Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-10-06
EdLR WARNTNG.

The convention at Chicago gave to
the people fair warning that if the
democratic party is permitted to con-
duct the affairs of government it will
pay no heed to the interests of the
working man, the farm or to capital.
1t gave fair warning that it will lay
duties upon goods and products we
cannot manufacture or grow, and put
the American farmer and labor on
terms of equal competition with the
foreigner. The laborer must make his
goods for the same wages that is paid
the pauper labor of the old world, and
the American farmer will be in equal
competition with the ten cents per day
labor of heather nations, and our
markets equally accessible to both.
Some of the Iowa democrats deny that
it is a free trade plank, but the history
of its adoption leaves no ground for
controversy.
The first tariff plank which was in.
troduced in the Chicago convention is
presented below. 1t promised cOnsid-
Grafton of the difference between the
cost of home and foreign labor; it
promised consideration of capital and
labor in our industries; and these terms
were characterized as the dictates of
justice. Here is the first plank:
We reltcrate the oft-repeatcd doctrines of the
democratic party that the necessity OF the gov
ernmcnt is the only Justification for taxation,
| and whenever tax is unnecessary ii is unjnsti-
| fable that when custom-house taxation is
levied upon articles OF any kind produced in this
country, the difference between the cost of la
| Dor here and labor abroad when such n differ
cnce exists, fully measures any possible benefits
| to labor, and the enormous additional impO-
| sitiOn of the existing tariff falls with crushing
| force upon our farmers and wOrkingmen, and
| for the mere advantages OF the few, whom it en-
riches, exact from labor grossly unjust share
| OF the expenses Of the government, and we de-
| mand such a revision of the tariff laws as will
| remove their Ubiquitous inequalities, remove
| their expressions, and put them on constitu-
| tiOmni aud equitable basis. But in making re-
ductiOn in taxes Il 10 net proposed to injure any
| domestic industries, bat rather "a promote their
| healthy growth. From the foundation of this
! Government taxes collected at the custom house
have been the chief source of Federal revenue.
! Such they must C0Gtipue to be. Moreover, many
| industries have come to rely npOH legislation
! for successful continuance so that any change
of law must be at every step regardful of the la
! Dor and capital thus involved. The process of
reform must be subject in the execution to this
| plain dictate of justice
But this was voted down by 564 to
342. Thus the party refused to promise
consideration of these rights of Ameri-
can labor and capital. They sounded
a fair warning that they have no favor
for home farm and industries.
The following is the plank adopted
denouncing protection as uncOnStitu-
tional. Thus it stands today. 1t is for
absolute free trade as that term is &C
cepted by all nations. If Thos. Jeffer-
son were living today he would not
stand upon this plank:
We denOunce the republican protection as a
fraud, a robbery of the great majority of the
American people for the benefit of the few
We declare it to be a fundamental principle OF
the democratic party that the federal govern
ment has no constitutional power to impose and
collect tariff duties, except Tor the purpose O
revenue only, and we demand that the cOllec
ton OF such taxes shall be limited to the nee
essties of the government when honestly ant
economically administered.
The plank gives no encouragement
| to any citizen of the I'nita6 StataS II
is a free trade plank.