Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-07-05
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL TICKET.
For President,
BENJAMIN HARRISON.
of Indiana.
For Vice President,
LEVI p. MORTON,
OF New York.
A Question Of Public Policy.

of blunders, ranging in degree from
stupid to criminal, and thus turning its
back to that record, its voice is raised
in a continual howl against the grand
accomplishments and achievements OF
republicans. This feature of the cam
paigning methods of democrats is made
especially noticeable by the current com
ment of the democratic press on the
plank in the national republican plat
form relating to the abolition of the
internal revenue tax on tobacco and
liquors. The same democratic press
which has upheld opposition TO the
prohibition laws agitated by republicans
and passed by republican assemblies,
the same press whice has denOminated
the martyr IIaddock as Il crank and
has tried to shield his murdererS, now
raises its crime-stained hands i'll trem- |
ulOuS horror of the flood of free WhiS-
key and free tobacco which it is alleged
will be made to flow by the provisions
of this plank in the national republican
platform. The grounds upon which |
they thus argue are entirely false, and
it may be observed that no democratic |
paper criticising this portion of repub-
lican policy has had the candOr to print
or even call attention to the plank it.
self. The plank is couched III plain
language and it cannot be msinter
preted without predeterminatiOn. It is
self-explanatOry, and we here reproduce
it as REPUTATION of the garbled reports
of its contents:
The Republican party would effect all needed
reduction of the National revenue by repeating
the taxes on tobacco which are an annoyance
and burden 10 agriculture, and the taxes upon
spirits used in the arts and for mechanical pur-
poses, and by such IA REVISION OF the tariff laws
AZ will tend to check the imports an sl%Il articles
as are produced by our people, the production
of which gives employment to or Elhur and re
lease from import duties thOS" articles ~ foreign
production except Injuries the lik" OF " nirh can
not be pio iuccd at home. If there >iIaI still re-
main larger revenue than is requisite for the
wants OF tic Government, We fa' or the attire re-
peal of in "Tmal taxes rather than SUr;r4drr any
part of ca. protective system At Il j,iH, bnhest
of whiS@"" trusts and agents Of ior,i-.l ul;lnu
facturcr~.
The reduction is here contemplated
simply IS Il question of public policy, a
means tn attain an end much desired,
an eni ...e democratic patty { 'clared
to be - .vOr OF before Il Wa 2""ident
ally Ii ,i to power four years a.;o. Thn
repub.,r party prefers to remoye this
inferno! revenue rather than that
which p otccts the home manu- 'ucturer
from competition with the pauTcr labor
and aCP egated capital Of England.
The tax n these articles was levied to
meet the requirements of the GOVERN
ment in the hour of its direSt ned. 1t
was devised as means by Wj,,ch the
required sums could be raised with the
least hal ttShip. 1t has grown to I've an
immense source of revenue. recurring
the serve of vast army of collectors
In 1887 taxes thus collected we're in
round numbers: On tobacco, $50 $4,000
distilled liquors, $66,nD,WO, fcImentcd
liquors $220O00O, making Il grand TO,
tai Of nearly $l1S,OOO,OOO. Under this
system the greatest monOpolies and
trusts have been established. The pro
ducer is compelled to sell at such prices
rs the allied manufacturers may deter,
mine, while the consumer is subject to
the will of the same mercileSS authority
There is no competition; no effort to
produce pure article for any purpose;
the greed of the manufacturer is alone
considered.
The question of removing the tax
has not moral phase. 1t was not Sc
considered when the tax was levied
The consumption will not be increased
forit is acknowledged that the victim
OF either habit is wholly inconsiderate
OF the expense or privatOns it may
cause. If it We're admitted that public
morality were involved the argument
would be in favor of abolition of the
Tax. The government by its license
sustains an unholy alliance with the
liquor traffic, giving it a dignity and
substantiability that could not be ac,
4ulred or maintained by the business
Independently. The government stands
in the attitude of protector of the bust,
ness so long as the revenue stamp is
purchased. So the question of abolish
ing the tax Oh whiskey and tobacco is
simply a means to reduce the surplus
which aggregation has been deplored
by both parties. The democratic party
Is III favor OF turning our manufacture
ing interests to England and continu
ing the governments bargain with Tie
Whiskey and tobacco, while the repub
hcan parry believes in abandoning the
liquor interests and giving aid to legiti
mate An o:ican industries.
The republican convention. however
was not silent on the moral question
INVOLVED, Int on the motion of Boutelle
OF Maine. unanimously adopted the
following declaration of principle:
Resolved, That the first concern Of all 700,
goyernmea1 is the virtue and sob.iety Of tn,
people ami fia purity Of their homes. Tie Re
publican r":.T cordially sympds4,s With al
wise and NJ directed efforts for the pronD,isl
oil temper i and morality.
The pl.ry is thus sound, and its ut
terances san only be- mis-stated or per
verted "iifdlly. We respectfully inyit,
democrat papers wishing to inform
their readers of the republican party,
position On these questions to quot,
these two pianks without comment.
If the democrats were consisten, will
their recort on this question of remov
ing the tax from liquors they would
throw up their bandanas and for theil
stemach's sake rejoice in contemplation
OF the return of the prices prevaiIin,
when the party was voted out o.
power, when whiskcy such as ole
mossbacks tell us was good whiskey-
was sold at 30 cents per gallon or
ns.pfs a suio