The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-05
A Rep1blican Surrender.

The republicans have finally admitted
that there is a general and imperative de-
mand for tariff reform, and that the course
of the democratic party in trying to reform
the tariff, which they have condemned and
ridiculed, is right Their tariff bill, which
they introduce into the Senate on Wednes-
day. proposes to reduce the revenues about
$50, 100000 1t places a large number of
articles on the free list, and it reduces the
duties on a great many others. In prin-
ciple, it does not differ from the Mills bill
1t is an admission that the kind of legisla-
tion proposed by the Mills bill is what the
| country needs, and what it is determined to
| have.
! The sincere republican, who is anxious
for the truth, will be apt to wonder, after
he has carefully perused this republican
tariff measure, why his party has been
making such an outcry against the Mills
bill, and why it has been charging the DEM
Ocrats with being free traders. He will
also wonder what has become of the tariff
plank in the Chicago platform, which
favors free whisky rather than surrender
of any portion of the protective system.
The difference between this republican
tariff measure and the Mills bill is not one
of principle, because they both enlarge the
free list and both make reductions in duties
on articles that are protected They
both surrender some part of the
protective system. The difference
between them is that the Mills
bill favors the masses and the republican
bill favors the monopolists. The former
aims to cheaper the necessaries of life and
to encourage manufacturing industries by
making raw materials free, while the latter
aims to give certain industries extraordinary
advantages at the expense of the people.
The republicans do not intend to pass
their bill. They may debate it for several
weeks and amend it in some respects, but
they will not reach direct vote upon it.
Neither will they pass the Mills bill. In
deed, they do not intend that there shall be
any tariff legislation at this session of con-
gress. They introduced their tariff bill for
two reasons: First to conciliate public SEN
timent, which is strongly in favor of re-
duction Of the tariff; and, second, to avoid
action upon the Mills bill. They will find,
however, that their position before the coun-
try is not as strong as it was before their bill
was introduced, because the whole country
understands that they are not sincere, and
that they are only trying to save their
ticket from defeat. They did not da.e to
stand squarely by their national platform
because it commits them to free whisky,
and free whisky they knew would do them
more harm than an admission that reduc-
ton of the tariff is necessary.
The country will not be deceived by their
course. The surplus will not be reduced
yet awhile, although the democrats
have done all they could to re-
duce it. The surplus was nearly $4,000
600 last month, and it will not be
very long before the accumulation of
money in the treasury will be seriously felt
throughout the country. The republicans
will be held responsible for whatever flnan-
cial disasters may result from this abnormal
condition of things. Having admitted that
a reduction of the tariff is necessary. the
country will want to know why they do
not permit it to be reduced