Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-07-26
PLEADING FOR REFORM.

TO Tiskilwa fifty years ago; he was the trusted
ally OF Owen Lovejoy, the abolitonist: again
and again through eighteen years he was re-
turned to the State Senate by Republican
votes. In 1869 in the Illinois Constitutional
convention Senator Whiting was the first to
Introduce measure looking to the control of
corporations by legislative enactment. A man
OF pronounced ability ana rugged honesty, he
is rounding his three-score years and ten rich
in the respect OF those who know him best.
Six months ago the Herald presented at some
length the views OF Tiskilwa's farmer states
men on the tariff question. He said then that
the issue of tariff reform would dwarf all other
issues in the campaign OF 1885, and expressed
hope that the Republican party would array
itself on the side OF the people in the surely
impending conflict. Senator Whiting has been
disappointed in the action of the Chicago con-
vention, but he will not eat crow. He says
that the Republican masses of the country
were not fairly represented by the body over
which Thurston and Estee presided, and thinks
there are hundreds of thousands of Republic
ans who will not surrender principles ut the
dictation of a class interest. II do not like to
take my Republicanism from B. f. Jones'" he
said. "for it is so unlike the doctrine which
Abraham Lincoln advocated William Walter
Phelps is not an acceptable substitute for
Wendell Phillips. No protected lumber barons
can interpret to me the Republcanism which
was taught by the lips of Owen Lovejoy. In
the old days the Republican party was not run
III the interest OF factory ana mine owners,
and railroad man controlling $500, 000, 600 of
cap tai was not supreme Dictator
The object of the correspondent in visiting
Tiskilwa to obtain Senator Writings
views on the platforms adopted at ST. Louis
and Chicago
"studied the two platforms chiefly in reference
to the tariff planks. The tariff issue now be-
fore the country is the most important ques-
ton we have been called upon to consider since
slavery was abolished. The Republican party,
through its last convention transformed itself
into high tariff and monopoly party. l can
not think of the convention that nominated
Harrison as Republican convention. 1t was
q high tariff and monopoly assemblage. It
took an entirely new departure on the tariff,
leaving all the grounds 1t has formerly occu-
pied. When the present war tariff was levied,
as q compens alton for the direct tax which was
lad on manufactured goods, it was conceded
by its authors and all supporters that the two,
coming in together. would go out together.
But when the direct taxes were removed from
manufactured goods the protectionists man
aged to retain the high tariff. The country
submitted, on the ground that the money, so
far as it went to the Treasury, was applied to
pay off the war debt; but all parties conceded
that the time was near at hand when it
would be improper to continue this high war
tariff. Strong protectionists then said its
continuance would be unjust to other
interests. But now what do we see? These
protected interests, having long enjoyed its
advantages, have joined in a combination, Of
fensive and defensive. to make a war tariff a
permanency. Their first oracles to breach
their scheme were Messrs. Randall and Kelley,
who, something more than a year ago, openly
advocated that the National revenue should
be reduced by the removal of the tax on spirits
and tobacco. This proposition was then
deemed by the people generally to be too alb
surd for serious consideration. Massachusetts
and the East generally where the protected
interests dominate in public affairs), through
State conventions and the press. gave it their
Endorsement. The nearly unanimous public
sentiment OF the West was for retaining the
tax spirits and tobacco and removing it
from lumber, coal, salt, and reducing it on the
other necessaries of life. The former. through
their grangers' alliances and farmers insti
tutes. were unanimous in demanding such a
tariff reduction, but the politicians who Sc
cured the representative post ons in the State
and National conventions were passive and al
lowed the combined protected interests to
shape the revenue plank in the platform.
81 regard the action of the Chicago conven-
ton as a new departure, dictated by powerful
interests for perpetuating an unjust advantage
which the exigency of the war had given them
] consider 1t a robbery of the West to enrich
the East. think it is drawing the life blood
from Western agriculture to give large bounties
to class interest. The programme OF the pro-
tectonists is to confine their operations to the
home market and, as the mills, their employees
and appendages are ample to manufacture for
a continent, they contemplate, through COM
binations and trusts, to stop production by rum
ming on half time and other dew ces and yet OBJ
tain prices for their goods which will give them
their desired profits. This tariff or revenue
plank, aims to secure this state of things, and
the election Of the high tariff candidates is to
obtain the Endorsement of the country OF this
programme. believe the time has come when
the manufacturers of the United States should
,fNrr1 1afa ", ffn f,t,1-
at home and abroad for the trade of the world
This country affords so many advantages for
such an enterprise that by running on full time
and with economies which are now in many
cases disregarded their profits wilt not be re-
duced and the wages of their employees will be
greater because of the increased demand. In
the early days of the Republic COM
NORGE was counted as one of the
great elements of our prosperity. Com
merce Is civilzer and enricher of
nat ons. 1t is contrary to the genius of
our Institutions and instincts OF our people
to adopt the Chinese plan proposed by the late
high tariff convention. Though I would not
suddenly make radical changes in the tariff the
protected interests should prepare for the APP
plication of that sound principle that business
or interest which can not sustain itself is not
worth sustaining by others. The American
people are rapidly learning that to protect
one interest is to do il at some other ones ex-
ponse.
1WOulu Tctalu Tue lutSruaI EcFeuuc LdAeS
on spirits and tobacco as one of the permanent
sources OF revenue. I fully indorse Mr.. Blaine
when he said not long ago, that he would tax
whisky so long as there was any whisky TO be
taxed. fully indorse Presidents Grant Gar
field, Arthur and Cleveland in their declared
purpose to keep the taxes on spirits and tobac-
co SO as to give proper opportunity for re-
forming the war tariff. I regard the revenue
plank in the high tariff platform as no less an
Endorsement of Grant, Garfield and Arthur with
their distinguished Secretaries of the Treasury
than of Mr.. Cleveland. This new departure of
the late high tariff convention at Chicago is
not only condemnation of Mr.. Cleveland but
of these distinguished Republican statesmen
and of the Republican party up to q very re-
cent period.
ssIts success at the polls can not destroy
tariff reform, but 1t will delay 1t and convulse
the country for an indefinite time to the detri-
ment of other reforms. 1t will continue q sys-
tenn of robbery which the farmers can not much
longer endure, Tariff reform Republicans now
face an EFFICIENCY which taxes to the utmost
their wisdom and courage and faithfulness to
principle. It seems to be plain that they must
refuse 10 support the doings of the Chicago
convention. The majority OF Republican tariff
reformers will be averse to identifying them
selves with the Democratic party, though thai
party at this juncture, in its platform at st,
Louis and doings in Congress, substantially
represents their views. 1t seems to me to be
desirable that there shall be some public con