.
A tariff for revenue only, is one so
djusted that the government shall re-
ceive all the tax paid. A tariff for re-
venue with incidental protection, is one
so framed and so adjusted as to raise all
needed revenue for public purposes, and
at the same time encourage domestic
manufacturers by fixing the rate to
cover the difference in the factory
cost of the rival articles at
h ONE and abroad, leaving both products,
to demand the usual profits, with the dif-
ference of transportation in favor of the
home article. This enables the domestic
manufacturer to compete with his foreign
does, besides the difference in his favor
of the transportation.
A tariff for protection framed under
kt,o{ {.xx ~f
one 80 adjusted as to effect a diversion
of capital and labor out OF the channels
in which they would otherwise run, and
encourage them by this artificial advan-
tage, to seek the channels created for
them by law. In effect, this system is
opposed to all revenue systems; for thu
Government collects revenue on the i'm
ports that come in, while the artificial
advantage of protection is secured only to
the extent to which imports are kept out.
What then is free trade? The only
country that has absolute free trade is
the States and Territories within the
United States. No independent sovereign
nation on the globe has such free and
unrestricted trade relations as these
States. Not dollar of revenue
is collected by our State from
the others on the vast commerce
that is exchanged. Great Britain is
called free-trade notion. But she has
tariff duty on about twenty articles of
imports, upon four of which articles,
spirits, wines, tea and tobacco, she COL
lects annually about one hundred million
of dollars. The tariff in this country of
1916, in force till 1861, levied an average
rate of duty of about twenty-three per
cent. Free trade does not mean to abol-
ish indirect taxes, destroy the custom
houses, repeal the system of levying and
collecting customs duties and to
resort to direct taxation for rev.
enue. Many loose expressions
are declaimed from the hustings
calculated to mislead and deceive the
people into the belief that the Demo-
cratic party is now attempting to foist
free trade upon the country. Then
What is free trade under the taxing
power of our Constitution? 1t ia to levy
duties on imports, so that the rate fixed
shall bring the needed revenue, but not
afford such artificial advantage to the
domestic manufacturer, as will in
duce capital and labor to abandon
other business to manufacture articles
upon which the rate is fixed. In other
words, it is the opposite of protection ;
that is, protection for the sake OF protec-
tion. BY a careful examination of these
definitions of the difficult forms of the
tariff, it will be seen that the
Democratic party is far removed
| in r,JGA