The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-09-12
Farmers and Monopolists.

There is not a national statute expressing labor
farm or shop, or counting house-ior which the
Democratic party is responsible and that it did not
oppose there is not national statute looking 10 the
reform of abuses passed within the last quarter OF
century that was not wrung from an unwilling Re-
publican Senate by Democratic House OF Repre-
sentatives. Since the foundation of the American
Union there have been but two ideas in American
politics-one the idea of Hamilton-the present Re-
| publican dea-that the people were made for the
Government, and the other idea of Jefferson-the
Democratic idea-lhat the Government was made
for the people. The Hamiltonian, or Republican,
idea is that no State or its people, should do any
thing that the Federal Government could do for it,
or them; the Jefferson or Democratic idea is that
the Federal Government shall do nothing for a
State its people that the State could do for ITSELF
or the people do for themselves. The Hamilton
idea is that people are incapable of selfgovern-
meut, and the Jefferson idea is that the least the
Government interleres with the people the better
for all concerned.
The Jefferson idea, in the main, prevailed from
1890 till 1865 the Hamilton idea has prevailed since
1869. The granting of immense empire of lands to
private corporations, and indorsing millions of
their bonds the end that those corporations build
railroads for private benefit. is Hamilton or Re-
publican idea. Nor should it be forgotten that
lliost ANUS were tiS VI
Jefferson or as conquest of foreign war, waged by
a Democratic administration. The Democratic idea
is that if private corporation wants to build a
railroad let it do it with its own money, and not
take the peoples land as a bonus and the people s
money as a subsidy, for that purpose. Enough
lands to make half dozen States like Kentucky,
much of il as fine land as can be found in the
Union, was voted by Republican Congresses to
railroad kings like Huntington, Stanford, Croker,
Hopkins Dillon. Willard and that lay out, making
of them millionaires dozen times over and some of
them two three dozen times over while the peo-
pie who support the railroads and pay the taxes of
the Government are ground between the scoundrels
that run the Government and the Midases that run
the railroads No wonder the masses are discon-
tented
\ protective tariff, whereby one man is taxed for
the benefit of another. is another Republican idea
We it illustrated in the Mckinley bill in the tin
schedules. 1t appears that there are indications
that there is some crude tin in hill somewhere out
in Dakota, and at once people in Pennsylvania,
who think they make tin plates if the people
can be taxed enough to make it profitable, rush to
Mr.. Mckinley and induce him TO put clause in his
bill greatly increasing the taxes tin plates and
the result is that every that puts tin roof on
his house, or buys a bucket, or n cup, or canned
goods is made to pay for his purpose in order
that the iron masters of Pennsylvania may eX-
pertinent in doubtful business to say the least Of
ii. The additional taxes levied the people for
few people who say they can make tin plates is
yuriously estimated in amount, and the lowest
amount fixed reaches into the millions. The glass
tax is even worse it is almost altogether protective
while the tin tax is partly for revenue.
The voting of the peoples money out of the public
treasury in subsidy to ship owners-so much per
mile they Sails another Republican idea. The
Republicans say they do this in order that our COM
mercal marine may build up. Thus with one
hand they vote TO encourage trade that with the
other they tax at the custom house. tariff strictly
for revenue would do more to build up CONNER
cial marine in five years than system of extrava
CANT subsidies persisted in for halfa century.
These are some of the things that have made
American farmers discontented; they are deeply
concerned to their future and are clamoIing for
relicfin every State ofthe Union Do they suppose
that the party that saddled the burdens under
which they stagger, upon them is the party to give
them relief? Not bit of it. The party to give
them relief is the party that has been lion in the
path ofthe Republican organization since the war.
Give the Democratic party full control, and soon
the country VIII hear more mutterings from
farmers.