The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-11-12
THE DEMOCRATIC PRESs.
The tariff is a tax.

Republican papers are busy telling how 1t
happened and there are as many clumsy inven-
tions as there are papers. For their enlighfen-
ment we will inform them that the legislation
of their party against the vital interests of the
people is alone responsible for the result.
In 1888 the people were frightened by Repub-
lican agitators into hostility against true tar
i'll reform as embodied in the able message OF
President Cleveland. and as a result, combin
ed with corruption and fraud. Benjamin Har-
rison was elected President of the United States
with Republican Congress TO sustain him 1t
was not that the people were opposed to tariff
reform, but that in few of the States. confined
almost exclusively to the agricultural districts.
but were blinded by the glare of Republican mis-
representation, and labored under consequent
misconception of the measure proposed by
the Democratic party. This nearly always hap
pens at the inception of any salutary measure
and the result in 1888 only nerved the Demo-
cratic party to gre ater endeavor than ever in
the campaign of education How well they
nave succeeded, and how the people repente OF
their action two years ago is attested by Tues
days victory. The RepE blican party has told
the people that the importer pays the duty I;
that Chinese wall of protection is absolutely
essential to the permanency of American manu-
facturing industries; that home competition
would reduce prices to the level of foreign
countries. and when placed in power, invented
measure that still further heightened the
prices of those articles that enter into the daily
consumption and use of the laborer and left the
luxuries of life which of course are beyond the
reach Of the masses. practically unaffected. In
the meantime the millionaires, with greater
facilities than ever. afforded by the action of
the Republican Congress. are preparing to reap
a Of tha
ducers. The contest practically centered into
one between capital and labor, between which
there should be perfect unanimity and mutual
concord. The Republican party has espoused
the cause of the former, and the Democratic
party that of the latter.
Emboldened by success in 1885, the party of
the Barons proposed a series of laws calculated
to forever retain it in power and reduce the
elective franchise to harmless plaything in
the hands of the voter. In furtherance of this
intended crime. they rendered their infamy still
greater by unseating score or more of Demo-
cratic Congressman who had been elected to
their seats by overwhelming majorities. Once
safely intrenched beyond the reach of the bal
lot all disguise would be thrown off and laws
enacted that would forever fasten upon the
masses the curses of class legislation 1t is
solely due to the vigilance of the Democratic
all this long ago. The people have beheld with
Just alarm the eneroachments Of the monied
class in the past two years. They have viewed
with Indignation the action of a Republican
Congress, by which they are compelled to con-
tribute greater royalties than ever to help swell
the fortunes of men who clear annually sums of
money ranging from $5f Q. 600 to 81. 500 OO. They
have watched the formation Of trusts and felt
their power in the increased price of nearly
everything they buy, and it did not require
many months of Republican misrule to open
their eyes very wide TO the evils of such poll
cies as the party was committed to. Two years
from now, under the same issues. there will not
be enough of the Republican party to pay for
burial.
This, gentlemen, is how it happened, and if
you wish to burden yourselves further by the
weight of your false explanations, we can only
say that you are wasting time and talent for
the people who overthrew your party know why
they did so.