St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-09-22

| revenue laws 70 concede sueh ehcouraseu0n
| and advantage to the employers OF doines'io Aa
! Dor as will easily compensate 1or any aIno.e.s,
that may exist between the standard OF wage,
| which shorla be paid TO our 1sboring men ane
the rate allowed in other countries we pto
| pcss too by extending the markets ioF ou'
| manufactures to promote the steaoy emp.oS
| ment OF labor, while. by cheapenine bhe ooss "
| the necessaries Of lsfe. we increase tno pot
| ing power of the workinRrnan's wages anu aA~
| to the comforts Of his home
| And before passing from this pha 80 oa .n>
| question am constrained to express the opin
| ION. that while the interests OF labor SnouAo
! be always sedulously regarded In any moo'1oS
! ton of our tariff lawss an additionai anu n4o.e
direct and efficient protection TO those
| would be afforded by the restriction anu pion.
! biton OF the Immigration or lnporta'on "
| 1aborers from other countries, who swarm upon
! our chores having no purpose or Intent VI -
coming Off feIlow-GitZens, or acquiring ANY
| permanent interest in our country, ous "Is
! crowd every field Of employment Win unin.eA
| 1i1ent labor at wages which ought not 70 sa'is'
| fy those who make claim TO Auesscal ci&i@eo-
ship.
The platform adopted by the late National
| convention of our party contains the following
| declaration: Judged by Democratic pr1ncf'
| pies the interests OF the people are Debrayoo
when, by unnecessary taxation, ]EusIs aho ooAu'
| bnations are permitted and fos$ered which,
while unduly enriching the few thas com oAne'
rob the body Of our citizens by deprtvsns sneH,
| as purchasers OF the benefits OF natural oS'n'
petition' Such combinations have always
been condemned by the Democratic party.
The declaration Of its National convention is
sincerely made, and no member OF our party
will be found excusing the existence OF eelit-
ting the pernicious results Of those devices 10
wrong the people. Under various names tney
have been punished by the common law ZOE
of Zone
their hateful features because they have as
sumed the name Of trusts instead OF consplra-
c!es. We believe that these trusts are the nat
ural offspring of market artifcially restrict
ed; that fnordinately high tariff, besides
furnishing the temptation for their existence,
enlarges the limit Within which they may oper-
nte against the people, Una thus increases the
extent of their power for wfong.doing. With
on unalterable hatred of all such schemes, we
count the checking OF their baleful operations
among the good results promised by revenue
reform.
While we can not avoid partisan misrepre~
sentation, our position upon the question OF
revenue reform should be SO plainly stated as
to admit OF no misunderstanding. We have
entered upon no crusade of free trade. The
reform we seek to fnaugurate Is predieated
upon the utmost care for established industries
and enterprises, jealous regard for the inter
ests Of American labor and o sincere desire to
danger OF q condition which threatens evil to
all the people of the land We are dealing
with no imaginary danger. Its existence has
been repeatedly confessed by all political par
ties, and pledges of remedy have been made
on all sides. Yet when In the legislative body.
where, under the Constitution all remedial
measures applicable to this subject must origin
ate, the Democratic majority were attempting
with extreme moderation to redeem the pledge
common to both parties, they were met by de-
termlned opposition and obstruction: and the
minority refusing to cooperate in the House OF
Representatives, or propose another remedy,
have remtted the redemption OF their party
pledge to the doubtful power OF the Senate
The people will hardly be deceived by thelr
abandonment OF the field OF legislative action
to meet in political convention and fippantly
declare in their party platform that our con.
servative and careful effort to relieve the stu.
alton Is destructive to the American system OF
protection. Nor will the people be misled by
the appeal to prejudice contained in the absurd
allegation that we serve the interests OF En-
rope, while they will support the interests OF
America. They propose in their platform to
thus support the interests of our country by re-
moving the internal revenue tax from tobacco
and from spirits used In the arts and for me-
chanical purposes. They declare, also, that
there should be such revision Of our tariff laws
as shall tend to check the Importation OF
to increase the duties upon such art
icles to nearly or quite prohibitory point
they confess themselves willing to travel back
ward IN the road OF civilization and to deprive
our people of the markets for their goods r
which can only be gained and kept by the SEM
blanoe, at least, Of an interchange Of business,
while they abandon our consumers to the un.
oppression of the domestic trusts
and combinations which are in the same plat
form perfunctorily condemned. They propose
further to release entirely from import duties
all articles Of foreign production except luxu-
res, the like of which can not be produced in
this country. The plain people Of the land
and the poor. who scarcely use articles Of any
description produced exclusively abroad and
not already free, will find 1t difficult to discover
where their interests are regarded In this prop
osition. They need In their homes cheaper
domestic necessaries: and this seems 70 be en-
tirely unprovided for in this proposed scheme
to serve the country. Small compensation for
this neglected need Is found in the furtherpur-
pose here announced and covered by the dec.
iaration that If after the changes already
mentioned there still remains larger revenue
than is required for the wants Of the Govern
ment, the entire internal taxation should be re-
pealed "rather than surrender any part OF our
protective SYSTEM"
Our people ask relief from the undue and un.
necessary burden of tariff taxation now resting
uEfoA tAcm 4ucy are OU0Tcu, instead, Tree to-
bacco and free whisky. They ask for brssd.
and they are given q stone The fmplpation
contained in this party declaration s<sas des-
perate measures arc Just fed or >s&cessary to
save from destruction or sur,-noer what Is
termed our protective systsrs shoulo confuse
no one. The existence @ system is en-
tent to which II spsnld be applied and the cor.
rection Of it's 2aoou, oo,,,,4r,,
sucb a /onderful variety of interests. often
ead;-si entirely different directions It ia dif
~, n not Impossible TO settle upon per-
sct tar1n plan; but in accomplishing tho re.
1rm we have entered upon the necessitro
hlch Is so obvious. believe we should not h,
ontent With reduction OF revenue tpyolvinn
10 prohibition of importations, and the ro,
loval OF the internal tax upon whisky IA
IN De better and more safely done withsg
70 lines OF granting actual relief to the peonla
tneir means OF living, and at the same time
wing an impetus to our domestic enternriees
nd fhrthering our National welfare
II misrepresentation OF our purnoses ans
ouves are to gain credence and defeat on-
resent efforts IN this direction, there seems -
no reason why every endeavor in the, fntura
accomplish revenue reform should not ba
ke"ise attacked and with Like result And
y no thoughtful man can fail to see in the
ntinuance OF the present burdens of the neo-
e, and the abstraction by the Government ~
e currency OF the country, inevitable dtstress
ia disaster. All danger will be ayerted NV
nely action. The difficulty IN &pplytne3tha
medy will never be less, and the blama
ould not be laid at the door OF the Demo.
atic party If it is applied too late.
with firm faith IN the intelligence and natrt-
ism OF our oountrymen, and relying upon the
nv1ction that misrepresentation viii NOT IN.
ence them; that prejudice will not cIons
cir understanding, and that menace win nor
amidate tnem let US urge the people's iuter.
and public duty for the vindication of our
tempt TO inaugurate a righteous ana henat;.
NJ re1orm. GROVER CLEVELAND,
as She Sounds TaauH