Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-03-07
"TARIFF sLEs1 |nds.'f

=
Republican pledges Tkst Have Been
Broken Time ana Again.
= The claim that the people can ex-
pect any proper revision of the tariff
by the Republican party can -only-de-
ceive those who are wilfully blind.
The Harrison Administration and the
next Congress were elected npon q
platform declaring that they would
effect all needed reduction of the Ma
tional revenue by repeating the taxes
upon tobacco, which are an annoyance
and burden to agriculture. and the
tax upon the spirits used in the arts
and for mechanical purposes. and by
such revision Of the tariff. laws as will
tend to check imports OF, such articles
as are produced by our people, the
production of which gives employ ment
to our labor, and release from import
duties those articles of foreign pro-
duction Except luxuries) the like of
which can not be produced at home.
If there shall still remain q larger
revenue than is requisite for the wants
of the Government. we favor the en-
tire repeal of internal taxes, rather
than surrender any part OF our pro-
tective system, at the joint behest of
the whisky trusts and the agents of
foreign manufacturers = s5s W a
I, Here is q distinct pledge on the part
of the Republicans. Under it they
have succeeded in frying the fat out of
''our manufacturers, and with it
CREASED the way to power. 1t is not
supposed that the Leader considers
any pledge binding upon the men now
in control of the councils of the Repub-
licau party. For years they have made
that the party of broken pledges.
They have given the lie to their own
utterances, and proven false to the
teachings Of their best men. But there
are conditions under which even these
men will rememb Der their promises.
They can look back upon the infamous
surrender of 1882 without blush;
they can read with composure the plat
forms in which they have made to the
people promises to the ear, to be
broken to the hope; but the platform
of 1888 was a contract, not with the
people, but with the combined forces
of corporate monopoly and private
greed. A wholesome fear of losing the
support of the men controlling the
purse-strings will force the next adj
ministration to stand by the pledges
made in the platform on which it was
elected.
It will be remem bered that in 1884
the Republicans proposed to correct
the inequalities of the tariff. They
had placed upon their ticketan avowed
tariff reformer in the person of John
A Logan. Every act of the party had
been a. confession OF, the need of q
complete revision of the tariff. But in
defeat as in victory. pledges, to the
people were broken, and every effort
to revise the tariff was resisted and
denounced as the work of s'agents of
foreign manufacturers" a''f'- fs5as
1t is we'll to keep before the eyes of
the people certain facts in regard to
that protective system, which, is so
sacred in the eyes of modern Repub-
icans, that they would main tain it at
the expense Of free whisky and to-
bacco. When a tariff for protection
has been made to cover more than the
total cost, of production-includi
both the raw material and ilabor-it
will be difficult even for a protectionist
to claim that the laborer gets the benefit
of the tax. or that the foreigner pays
it. For instance, the duty on cylinder
and crown glass is equal to about six
per cent. more than the cost of pro-
duction. The presence of such law
upon our statute books is a plain evil
dence of the corrupting influence of
the protective system. Here are a
few articles that can be clearly con-
sidered as within the range of '.the
inequalities of the tariff
go 3v3'ti 3f.5sA ti1'''f Per cent.
Cylinder and crown glass. 1O6
Steel for railway wheels ........... :: :. 1O1
IRON ana steel beams l02
Gastor OIL ......!.. ....'... 1874
How completely the burdens have
been placed upon backs least able to
bear them can be seen from the fol-
lowing statement: f III Z. l4ei
On every dollars worth of the fol-
lowing articles purchased by the con-
sumner the amounts set opposite have
been levied as a tax: