The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-15
POLICY OF THE REPUBLICANS


nomination of REED by the Republicans of
the house for speaker, and President HAIR
RlsoN's recent message all attest the dis
position and purpose of the Republican
party to adhere to the tariff measures of the
futy-hrst Congress. The expression so
OFTEN heard in the campaigns of the past
TWO years, that wherever the tariff was
wrong the Republican party could be relied
upon TO correct it, has been summarily
dropped. The President asks that sour
business interests be spared the distressing
influence which threats of radical changes
always impart," and this sentiment is
ecnoed with emphasis by all the protection
lists in the land.
YET there are many Republicans that
voted Tor their party tickets in the cleo
tlons OF 1890 ana 1891, being willing to give
tue leaders another chance to modify the
objectionable features of the MCKINLEY act,
VINO sincerely desire that these leaders
SHOULD not adhere TO policy so Injurious
TO the people and so hurtful to the party
luselt. Directly after the New York cleo
tlon, prominent Republican of that state,
MT. FREDERIC TAYLOR, published an open
| letter declaring the result to be the effect
Oh the high tariff and of Republican boss
Ism. as exemplitied in ex-senator PLArr.
lhls letter has brought forth numerous ex-
presslons of approval, and some adverse
critlclsn. 10 one of his critics Mr..
IAfLoR, Just before the organization
Oh Congress, addressed a reply in which
the writer believing himself to be
pointing out policy that will win in the
presidential campaign, advocates "a reason
uOB nlgh tarlff to force the Democrats into
the position OF free traders His idea
seems to be that success for the Republi-
cans lies IN the middle course between tina
MCKINLEY tariff and absolute frea trade.
apparently believing that if the Republi-
cans advance to where the Democracy now
stand, the latter will go to the extreme
length OF advocating the repeal of ali tar
ms. Absurd as this assumption is. MIR.
TAYLOR is evidently imbued with the
pisuslolllty of the notion. However, it is
not upon the Democratic policy that we
are now treating. One of Mr.. TAYLoR's
correspondents writes:
Inc MCKINLEY bill added many hundred ar
tlcles to the free list, on some of which large
outy had heretofore boen collected. and I
claim the bill meets the pledges of our party
IN that 1t reduces the revenue about $50 100000.
10 which the response is readily given
that lit made the duty on a much larger
number of articles higher than it ever was
before" And here follows the plain pep
pies view of the MCKINLEY tariff, put IN
terms clear, concise and convincing:
only one break, Tor more than a quarter of
century, and we have been in the habit of boast.
ing mat during that time the country has en-
Joyed the most phenomenal prosperity the
world has ever seen. And now, right in the
midst OF this prosperity, with the treasury full
TO bursting, the party puts up the tariff on from
'oV 10 LOU articles to height never before
reached, and the plain people think about it
and Talk about 1t, and try to find out why such
an advance was made. The only reason they
can get at why such an advance was made is
because the duties were taken of of other
articles and they naturally become confused in
trying TO understand why if it was a coed thing
TO take the duties of of so many articles il was
an equally good thing to put up the duties on
so many more articles, and in the confusion re-
suitlng from the muddle they are liable to be-
l.eVe what the Democratic press is constantly
assertlng-that the advance of the duties was
not so much liz tie interest Of tie ge2ple as it qgas
IN the interest Of certain classes the result of
which belief, Of course is loss of confidence in
the leaders ana loss of good Republican votes.
See:
The writer from whom we quote saws
that If the Republican party stands for ex
IRENE protection and permits the Demo
Gratis to pose as tariff reformers, the Re
puollcans will surely be beaten; but if thew
force the Democracy into the attitude of
free traders the case will be reversed. He
therefore trusts that in the next national
platform there will be "a positive plank
ple5ging the party to such notifications of
the tariff as shall seem by experience per
missible''
But as we have said, the Republicans
have taken every occasion to assert their
devotion TO the high protective principle.
ana their disposition to resist the dis
tressing influence" of all agitation of the
subject. They are at this time fast taking
ground against the amendment of the Nc
hINLEY act, or repeal by piece-meal,n as
they call it. To suggestions that salt, wool.
lumber, binding Irvine and some other com
modlties be placed upon the free list. OBJ
lection is urged that such changes would
destroy the "symmetry'' of the act in cues
ton, and that revenue measures must be
perfected in their parts with due regard 10
certain balances, etc.
If the Republican party desired an hon
est reform of the tariff in the interest of
the whole people, it would be in their
power to accomplish the purpose to a great
extent before the Attn of March, by promptly
cooperating in Congress with the Democ
racy in removing at least some of the bur-
dens wrongfully imposed by the MCKINLEY
act. OF course they will not do this. They
will, on the other hand. resist any effort in
the proposed direction, though they will
take good care not to let it appear they are
unwilling to make some notifications
They must stand by the protectionists
now, or the protectionists will fail them in
the campaign next year.
N l.It