Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-24
HON. w. s. HERNDON.
His Speech at Santa Ana on
the 18th Inst.
LARGE, ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE
The Fallacy of Over-PrOtectiOn En-
posed and the Position of the
Democrats indicated.

Colonel w. S. Herndon addressed 5000
people at Santa Ana on the 25th inst, on
the political issues of the day. The
speaker commanded the earnest atten-
ton of his audience for two and one-half
hours, and the appreciation of his elo-
quence and argument was manifested by
the frequent and enthusiastic applause
which greeted him. His speech was
earnest, eloquent, forcible, logical and
convincing. He treated the question OF
protection differently from the usual man.
ner of discussing it. His argument was
masterful, and carried conviction to the
minds of his auditors. The following is
portion Of his argument:
ssUnder the direction of the Democracy
of your county, have the honor and the
pleasure of addressing you ON this occa-
sion. So many issues and questions have
been presented and discussed by the
partisan advocates of the two great
political parties, and the inquiry has COW
cred such wide field, that l fear the
real issues have become obscured. In
deed, we have drifted away from the dis
cussion eff the principles involved in the
contest, and our minds have been per-
plexed with the details of conflicting
rates and schedules of the tariff. The
subject of taxation is always fraught
with interest to the voter. While he is
always solicitous about the amount of
the tax exacted of him in the support of
the Government, he is infinitely more
concerned about the right and the neces-
sity of taxation. 1t was the denial of the
right to collect the ship-money and not
the amount of tax levied that gave i'm
mortality to the name of John Ham pden.
The patriotic citizen responds to Just and
necessary taxation promptly and cheer
fully. If the tax be unjust, or it is not
required to meet the current expenses of
the Government, economically admins
tered, it is no less his right than his duty
to protest against its exaction. The
amount of an unjust tax does not miti-
gate the iniquity: For if the right to COL
lect penny unlawfully is conceded, the
taxing power of the Government has no
limit this side of the armed resistance of
the oppressed taxpayers. The question
of taxation is one of supremest interest
in this campaign. 1t dominates every
other issue, and imperatively demands
the most thoughtful consideration of
every citizen. The attention of the
country is engrossed with the subject,
and its decision will indicate the future
financial policy of the Government. The
Democratic party, in behalf of the peo-
pie, whose champion it has ever been,
demands the reformation of the tariff
system-demands that the burdens OF
taxation which were imposed to meet
the exigencies of a gigantic war shall be
reduced to an extent warranted by the
financial requirements of the Govern.
ment in time of profound peace 1t is
my purpose tonight to confine my dis
cussion to the consideration OF the tariff
and its relation to labor and taxation.
The Republican party claims tina
the real issue is not moderate
taxation as against high taxation
Such an issue is presented by the Mills
bill, and much of the discussion is linn
tied to the conservatism of this measure
Upon this question the Democracy occu
pies the vantage ground. The average
rate OF import duties is now 47.10 pei
cent. The Mills bill proposes a reduc-
tion of $4.51 on the 500, which reduces
the average to 42.47 per cent. 1t also
proposes to reform and correct the glar-
ing inequalities in the present schedule,
and provides a mode of collecting the
revenue that will diminish the burden oi
taxation and relieve the law of much ol
its harshness and injustice. The Repub.
lican party refuses to accept this issue
and contends that the issue lies beyond
this-that the integrity of the Protective
system is imperilled by the Mills bill
that the moderate reduction proposed is,
n v,ct6 ov,l i
gerous. 1t audaciously maintains the
proposition that the slightest reduction is
q vicious attack upon the system, which.
if not repelled, will lead ultimately to
the destruction of the protective princi.
pie of 4he Government. Therefore, the
proposed reformation OF the tariff endan-
gers the welfare aud prosperity of the
country, and must be resisted with the
energy of desperation. The Republican
party has made new departure, and has
surrendered its position upon this ques-
tion in 1884. 1t then conceded everv-
thing in behalf of reduction of the
tariff for which the Democracy now con-
tends, and solemnly pledged itself to do
what the Democrats are striving to ac-
complish. 1t now claims as matter of
right what was conceded as matter of
honor. Here is the plank of the plat orm
ia 1884:
''The Republican party pledges itself
to correct the inequalities of the tariff
and to reduce the surplus, not by the
vicious and indiscriminate process of
horizontal reduction, but by such meth
DDS as will relieve the taxpayer, without
lnjuring the laborer or the great pro-
ductive interests of the country.
The platform of 1888 evidences a
change of base upon the tariff question.
1t says: "We are uncomprolnisipgly in
favor OF the American system of protec-
ton. We protest against its destruction
as proposed by the President and his
party. The protective principle must be
maintained. The Republican party
would effect all needed reduction OF the
internal revenue by repeating the taxes
on tobacco and the tax upon spirits used
in the arts and for mechanical purposes;
and by such revision of the tariff laws as
will tend to check the import of such
articles as are produced by our people.
If there should still remain a larger
revenue than is requisite for the wants
OF the Government, we favor the entire
repeal of internal taxes rather than sur
render any part of our protective sys-
tenn"
In 1884 the Republican party conceded
the fact that the tariff laws needed re-
vision-that the high rate and the in
equallties were oppressive to the tax
uavara and that hn e,x-,1,,c