Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-09-15
He Summarizes the Issues of
This Campaign Under
Three heads.
They Are Tariff, Reciprocity
and National Banks
Other Items.

people.
''First-The issue of greatest conse-
Quence is the tariff on imports, and
will continue to be until a settlement
is effected by a majority so large that
it will be tantamount to general
acquiescence. Republicans are
aggressive on this subject. Two
years ago they passed a general
enactment known as the Mckinley
tariff, which for a time failed to meet
with popular approval, and was
regarded with a certain degree of
distrust by those who always upheld
the protective system. But a power
full reaction has come, in consequence
of v%indication Of the Mckinley tariff
by experience. 1t is found to have
worked admirably, and within the
last year produced a greater volume
of business, internal and external,
export and import, than the United
States ever transacted before. Not
withstanding the character and
extent of the opposition to it,
agriculture is rcmuneratiVe,
manufactures are prosperous and
commerce more fi0urishing than at
any previous time-thus indicating
the Mckinley tariff by an impressive
and undeniable series of facts.
against this tariff the democratic
party has taken a position almost
without a parallel in the history of
the country. They reject entirely
the doctrine of protection, pronounce
it fraud and mathematics it
generally. A resolution to this effect
was adopted by the democratic
convention, against the report of
the committee on resolutions, by a
two-thirds vote, thus manifesting
the intelligent participation of every
man in the convention.
Sometimes resolutions may be
adopted in haste, or just when a con-
ventiOn is adjourning it may fail to
receive the attention OF members; but
this resolution was debated, pro and
con, adopted after contest, and vas
perfectly understood by members Of
the convention"
Mr.. Blaine quotes the plank of the
democratic platform dc%nOunCing pro-
lection, etc, and adds: of anyone
will take the trouble to read the
resolutions by which Calhoun sought
to defend his notification scheme in
1888, he will find the tariff platform
Of the democratic party in general
harmony Herewith; and if he
examines the subject further he will
discover the duties in the compromise
tariff which reconciled Calhoun and
appeased his angry followers in
South Carolina were Of a more COM
p~rehensive character than those
contemplated in the democratic reso-
luton of 1892.
The democrats arein the habit of
naming Jefferson as the founder of
their party; and yet, on the subject
of tariff, they are in radical opposi-
ton to the principles laid down by
Jefferson. Toward the close of his
administration the venue from
tariff on imports produced a consider
able surplus, and the question was
what should be done? Should the
tariff be reduced, or should this
surplus be maintained?
Jefferson pointcdly asked: Shall
we suppress imports and give that
advantage to the foreign over the
domestic manufacturers? For him
self he recommended that the
imports be maintained and the sur
plus created be appropriated to
improvement of roads, canals, river
and education.
eff the constitution did not give
sufficient power to warrant these
appropriations, jefferson went so far
as to recommend it be amended.
This presents the strongest condition
of affaircs upon which protective
tariff can be justified, and Jefferson
did not hesitate to recommend it.
Tie democrats of the present day, it
is needless to say, are in direct
opposition to the policy which
Jefferson thus outlined and adhered to.
'Second-When the principle of
recip rocal trade vas first proposed to
be introduced into the tariff system,
the democrats showed the most
generous appreciation of the question
and gave thei7 support so long as the
republicans refused to accept it; but
when the republicans came to approve
of it, the democratic support vanished,
and instead of favoring, we find the
democratic national convention
passing a resolution hostile to the
system. But in spit of democratic
opposition, W. have attained, through
reciprocity, new and valuable trade,
and the system has demonstrated its
many advantages. We were about to
declare sugar molasses, coffee and
hides free of all duties in the McKin-
ley bill; but instead of that, we passed
a law by which we ask the several
nations interested what they would
give to have those articles made free.
We found that the privileges which
we were about to give without cost
and without charge, would secure
large trade in foreign countries.
"The free list of the Mckinley
tariff is larger in number of articles
aud in aggregate amount of their
import value than the dutiable list.
What would have been the result to
the UHited States if every article,
before it was put on theifree list, had
been made the subject N~f'inquiry to
see what we could get in exchange
for it. We ommitted to do so for
many years, and that neglect has
cost the government advantages in
trade which would have amounted to
tens of millions of dollars.
"This is the whole of the
reciprocity scheme. 1t is very plain
and very simple. 1t ecure valuable
trade in exchange for articles other
wise destined to be put on the free
list. The democratic party think
they a discredit it, and they make
the effort apparently for the unpa-
trlotic reason that they did not
nrOipatp IT,