Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-07-05
A BROKEN PLEDGE.


coupled a pledge with an accusation in
the following plank of the republican
platform:
The democratic party has failed COM
pletely to relieve the people of the
burden of unnecessary taxation by a
wise reduction Of the surplus. The re-
publican party pledges itself to correct
the inequalities of the tariff and reduce
| the surplus.
The charge was false and the promise
insincere. The democratic party had
not the power to diminish taxation
and effect a reduction of the surplus
because a republican house, republi-
can senate or republican executive al
ways stood in the way. When the re-
publican party was in full power it
failed completely" to give popular re-
lief and its failures grew greater and
absolutely the slave of the mOnopolies,
| fostered by top-notch tariff, and those
monopolies increased in arrogance
while their riches rolled up under the
i VI bL4O 1l1O4NAelAAOAOo VI AOPOOAA-
can protection to favored capitalist.
But since 1884, and especially during
the current year, the democratic party
has been engaged in earnest and man
ly effort ''to correct the inequalities of
the tariff and to reduce the surplus" :"
! What has the republican party done
| about it? Has it co-operated i'll the
good work in accordance with the
pledge of 1884? Has it proposed any
plan Of its own to the country as better
than the democratic way, and as OBJ
Waiting any difficulties or imperfections
| it processes to discern in the scheme of
tariff revision and surplus reduction
the democrats have been seeking to en-
act? Not at all. The republican party
has not merely neglected its pledge of
1884. 1t has denounced it, spurned it
and stamped upon it. 1t has not offer
ed any project whatever to equaliZe
taxation or to prevent surplus accum-
ulation. BY its own record it stands
convicted of fragrant infdelity to its
solemn promise to the people of the
| United States.
But the offending of the republican
party has not consisted merely in its
omission to make good its word, or to
assist those who have stood ready to
make it good. Its crime is a greater
one. 1t now gives positive support to
new and monstrous reactionary the
ory-that tariff must not be revised,
and that surplus accumulation must
not be prevented. Let us hold on to
high protective tariff as the very ark of
our covenant. Let us cherish the sur
plus as the sheet anchor of our safety.
We can spend the surplus, scatter it
among states, give it away, or consume
it i'll building vast works. We can
find ways of distributing it as far as
needs be, but we must not stop col
lecting more money than we require,
for to do that might perchane interfere
with the profits of some great monopoly
manufacturer some man of the sort
which pay our campaign expenses and
furnish the jobs that make republican
statesmen rich. Instead of correcting
the inequalities of the tax laws in
favor of laborer and consumer, let us
increase to yet higher rates the duties
out of which our monopoly friends
make their millions every year"
Such is the present attitude of the re-
publican party with respect to its
pledge. Its cry now is, Protection
for the sake of protection" It's sys-
tenn is to encourage universal eXtrava-
G ance and profigacy in public admins
tratiOn, and to run the government
c onstantly i'll time of peace for the sole
advantage of the already dangerous
; ;lristocracy of plutocrats which grew
-up oJH of the unequaled opportunities
offered to handful of capitalists by
the necessity of meeting the demands
of a gigantic and most costly war.
Happily the day of monopolies is
over. During four years of control of
executive power the democracy has
given back to the people hundred
million acres of the peoples lands mis-
appropriated by the monster CORPORA
tions. The importation of cheap
European contract has been stopped
and that still more fearful scourge, the
invasion of Asiatic labor has been
brought to an end. The customs laws
no longer administered for the benefit
of few guilty partners of delinquent
hand, so that the honest merchant may
continue in trade without fear OF