Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-23

mission of the Democratic party is to
fight for the under dog. When that
| party ia out of power we may be sure
there is an under dog to fight for. and
that under dog is generally the people.
When that part is out we may be sure
some party is in control OF the govern
ment that represents section and not
the whole country; that stands for
class and not for the whole people.
Never was this truth brought home to
US more definitely than by the recent
convention at Minneapolis.
We are not deceived as to the temper;
we are not in doubt as to the purpose OF
our opponents. Having taxed US for
years without excuse and without mercy,
they now propose to disarm us of further
power to resist their exactions. Repub.
lican success in this campaign, when we
look to the party platform and party
candidates, as well as observe the Mt
terances of the party leaders, means that
the people are to be stripped of their
franchise through force bills, in order
that they may be stripped Of their sub
stance through tariff bills. Free govern
ment is self.government. There is no
self-government where the people do not
control their own elections and levy
their own taxes. When either Of these
rights is taken away or diminished, q
breach is made, not in the outer de-
fences, but in the citadel of our freedom.
For years we have been struggling to
recover our lost right of taxing ourselves,
and now we are threatened with the
loes OF this great right of governing our
selves. The loss of one follows in nec-
essary succession the loss of the other.S
vyos "a .nvte< HI a
power of dealing out wealth, you un-
chain every evil that can prey upon and
eventually destroy free inetitutiOns-ex-
cessive taxation, billion dollar con-
gresses. corrupt civil service, q de-
bauched ballot box and purchased
elections. In every campaign the privi-
lege of taxing the people will be bartered
for contributions to corrupt them at the
polls. After every victory there will be
a new Mckinley bill to repay these con-
tributions with taxes wrung from the
people. For self-governing people
there can be no more momentous ques-
ton than the question of taxation. It
is the question around which the great
battles Of freedom have been fought; it
is the question out of which grow all the
issues of government. Until we settle
this question wisely and permanently
and justly, we build other reforms on a
foundation of sand. /.
We, and the great party we represent,
are today for tariff reform, because II la
the only gateway to genuine Democratic
government. The distinguished leader
who presided over the Republican con.
vention boasted that he did not: know
what tariff reform was. Who ever said
he did? Let US hope, with that charity
| that endureth all things and believeth
all things, that he is truly as ignorant
az he vaunts himself to be. Unfortu-
nately, the people are not ignorant of
the meaning Of protection at least, Of
the protection which is dealt out to
them in the bill that bears his name.
They see the meaning written largely
today in Frustrated agriculture in
stricken Industries; in compulsory idle
ness Of labor; in law-made weaith 8fp
the discomfort of the sworkingman and
in the despair of the farmer. They
know by hard experience that protec.
tion, as system of taxation, is but q
bold and crafty scheme by which the
rich compel the poor to pay the ex-
penses of the government. They know
by hard experience that protection is
system of tribute, ia but q bold,
crafty scheme by which the power of
taxation of the people is made the pri-
vate property Of few Of the people.
Tariff reform means to readjust this
system of taxation and purge away this
system of tribute. It means that we
have not reached the goal of perfect
freedom as long as any citizen lie forced
by the law to pay tribute to any other
citizen; and, until our taxes are proper
toned to the ability and duty of the
taxpayer, rather than to his ignorance,
his weakness and his patience.
Governor Mckinley further charges
the Democratic party that it believes in
taxing ourselves. / am afraid. gentle
men, that we must admit this charge.
What right or excuse have we for taxing
anybody else? With continent for
country, with predominant intelligence
as the instrument of its development,
we stand disgraced in the eyes Of man
kind if we cannot, and if we do not, sup
port our own government. We can
throw that support on other people only
by beggary or by force. If we use
the one we are pauper nation;
if we use the other we are. pirate ma
tion. The Democratic party does not
intend that we should do either. No
more does it intend that they shall
falsely call it taxing other people to
transfer our ktaxes from the possession
OF those who own property in this coun-
try to the bellies and backs of those who
do the work of the country. 1t believes
that frugality is an essential virtue of
good government. It believes that
taxes should be limited to the public
needs and be levied by the plain rule Of
justice and economy.
But, gentlemen. we are confronted
with 9 new cry in this campaign. The
Republican party says Governor Nc
Kinley now stands for protection and
reciprocity. He was for protection
alone when be framed the bill in
the house Of representatives, : or
rather permitted his bene6ciaries to
frame it for him, and resisted all the ef-
forts OF the statesman from Maine to
annex 9 reciprocity clause to it. No
wonder he favors the reciprocity added
by the senate. You may ex
plore the pages Of burlesque literature
for anything more supremely ludicrous
than the so-called reciprocity Of the
Mckinley bill, in vain. It is not reci-
procity at all. It is retaliation, and the
worst OF all, retaliation on our own peo-
pie. It Furnishes American citizens for
the f0llies OF other peoples. 1t says to
few small countries south of it: "If
you are forced by your necessities, or led
by your follies to make bread higher
and scarcer to your people, we will make
shoes and sugar higher and scarcer to
our n0oDl0.O And now ua ara told that