Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1888-01-28
FREE TRADE REPUBLICANS.

The above caption is Of course a mia.
homer. but it is applicable to a large Sec
ton Of the Republican party, as it is to
the Democratic party. As a matter Of
fact, there is no free trade party in this
country. OF absolute free traders, there
is not a stage load Of them in the United
States Of both parties. There are a few
theorists of this description, and they
are quite as apt to be found in n party
as the other. Lately we noticed that a
Republican convention, or conference, in
one Of the Northwestern States, adopted
resolutions favoring tariff revision and
reform, and instructed their representa-.
tives in Congress to vote for a general
lowering of duties on all articles Of prime
necessity. We nave not observed any OF
our Republican contemporaries CHASING
these tariff reform Republicans as free
traders. They don't have anything to
say about them. 1t is only Democrats
who want a new adjustment of the tariff,
that are free traders, in the eyes Of these
inconsistent organs. President Cleveland
in his late message scouts the idea OF
being a free trader. He goes farther than
most men Of his own party, and much
farther, in our judgment, than Congress
is likely to go. After all it doesen't mat
ter a very great deal what q President
may think on the subject Of taxation and
revenue He can only approve or disap.
prove of what Is done by Congress. He
has precious little to do with formulating
the law. This work is done by the i'm
mediate representatives Of the people
the members Of the lower house Of Con.
gress. Under the Constitution not even
the Senate is privileged y originate a
revenue measure. The Senate may amend
or refuse to concur in a House bill, but
that is the end of its power over the sub.
ject. The work Of laying taxes on the
people must be begun by the peoples
representatives in the House. And herein
is our Constitution and system of gov
eminent the most admirable ever devised
by man, The representatives, direct and
fresh from the people every two years,
are supposed to know and reflect the
wants OF the people. They are closer to
the people, and at the same time repre-
sent every conceivable industry and in.
terest in this great country, much nearer
and much more faithfully than the BRAIN
less bonanza kings and moneyed nincom-
poops composing a majority Of the United
States Senate. The House also holds
the purse strings Of the Nation. All gen.
eral appropriation bills must originate in
the House. 1t seems to have been in.
tended by the trainers of our Constitu-
tion to attach more dignity to a member
Of the House than Of the Senate. The
Senate was designed to be Of about as
little consequence in our Government as
the House of Lords in England. And so
it is. The views Of a member of the
Lower House Oh the tariff and kindred
subjects. is Of much more Importance to
the people than to know how q Senator
or the President may stand. Neither Of
tho latter have anything to do with the
important work Of arranging the details
Of a tariff law. That begins at the other
end. But we started ont to say a word
of free trade Republicans. rs tariff revis-
ionists are generally called. There are a
good many Of them in the land. Indeed