The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-16


tariff law Of the United States and to thai
Just enacted in its steal known 40 tho Nc
Kinley bill.
Under the operation of the existing tariff
all other pursuits and industries Of This
country have been compelled to pay tribute
to the manufacturing interests until the
wealth of the country is largely concen-
trated in states where manufacturing d tie
chief industry. The agricultural states on
the other hand are burdened with debt and
the farming industry is everywhere de-
pressed, and this must continue while the
policy is pursued of taxing one industry to
build up another, and making the many
contribute to the support OF the few. In
thus fostering manufacturing at the ex-
pense of other industries, which il done
under pretext of protecting American labor
against foreign competition, the advocates
of protection ignore the fact that large
majority of the laborers of our country are
not engaged in manufacturing pursuits,
and the further fact that all foreign labor
ers have free access to our country, where
they can enter into competition with native
or home labor.
The pretense of protecting American
against foreign pauper labor has long been
used, and used successfully by the advo-
Gates of high tariff in order to enrich
themselves at the expense of others.
Whereas the condition Of the great body
of laborers in the manufacturing states,
the frequency and extent Of labor
strikes in those states, and the prices paid
for labor, all show that the workman en-
gagged in manufacturing labor receives little
if any benefit from the so-called protective
tariff laws. As democrats, looking at the
past history and traditions of the party, and
as Americans, looking at the welfare of all
sections of our common country. we de-
mand that the tariff laws be 80 amended as
to bear as near as may be equally and fairly
upon all sections and all the industries and
pursuits of the country, without, as at pres
ent, unjustly burdening some in order to
build up others; or, speaking accurately,
burdening all others in order to build up
one.
The people of this state demand that the
reservation made of mineral lands in all
grants of lands t. railroads should be rig
idly enforced according to its spirit and
intent, and that all mineral lands should
purchase them. That if further legislation
is necessary to this end, it should be en-
acted as early as possible in order to save
the locators and claimants of mineral lands
from the delay and expense necessary in
order to assert their rights.
We look upon the election bill, commonly
known as the force bill, now pending in
congress, as an invasion of the rights and
liberties of the citizen, intended solely for
partisan purposes and the perpetuation Of
the republican party in power and the sac
rifcinR of free elections. If it fails to pass
at this session it will not be from any dis.
inclination on the part of the republican
Legislators to indict its workings on the
states but because they quail before the
indignation of an outraged constituency.
That we heartily endorse the administra-
ton of X. ToOle as wise, conservative and
eminently just to all, and we sincerely be-
lieve that in all his public acts he has been
actuated solely by desire to discharge the
duties of his responsible position with i'm
Partially and for the good of the people of
the state.
In order to secure pure and free ballot.
which shall be the exact expression of the
opinion of the voters, we will maintain all
laws calculated to preserve the secrecy of
the ballot. That we are in favor of regis
of legal voters of the state, but which shall
contain no provisions SO onerous or difficult
of execution as to practically disfranchise
the laborer, prospector or ranchman distant
from thickly settled communities; that we
demand an exact count of the votes SO cast,
and denounce as crimes all attempts, under
whatever pretext, to rob the legal voter of
his right of suffrage.
The maintaining of vast areas of public
lands which ought to be opened as homes
for actual settlers, rs military and Indian
reservations is detrimental to the public
good. 1t condemns such lands to solitude
and continues them as a wilderness and a
refuge for lawlesness and violence, and as
places for favoritism and monopoly. We
favor the reduction of all such reservations
to the smallest necessary compass, and that
the remainder of the lands be thrown open
to the actual settler.
That as democrats and Americans we re-
fer with pride and congratulstion to Grover
Cleveland, late president of the United
States. and to his excellent and efficient ad-
ministration, which recalls the purer and
better days Of the republic. That the de-
claration of President Cleveland that
public Office is public trust" and his il
lustration of that saying by his own con-
duct while president is in marked contrast
with the course pursued by the present
president of the United States. who has Sc
lected as one of his cabinet officers man
conspicuous only for his money, and the
liberal use which he made of it in helping
to elect the president,