Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-07-17
Issue Cannot be Escaped

i
There can no longer be any doubt AZ 10 the
great question before the American people
and OF the issue which must be paramount
in all political contests until the next Con-
gress is elected and the next Presidential
election determined. This question cannot
be avoided, nor the issue escaped by any de-
vice TO which the Republican party may re-
sort. The Federal election law may be tried,
the Silver ! Ill used for all there Is in it, the
race problem played as football, and all the
clap-trap called TO aid, the one overshadow-
ing question still stands as the issue. It Is
the tariff, and it will not down, and, like the
blood stains on the hands Of lady Macbeth,
will not out.
The position of the Democratic party is
plain and well understood. An ad palorsn.
tariff for legitimate public purposes only
this is the banner Of the people. The Re-
publican demand is for a specific tariff tax
for the benefit of few private individuals
and the protection of private enterprises.
1t is indicated by the Mckinley bill, and no
matter what may be the eventual fate of the
measure, 1t Is the declared doctrine of the
Republican party and by it the party must
stand.
What thenis the bill? Let the people exam
inc, study and inform themselves, and by their
suffrages decide. A correspondent of the st.
Louis Republican gives the following lucid
analysis:
Under the specious guise Of protection to
American homes and industries it taxes every
man, woman and child to heap up increased
riches to favored and privileged few.
It takes from honest labor with one hand
the meager subsistence it pretends to give
with the other.
II imposes upon the homes of the people
burdens of debt which toll and thrift can
never raise while it continues.
It destroys foreign commerce by rates
of duty prohibiting imports of goods which
cannot be furnished or fully supplied at
home.
1t fosters and builds up gigantic trusts
by import determinations, and so pours
added millions into already well filed treas
uries.
It provides rewards in the past and recon-
pense in the future to those who have shame
lessly bought seats, official power and pat
ronage.
1tyield to the call of monopoly and has
tens to do its biddings as heirling his mas
ter's will.
1t belittles and bellies the great declara-
tion that all men are born with inalienable
rights.
1t usurps the authority of State sovereign
ties in order to give more power to the feder-
al head.
1t wrings vast sums from overburdened
tax payers, not for government use, but to
bestow upon those who support it, however
unheeding or unworthy they may be.
Itpours money into the nations Golfers to
be poured out again in profuse and profigate
expenditures.
Itleads away the uninformed with the de-
lusion that taxation increases wealth and
processes to seek reduction Of redundant
revenue by increasing taxes on the necessar-
les of life.
It creates antagonism between sections, the
west and south against the north and east,
which will grow into retaliatory conflicts and
which will quickly pass beyond the power of
the best craftsmanship to control.
Finally, whatever there is of folly in parti-
sanship, of error in economic statement, of
risy in professed belief, all this, all these |
and more, is comprehended in the Mckinley |
bill, a sum of political wrong such as no peo- |
pie in any country or in any age were ever |