The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-07-03
Democratic Tariff Plank of 1881.

The Brooklyn Eagle joins the New
York Sun heartily in the suggestion
that the Democrats solve their troubles
over the tariff By going back TO the
plank of 1884, on which Cleveland was
elected, and have nothing more TO do
with the platform of 1885. on which he
was defeated. The Eagle insists that
the platform of 1884 was made by Dem
ocrats who had no hobbies TO ride. no
pet theories to advance, no experiments
to try" but who sought simply TO Sc
cure unity in things essential and the
widest liberty of opinion in things non
essential. This is euphemistic a.
of saving the platform builders of 1884
considered the spOils and offices the
main thing and aimed accordingly TO
secure as many votes rs possible, both
free trade and protcctionist The plat
form they made was straddle on
the tariff question, with one clause de-
voted to Southern free trade and an
other to Northern protectionist doc
trine, but according TO any fair rule of
Interpretation the latter had the greater
force. If the Democrats should now
return TO the tariff plank of 1884 they
could only be regarded as abandoning
extreme free-trade notions and adopt
ing instead the doctrine of moderate
tariff reduction and the preservation
of the protective principle. For not
withstanding its ambiguity that was
what the "straddle" platform of 1884
meant
1t is settled legal rule of interpre-
tation that a saving clause repugnant
to the body of statute is void. If
this doctrine be applied to the Demo
cratic platform of 1884 it will weaken
the free-trade clause and leave the pro-
tectionist declaration to stand in full
force. The body of the tariff plank of
1884 was devoted to protection and de-
clared that 1.-THE necessary reduction
In taxat on can and must be effected
without depriving American labor of
the ability to compete successfully
with foreign labor, and without i'm
posing lower rates of duty than will be
ample to cover any increased cost of
production which may exist in conse-
quence of the higher rate of wages
prevailing in this country" But to
this portion of the platform, which
clearly favors only moderate reduc-
ton of the tariff and careful preser-
walton of the protective principle, was
tackled the following: I'VE demand
that Federal taxation shall be ex-
clusively for public purposes, and
shall not exceed the needs of the Gov
eminent economically administered.
This is free-trade doctrine, but when
put in the form of a saving clause
TO protectionist declaration,
is it binding? At first Mr.
Cleveland seemed TO apply the
legal rule of Interpretation and
to hold that the free-trade declaration
in the platform on which he was elected
being in the nature of a saving clause
repugnant to the body of the plank,
was nugatory. In his celebrated tariff
message Mr. Cleveland urged revenue
reform for the purpose of reducing the
surplus in the Treasury aud distinctly
declared against lowering duties below
the point of adequate protection. His
position then was that of a moderate
revenue reformer rather than free
trader. He seemed 10 stand on the
Northern part of the tariff plank of
1884 and to ignore the Southern part.
But when the Southern Bourbons in
Congress came to prepare actual legis-
lation they got both legs on the free
trade side of the 1884 platform, and in
order to act as their leader last year
Mr.. Cleveland had to come out as
free trader and advocate reduction of
duties not merely TO get rid of the
Treasury ourplus but because protec-
tton was wrong in itself, and, as he
clair.ed, certainly and inevitable made
the citizen pay more than has just