Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-12-28
q the long and unfair lease Of exaspsr
ating power the Republicans have exsr
cissd in the state and city.
&c TARIFF IS A - !

Our friends. the enemy, can stand any
charges Of political obliquity or Of
sconomlc dishonesty. but they become
infamed Immediately A. the assertion
that the tariff Is tax
References to the performances OF
Colonel Dudley in Indiana; limitations
concerning the surreptitious possession
that General aad Heademan Clarksoa
took Of the subscription list 81 the
"Volcs land general charge all along the
line Of political knavsry against Senator
Quay, have little or no sfTses, but any
reference TO the taxing qualities Of the
sacred tariff brings their bet blood TO
the surface at once in defence. They
bcgiu the lsborlous aud sad explanation
that II II is a tax this foreigner pays
It." About this stage OF the argument
our friends, the tin plate cranks, nat.
urally become excited and incohsrent.
1t is difficult to maintain that the tar
fl Is not Tax and still claim any credit
Tor removing the duty from sug r It.
Is Illogical 40 we'll as untrue to say that
The tariff is no tax They choke, get
rsd in the face, and fael generally OPP
pressed when they say IT, The argn-
mant they make, therefore. TO maintain
that the tariff on sugar did not Increase
the price on sugar, ia the face Of the
sffcet Of the removal OF the tariff and
Tho consequent decrease ia the prizes
from to cents a pound, is mere
acrimonious than truthful or logical--it
IL more humorous than sensible
Our friends cannot ana 10 not expect
10 convince anybody that the tariff is
not tax, for they could not believe
such an absurdity themselves. Their
sole object in pretending to argue such
proposition ia 70 convince somebody that
they believe It then selves. II that we're
not 50 they would have TO admit that the
Mckinley bin and the whole protection
ism craze Is IN absurdity and q fraud.
The Blainites have done that in ursixg
the reciprocity cure. Mr. Blaine, himself,
has denounced the Mckinley pretsctisn-
Ism as incapable Of increasing the market
for another barrel Of pork or another
bushel Of wheat That is because it ia
protection bill--a measure prepared to
decrease and retard. not to extend com
merce
Porceiying the absurdity aud self-stul-
Ilfeatlon Of maintaining that the tariff Is
not tax, Mr. Blaine has attempted to
parry tbs memorable logic by Offering
frss trade under the disguise Of his reci-
procity scheme.
Reciprocity is the antlthosis OF protsc
ton. One who adheres to rsci sroolty
must forsake the protectionlsm schome
Of prosperity or become a subject OF
ridicuie
II Is just this predicament which
causes our friends, tho enemy, 10 ny into
passion when we tell them that the
tariff Is tax There is nothing else to
do but get mad The more they think
about Il, aud the longer they contemplate
their aslninity, the madden they get,
They feel like man feels whose wife
when on the way to the station stops to
explore the whole feminine geography and
70 extricate penny FOR beggar from
one Of those exasperatingly elusive
pockets and causes the party to miss tho
through express.
Argument Is useless--life becomes
burden, but the tariff is tax Just the
same.