Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-06-15
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON TER.
OLYMPIA, FRIDAY EVENING. June Is. 1855.
Define the Issue Fairly.

The Lincoln Republican Club OF this
city is composed largely of young men
who attained their majority during the
ascendency of the aggregation OF lists
and isms which came into power in
1860, through division of the Demo-
Gratis, under the name of the Republi-
can party. There are just enough OF
those sly old foxes at the head OF the
membership to keep the young blood
vigorously coursing at the recital OF
old-time legends of its bravery and de-
votion and in unquestioned response
to tie platitudes lauding its virtues
after it had become for a time en-
trenched as the governmental party.
These Young men have been taught to
believe that the word Democrat is a
synonym for treason, just as that the
term Z" a tariff for revenue" means 40
solutely and unqualifiedly free trade.
They have been taught to believe-and
to advocate on all occasions-that a
reduction of tariff on those necessities
of life that afford the manufacturers
an opportunity for building up the
grand monopolies which to-day are a
greater menace to free government
than the dynamite of foreign invaders
would be followed by an immediate
and very palpable reduction in wages
and that this result must be averted at
all hazards. The fact that decline in
the cost of living by depreciation OF
the price of almost every article Of
prime necessity would speedily follow
q reduction of prohibitory duties on
imports, does not seem to lie recog
nized as a possibility, under their pc
culiar system of political economy
and the judgment that is formed amid
the vaporings Of the Lincoln Republi
can Club are, therefore, based upon a
partial consideration of facts, unless
the individual possesses, as is some
times the case, o brain unbound by
prejudice and capable of separating
truth from falsebood, and arrives, de
spite his surroundings, at a reasonable
conclusion.
These young men are persistently
instructed, by precept and example
to use the term free trade whenever
the Democratic position on the tariff is
sssailed, and platforms and protesta'
tions go for naught whenever they con-
flict with the edicts Of those venerable
conseivators of political faith who or
ganixe Lincoln Clubs to keep thu
young men in leading-strings.
The true position Of the Democratic
party on the tariff question, stripped
of all unnecessary verbiage, is: 4
tariff for revenue limited to the ex
penses Of the Federal Government
and adjusted in its details with vie'
to equality in the public burdens. an
aid and encouragement to home pre-
ductive industries and labor. j
other words, it may be still more brief
defined: \ tariff for necessary rev
nue. for the Government, with inc
dental protection to American indu'
tries. The Republican position is tn
exact converse of this: A tariff fc
protection with incidental revenue
and Notwithstanding the endeavor
make the laboring man believe that
10 Ia his interest that millions are al
nually placed in the Golfers of the maj
ufacturers. the fact is apparent ths
the tendency, if not object, is to pc
petuate that monarchial sentimer
manifested at the adoption of the Fe'
eral Constitution which recognize
class distinctions backed by . stron
government and is but single ste
from kingly rule.