Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-26
oBsCURING THE ISSUE.

The Democratic orators are not nearly so
courageous as their cause demands. Waile
Randall, Henley and regiment of others
refuse the plea that the Mills bill does not
mean free trade, these gentlemen declare
that the logical drift Of the Administra-
tion, leading the party, is into abstract free
trade, But the party itself has made
declaration that contradicts the present
denial In 1856, in It's national platform
adopted at Cincinnati, the Democratic
party said;
The time has come for the people of the
United States 20 declare themselves i'll favor of
progressive free trade throughout the world.
Yet Mr.. VIM. II. English, shining
light of the Democratic party, the other
day at mass meeting in indianapolis
said:
1t is absolutely and unqualidediy untrue that
the Democratic party is in favor of free trade.
The low-d0wn Republican who says this simply
lies
But Mr.. Henry Watterson, who outranks
Mr.. English in brains, and fealty to Demo-
cratic doctrine, and in political honesty,
recently declared that the St. Louis plat
form exactly reflected his view of the tariff
question expressed time and again In
his paper, the C0urier-Journai, Mr. Waiter
son in March, 1882, said
The Democratic party, except in the persons
OF imbeeiles hardly worth mentioning. is not
on the fence. It is iree-trade party or it Is
nothing. The Democrat who is not a free trader
should go elsewhere. He should join the Re-
publicans. The Democratic party will make q
ireetrade fight In 1884 If 1t loses IL will make
another IN lsSS. The conflict between free trade
and protection is irrepressible, and must be
fought out TO the bitter end. We spit upon COM
promises, and propose neither TO ask nor give
quarter.
And now, after six years of reflection,
Mr.. Watterson IN the same paper says:
If any man 7ubts what has been the position
OF the Democratic party, let him read the of
hcial utterGnces made continuously from 1850 to
1884. This record, begun in 1900 by demanding
free commerce with all nations, is followed in
1876 Dy pledge of progressive free trade, and
closes in .SS4 by the declaration that unneces-
sary taxation is unjust taxation 4 Cowards
and traitors we have had from the beginning.
but the patty has on the issue held ALWAYS TO
the principles of the Declaration of Independ-
ence, which was az much an insistance on
mans right to exchange freely as il was de-
mand for freedom of political action. BY this
record the Democratic party must stand or fall.
In 1884, Mr.. Mills, author of the tariff
bill now under fire, said
Wealth. prosperity and power viii bless the
Land that is dedicated to free men, free labor
and free trade.
In this year, when the Philadelphia
wool merchants went TO confer with Mr.
Mills, he said to them:
The more confusion the tariff works to bust
ness the better l like it, because it VIII the
sooner be done away with desire free trade
and Will not help TO perfect any law thai
stands in the way OF free trade.
These are but few of many testimonies
that might be cited of frank acknowledge
ment that the aim of the party is to estab-
lish free trade. Let the stump orators
who are going about exclaiming that the
Democratic party does not desire and labor
to engraft free trade upon the policy OF
the nation cease their denials, and
have the courage of Mills, Watterson
Hurd, Vest, Regain and other leaders o.
the Democracy. There is nothing what
ever to be gained by obscuring the issue
Let 1t be made clearly, Enthusiastically and
without any denials of intent or pretense.
of any sort whatever. There will be more
intelligent discussion, better and clearer
thought, and better and more discriminat.
ing voting if there is no concealment
made in this campaign.