The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-08-31
Friday, Aug. 81, lSSS.
Young Men Inform Yourselves.

Young Men Inform 7 yourselves.
There is no more general complaint than
against professional politicians and bosses
deceiying the public. That the majority OF
intelligent voters are fit subjects for hum
buying by these gentlemen, is mainly
their own fault. They take no pains to in
form themselves on public questions. This
truth was never more apparent than in the
present political campaign. Although the
tariff is an old subject which has done
political duty canvass after canvass it is a
matter OF surprise how few have taken in
terest enough in the subject to gain more
than superficial {if in truth any knowl-
edge of it. By alteriug-raising and lower
ing the duty on some articles which are i'm
ported or manufactured in this country,
laborers are gravely assured that their wages
will be raised or lowered. One might sup
pose that the whole contest is for the pur-
pose of raising higher and keeping up the
wages of day laborers, and that no other
interest in the country is worth thought.
Manufacturers are just like all other men
who employ large numbers of men to do
work, they hire them for the lowest wages
possible that they can get good, competent
hands for; and when hands are scarce and
work plenty the wages raise in every de-
partment of labor. There can be no "prc-
lection" by tariff laws for labor. Supply
and demand with efficiency are the only
causes which influence the price of labor
and the man or woman Of average intelli-
gence ought to know this.
Both the leading parties are acting de-
ceptiye parts. Such representative :men in
the Democratic ..party as Carlisle, Frank
Hurd, Senator Vance, ct. al. are making
elaborate arguments or "revenue tariff and
the Mills bill which is thor
ough going protective tariff from top 10 bot
tom. The leading Republican speakers
and writers ON the other hand are shouting
like stentors that the Mills bill is a "free
trade bill pure and simple. If the dense
ignorance of the public generally was not
depended upon such contradiction and au-
dacious false representation would meyer be
made, or if attempted would be so ridiculed
as to prevent effectually repetition of
them.
Any young man who desires to unde-
stand the difference between the principles
of "a revenue tariff and protective tariff
should study carefully McXinley's Atlanta
speech. He confined his remarks to plain
and honest statement of the two principles,
carefully avoiding all extraneous matter.
Of course he contends that protective"
tariff is preferable as between the two.
That is his side, but he honestly states the
two principles. The revenue" principle
is the Democratic side of the question in
theory; and is called, by misnomer "free
trade" In point of fact there can be no alb
solutely free trade while revenue is raised
by an import duty on foreign goods, as the
constitution of the United States demands.
The Republican party, taking up the fun
principles of the old Wing party
champion protective tariff. Each party
gives what they consider weighty reasons
and make elaborate arguments in support
OF their accepted theory. This is all right
and proper if they would strive to be fair,
but they lie SO, either knowingly or ignor-
antly. The Democrats abuse protective
tariff as the most ungarnished system of
highway robbery eyer concocted, while the
tariff bill, called the Mills bill-because
Mr.. Mills is chairman..o the committee
which reported the bill in the House-is
one of highest protective tariff measure ever
before Congress, except the present tariff
and that which Immediately preceded it.
The Republicans in opposition declare
with equal vehemence that the Mills bill is
a rank free trade measure. These positions
are simply absurd and would not be enter
tanned for moment if the politicians did
moi bank on the ignorance oftheir audience,
the public. Therefore we insist.that young
men should inform themselves on the
merits of public questions in place OF beat
ing tomtoms and shouting before Office
hunting politicians.
Both parties pledge in their platforms of
's4 and 'ss to modify the revenue laws and
reduce the surplus. This is purely busi-
ness matter, and should have been accom-
plished by Congress in one mouth. but since
last December both houses have been en-
gagged in making adroit moves on the po-
litical chess board to get an advantage, and
have done-nothingl
And thus will it eyer be unless young
men go to the bottom of public measures and
inform themselves, and when informed
throw off the shackles which are forged by
political adventures, assert their manhood
and stand at the back of representative men