Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-07-22
nEntncPArhc rleLEE pLANK.
The Strnddle First Proposed. aud where
II Came From.

The StraddIe Fir, Proposed aud where
IL Game From.
We rciterate the oft repeated doc
trines OF the Dcmocratic party that the /.
necessity of the government IS the only
iustihcation for taxation. and whenever
a tax IS unnecessary ii * uuuSthablc;
that when custom house taxation Il levied
upon articles of any kind produced IN tins
country the difference between ths cost OF
labor here aud labor abroad, when such
difference exists, fully measures any pos
siblc bcnc.ts To Labor, ana the enormous
additional impoS toms of tht existing
tariff fall with crushing force upon our
farmers AMI workingm-n. and, tor the
mere advantage oi The few whom II en-
riches. exact from labor a grossly unjust
share OF the expenses of the government.
and we demand such u REVISION ot the
tariff laws as will remove thcirinlultous
inequalities. tighten their expressions and
put them on constitutional and cqu.-
table bass
but in making reductions in taxes it
is not pro ,,oScd to iniurc any domestic
/ industries. but rather To promote their
healthy growth. From the foundation
of this government the taAcS collected AT
the custom house have been the chef
source of federal revenue Such they
must continue to he. Moreover, many
industries have come to rely upon legs
Iation for successful continuance, SO that
any change of law must he at every step
rcgardul of the labor and capital thus IN
volvcd. The process of reform must be
subject in the execution to this plain die
tate of Justice"
This is the tariff plank of the
Democratic platform as it was
finally adopted and now stands
In the ma ority report of the
committee on resolutions, as first
read before the convention, in
place ofthc first paragraph above
given the following platitudinous
generality was submitted, and
we would add that both are pub.
lished at the request of prominent
Republicans of Essex county -
" We dcnouncc the Republican protcc.
ton tariff as fraud upon the labor of the
great majority at the American people for
the benefit OF the few. We declare it to bt
a fundamentally principle of the Democratic
party that the federal government has
not constitutional power to impose AND
collect tariff duties, except for the pur
poses of revenue only, and we demand
that the collection of such taxes shall b,
limited to the necessities of the govern
: mcnt when honestly and economiCallN
administered
We dcnouncc the Mckinley tariff laW
enacted bv the Fitty.hrst Congress ms tn,
/ eliminating atroclty OF class legislation
we indOrSc the efforts made bv the Demo
Gratis OF the present Congress to modify it
= most oppressive features in the direction q
free raw materials and cheaper manutact
: urcd goods that enter INTO general con
/ Al
one of the benchccnt results that will TO!
: low the action OF the people i'll lntrustiuj
[ power to the Democratic party Sine
the Mckinley tariff went into operation
, there have been ten reductions of tn
: wages OF laboring men to one increase
We deny that there has been any incrcas
: of prosperity to the country since tn
: tariff went into operation. and We poiu
| .. 4 III, 4 l..
auctions and strikes in the iron trade, a
the best possible evidence that no sue
prosperity has resulted from the Mckil
Trey act.
As soon as the platform ha'
been read the Ohio member of tn
> committee on resolutions too
; the floor and submitted as Il
; amendment the declaration bt
ginning I'VE denouncc the Re
publican protective tariff as
fraud and moved its Substitr
. ton in place of all down to wv
denounce Mckinley tariff law.
1t was over this amendment tina
a long and heated debate too
. place, during which wild scene
of disorder disgraccd the CONVEX
ton. 1t was during this dcbat
. that Henry Watterson, supCor
ing the proposed amendment
hotly said my God, have w
. got to repeat the straddle {
- 1884" The amendment wa
y finally carried by a vote Of Sc
to 342.
What makes the selection il
- teresting is the fact that the pla
" itudinous straddle, as first pre-
posed by the committee, unique
tionably was written in advanc
" by Grover Cleveland, and show
how this outspoken () advocat
= of tariff reform wanted to GOV,
" his tracks and hedge for votes Q
" this issue.
of
&c The great mass of busine.