Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-08
Tho lncon sissencics of the Repub.
lfcan Party.

Tho lncOn sistencies of the Repub.
lfcan Party.
It is not at all to be wondered at that
intelligent men are disposed to laugh at
the inconsistencies of the Republican
party on the tariff question. The atti-
tude of that party in 1883 and in 1884 is
in painful contrast with its thimblerig
antics now. Then it demanded re-
vision and reduction of tariff. The Re-
publican body Of which Henry W. Oliver
was the President, marked out in 1888
. scheme of tariff reform, which even as
to iron-he was member of the heaviest
iron firm in Pittsburg-made more pro-
nounced reductions than are embodied
in the Mills bill. Republican howls
for reduction of the surplus have been
even more resonant than the temperate
and statesmanlike appeals which have
proceeded from the Democratic party.
A few facts on this head will be interest
ing not only to Democrats but to fair
minded Republicans. In 1884, the
National Republican Convention at
Chicago, said: 'The Democratic party
has failed completely to relieve the
people of the burden of unnecessary
taxation by wise reduction of the sur
plus. The Republican party pledges
itself to correct the inequalities of the
tariff and to reduce the surplus" Now
it says that there are no inequalities in
the tariff, out that the whole thing is
perfect and must be kept sacred.
At the Republican Convention for the
First District of Minnesota, held this
present year, the following resolution
was adopted: Resolved, That we favor
q careful revision and reduction of the
tariff in the interest Of labor and produc-
ing classes, especially placing lumber,
salt and sugar upon the free list. We
condemn the partisan and sectional
tariff bill which the Democratic party is
attempting to impose upon the country. I"
What do Minnesota Republicans mean
to do about it? Will they accept free
whiskey and tobacco as substitutes for
free salt, free lumber and free wool?
So far back as 1870, when internal
taxation was deal more annoying and
burdensome than now, the Indiana Re-
publicans, in Convention assembled,
said: ga reduction OF taxation is de-
manded, both of tariff and internal
taxes, until it reaches the lowest amount
consistent with the credit and necessities
OF the Government; and we are in favor
OF tariff for revenue, believing that a
proper adjustment of duties must neces-
sarily yield all the incidental protection
to which any industry is entitled"
Do the Republicans of Indiana think
that tariff which averages forty
seven per cent. and which is
higher than it has ever been be-
fore in the history of the coun-
try, is as low as it might be and still be
consistent with the credit and necessi-
ties of the Government" Unless they
do they have no business voting with a
party which has staked everything upon
the maintenance of our war tariff. It is
Just as much the duty of honest Repub-
hcans to come out of the SO called Re-
publican party, as it was for liberty-lov-
ing Democrats to leave their party when
it got down on its knees to the slave
power. If Abraham Lincoln could walk
the earth again he would not recog-
nize the party of Mr.. Blaine and his
friends as that organization which he
loved. 1t is not the same party. Mr..
Blaine himself testiies to the change
that has come over the party. The
tariff of 1916 is commonly known as the
Free Trade, or Walker tariff. The
country prospered under it to such an
extent that, says Historian Blaine: "It
is not surprising that the Democratic
Congress, in the closing session of
Pierce's Administration, reached what
has since been known as the tariff of
1857. By this law the duties were
placed lower than they had been at any
time since the war Of 1872. The act was
well received by the people, and was
indeed concurred in by considerable
portion Of the Republican party"