The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-09-30
1T IS DOWNRIGHT ROBBERY.

A gentleman writing from Monarch
wishes to know the exact wording of
the democratic platform with regard to
the tariff. 1t is as follows:
Section 3. "We denounce 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 gov
eminent has no constitutional power to
impose and collect tariff dues, except for
the purposes of wen only, and we
demand that the collection of such
taxes shall be limited to the necessities
of the government when honestly and
economically administered"
This is the only portion Of the platform
which refers to the constitutionality of
republican protection. Any candid
reader will observe that it does not deny
the constitutional right of the govern
ment to raise revenue for it's mainten.
ance in peace and war. but that it is "a
fundamental principle of the democratic
party that such duties should not be
levied, Except for the purposes of reven-
ue only"
The true meaning of this position of
the democratic party is simply this: 1t
does not believe that a tax should be
laid at ports of entry which
must be paid by one set of
American citizens into the pocket
of another set. the latter set being a
favored class which is given the right to
have this tax placed in it's pocket in con
sideration of devoting a large part of it
to the success of the party granting the
privilege.
1t amounts in a plain way of illustra-
ton to this: The republican party says
to the favored class: Here, friends. we
have made a law for YOU benefit called
the Mckinley bill. 1t puts a heavy
tariff tax on the necessaries of life, and
especially favors you because the foreign
maker in your line will be excluded from
the market which will enable you to sell
your product at a price equal to the reg
ular price with the duty added. These
duties range all the way from 10 to $50
per cent, and our law will enable you to
realize these profits without increasing
the wages of your operatives, and with
out doing anything else you don't want
to do"
ave took good care not to let the ques-
ton of wages enter into this arrangement.
We were careful not to say that Ameri-
can manufacturers were to raise the
wages of their employees in conformity
with their increased profits. We had
other purposes. If labor kicks you can
find plenty of Others to take its place.
But it is mutually understood that in
view of this great concession given you
by the republican party, you are to aid
and support that party with your
substance as long as you live,
for if the democratic party ever succeeds
in getting into power the whole scheme
will be exposed, and then the country
will see the true inwardness of the re-
publican party's philanthropic plans"
This is the exact situation of the re-
publican party and the protected indus
tries of the United States today. There
is not one of these industries in which
wages have been increased, or in which
people are paid any more than they
would receive if open competition we're
the rule instead of closed ports. The
tariff is paid by the poor man, and the
consumer of every class, and it goes into
the pocket of the rich man who receives
it for his services to the republican party,
without any obligation to pay his work
ers in conformity with his profits.
The declaration of the democratic
platform that "the tariff is robbery" is
literally true, and the TRIBUNE between
now and election day will print plenty of
facts and figures to prove it.
DIpHTHERIA is prevalent in Butte. and