Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1891-02-05
Senator Vest on Free Trade.

d. c., January Is, 1891.
My DEAR SIR:-Yours of Januar'
1lth Las been receive and wcul'
have been answered sooner but 70
the pressure of official duties.
l do not know that j can answe
your question in regard to the posi-
tion of the Democratic party upol
the tariff in any more satisfactory
way than by giving the folIowin!
extracts from our national platforu
of 1884:
"Knowing full well, however tina
legislation affecting the occupations
of the people should be cautious anC
conservative in method, not in ad
vance of public opinion but respon
sive TO its demand, the Democratic
party is pledged to revise the tariff
In spirit of fairness to all inter
ests.
But in making reduction In take;
1t is not proposed to injure any
domestic industries, but rather tc
promote their healthy growth. From
the foundation of this government
taxes collected at the custom house
have been the chief source of feder
al revenue. Such they must contin-
he TO be. Moreover, many indus,
tries have come to rely on legislation
for a successful continuance, so that
any change of law must be at every
step regardful of the labor and cap
ltaI thus involved. The process OF
reform must be subject in the execu
ton to this plain dictate of justice.
All taxation shall be limited to
the requirements of economical gov
ernment. The necessary reduction
in taxation can and must be effected
without depriving American labor
of the ability to compete successful
ly with foreign labor, and without
imposing lower rates of duty than
will be ample to cover any increased
cost of production which may exis,
in consequence of the higher rate OF
wages prevailing IN this country
Whatever may he the IndividCa
opinions of Democrats, free trade
pure and simple, has never had 8
platform IN the party. 1t is obvious
that sufficient amount of money
must be raised in each year to de-
fray the expenses of the government
and If import duties should be abol.
ished, 1t would be necessary, Of
course, to find some other way ir
which TO raise the sum needed.
The taxes from internal revenue
are not sufficient, and it is out of the
question to contemplate direct taxa
ton. A tax upon incomes has beer
suggested In lieu of import duties
but no party has as yet given it,
sanction to this plan.
The Democratic party is at pres
ent bending all its energies toward ,
reform of the abuses in the presen
tariff, and if we can do this it will
certainly give additional lustre tt
our party history and afford grea
relief to the people.
$40 make haste slowly" is a wis,
rule in governmental matters, ant
1t is especially important that i
should obtain under present condi
tions.
The Democratic party holds tha
import duties shall be collected TO
the purpose of raising the revenu
necessary to defray the expenses o
the government economically admin
istered, such duties being adjuste,
so as not to injure American inter
ests and to bear as lightly as posi-
ble upon the necessaries Of life. o.
the other hand, the Republican par
ty adheres to the doctrine that i'm
port duties should be collected with
out regard to necessary Eesenue
and for the purpose of excluding
from the American market all for
eIgn goods which come into competl
tion with articles produced or manu-
factqTed ia this country.
i believe that we will win upo
this issue, but we must devote to tn
contest all our energies and resour
ces, without wandering into the lin
itless feld of theory.
President Harrison and MIR. Nc
Kinley have declared "that chea
goods make cheap men, and tha
cheap men make cheap country,
but consumers and tax payers of tn
United States have repudiated thi
arlstoeratic, high sounding pronur
clamento, and will continue to do Sc
G. 6. VEST.
Hon. j. c. PATRICK, House of ReE
resentatives, Jefferson City, Mo.
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