The record-union., 1892-10-19
nal union national debt of over 81

100000.
But with the same patriotism that led
Us to incur this enormous Indebtedness,
we have steadily reduced it until it is
now less than one billion of dollars.
We have paid out of the revenues de-
rived from various forms of taxation
devised by our party, over 81, 795, 100000,
and with it all We are to-day the richest
people on the earth.
We have expended since 1861 nearly
500, 100000 in the improvement of our
rivers and harbors and nearly as much
more for public buildings. Under the
wise and beneficent legislation of our
party our country occupies the first place
among all nations in agriculture and
manufactures. the two great sources Of
| national wealth.
Under these same laws we have ex-
panded from a nation of 81, ,0UO,000 to one
OF 65,000,0U0 souls, who have marched tri
umphantly westward until we have peo
pied the entire American continent and
doLLed 1t all over with happy and con-
tented homes and have added eight
States to the galaxy Of the Union. These
are some of the achievements that have
resulted from this long period of un-
broken Republican supremacy.
Thoughtful people, conservative peo-
pie, the youth of the land, have not failed
to observe the wonderful growth and de-
Velopment of our country. They have
reasoned naturally that if these things
could come with Republican control it
would be wiser and safer not to change.
Ii mistakes nave been made; if bad laws
have for the time been allowed to stand;
II we could not always approve, no one
can deny that in the main our laws have
been wise and patriotic, and we will
stand by the party that has made and
preserved us great nation.
PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES OF PARTY.
While the history of party may at
tract, while it's achievements may
strengthen the allegiance of its members,
no party can long maintain its ascendancy
unless its principles have the approval Of
the people.
between the Democratic party and the
Republican party there have always been
certain irreconcilable differences. l will
not stop now to point them out They
have nearly all become merged in the one
single, alI-absorbing question relating to
the tariff
As Republicans we believed that with
the death OF slavery and the heresy of
secession new era of material develop
ment would dawn upon the republic that
would demand a system of laws whose
first and chief object should be-Protec-
ton to American industries, American
labor and American capital.
This, therefore, became, ever since has
been, and always will be, the guiding
principle of the Republican party.
The Democratic party never has enunci-
ated, until recently at Chicago, q clear,
bold and well-deined doctrine on this
great question.
We have now reached the point where
intelligent voters must decide which of
the two banners they will follow-Pro-
lection or Free Trade.
The Democratic party has at last
reached that stage in its evolution when
1t denies to Congress the power to enact
tariff laws for the protection of any in
dustry, or at all, except for revenue only.
l ask you to consider how momentous
is this declaration of principles. The parity
has challenged the construction put upon
the Constitution by the Fathers of the Re-
public and by Democratic Presidents
down to Jackson himself. I know Of no
party declaration that has ever gone to
this extreme. They seek to accomplish
by construction what the Confederates
did in terms in their Constitution. The
Chicago platform declares as follows:
I'VE declare it TO be fundamental
principle of the Democratic party that the
Federal Government has no constitu-
tional power to enforce and collect tariff
duties, except for the purposes OF revenue
only"
Ii it be true that Congress has no such
power, then all our laws under which the
y
built up are unconstitutional and void
and should be set aside.
If it be not true, can you trust party
that boldly avoWs so monstrouS doc
trine and one so destructive to the in
dustries of the country? think it of the
highest importance to know whether this
new doctrine be true or false.
General Jackson was nominated by his
party at Baltimore, March y, 1882. At a
ratification meeting held May llth fol-
lowing, at Washington City, National
Democratic platform was adopted. The
first resolution declared:
THAT an adequate protection to Amer
lean industry is Indispensable to the
prosperity of the country, and that an
abandonment of the policy at this period
would be attended with consequences
ruinous to the best interests of the
nation.'
Every student of history knows that
the Congress in the early period and all
the Presidents believed in and enforced
the principle of protection; the constitu-
nonal power was never questioned in the
early days.
The second Act approved by George
Washington July 4, I7S9, contained this
preamble: Whereas. it is necessary for
the support of the Government, for the
discharge of the debt of the United States,
and the encouragement and protection of
goods, wares and merchandise imported,
ETC." The Act itself contains all the
features of our modern protective laws.
1t is too late, after an unquestioned ex-
ercise of power-fnr 100 years, to challenge
the construct 1der which the power
was exer' 0 unprejudiced man
can b. mocratic platform on
tha' ..G it shows that if that party
N ,ored to power there would be a
Ioversal Of the established theory of gov
ernment, which would be most disas-
trous to the national welfare.
Anyone who VIII read the history of
parties as shown by their platforms, will
see that the Democratic party has steadily
developed the free trade idea, or tariff for
revenue only, which now are synono-
nous. 1t will also be seen that as late as
1888 that party distinctly recognized the
principle Of protection as a necessary
element of our tariff legislation.
1 think it will be useful in our dis
cussion to review this history, and | do it
for the purpose of showing that the
Democratic party is wholly untrustwor-
thy in dealing with the tariff, and that
thoughtful and Independent Americans
who are not at heart free traders ought
not to ally themselves with that party.
HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC Party ON
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
In 1856 the Democratic party adopted
no national platform.
In 1910 it declared that justice and
sound policy forbid the Federal Govern
ment to foster one branch of industry to
the detriment of another"
No objection can be urged to this, be-
cause Republicans believe and 50 frame
their laws that all industries shall have
direct or adequate indirect protection.
In 1874 that party reaffirmed its plat
form of 1910, and expressed nothing new
on the tariff question.
In 1S4S it declared no new principle
upon the question, but reaffinned former
utterances.