The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-03

cause, our exultant enemy We had not long
to wait, AT the Waterloo OF 1890 tariff reform
had Its vindication, and principle
and steaitast devotion to Ameri-
can fairness and good faith gloriously
triumphed over plausibe stiffness and
attempted popular deception. The Democratic
| party still champions the cause which defeat
cou d not induce It 20 surrender which no sue
cess short OF complete accomplishment can
tempt 1t to neglect. Is position mas been from
the first frankly and fairly stated, aud no one
can honestly be misled concerning il. We in O.
vite the sUrictest scrutiny Of conduct In deal
ing with this subject and we insist that our
cause has been open, fair and consistent. l be
lleve this is not now soberly denied In any
quarter.
Our opponents, too, have record on this
question. Those who still adhere to the doctrine
that an important function of the government
is especially to aid them in their business, those
@f %no our only oroi9 IN the consumers
artificial benefits permitted by governmental
favoritism. those VINO see in our workingmen
only tools with which their shops aud manu-
factories are to be supplied at the cheapest
possible cost, and those who believe there is no
moral question involved in tariff taxation Of the
| people are probably familiar with this record
and abundantly satisfied with it. Il may, how
| ever, be probably reviewed by those who be-
| ileve that integrity and good iAth have to do
| with governmental operation and who honestly
confess that the present tariff burdens are
not justly and fairly distributed. Such
| review may also bs Of interest to those
who believe that our consumers are en-
titled to be treated justly and honestly by the
government and that the workingman should be
allowed to feel Ia his humble home as ne sup
plies his family's daily needs, that his earnings
are not uniustly extorted from him for the bene-
mt OF the favored benefciaries of unfair tariff
laws. This, then, Is the record: When we be-
gan the contest for tariff reform it was said by
our republican opponents, in the face OF our
avowals and acts, that we were determined on
free trade. long advance was made in their
tnslncerity and impudeuce when they accused
US OF acting In tho interests OF foreigners, and
when they more than limited that We had been
bought with British gold. Those who dis
trusted the effectiveness of these senseless
appeals Insultei the intelligence Of our
people by claiming that the increase in the
cost Of articles Of the consumer caused
by the tariff was not g. TAX paid by him, but
that t was paid by the foreigners who sent their
goods to our marzets. Sectional prejudice was
invoked in most outrageous manner and the
people OF the north were asked 70 condemn the
maasure of tariff reform proposed by us be-
cause the members of congress from the south
had supported il. These are fair samples Of
the arguments submitted TO the American peo-
pie in the presidential campaign of 1923. 1t
will be observed that the purpose OF these
amazing deliveTa aces was to defeat entirely any
reform IN tte tariff, though 1t had eeen enacted
at q time when I. o expense of tremendous
war justified the exaction Of a tribute from the
people which In time Of peace became
grievous burden, though It had congested the
federal treasury with worse than useless sur
plus, inviting rec Nless public waste and extrava-
gance, and though in many of its features the
OILY purpose of its continuation was the bar
gaining IL permitted for party support. There
were those, however, In the ranks of our op-
ponents wlio recognized the fact that we had so
aroused popular attention 10 the evils and In
justice Of such tariff that il might not be safe
TO rely for success upon bold opposition to It's
reform. These were grave and sedate repub-
lIcan states Tea who declared that they never,
never could consent to suhserve the inter
esEs of Ergi and at the expense
Of their own country as the wicked democrats
proposed to do, and that they felt constrained
to insist upon tariff protection 20 the point
of prohibition, because they devotedly loved
our werkingmeu, and were determined that
their employment should be constant, and that
their wages should never sink 10 the disgusting
level of the pauper labor OF Europe, but that
in view of the fact that the war in which the
tariff then existing originated had been closed
for more than twenty years, and In
view OF the further fact that the public
treasury was overburdened, they were willing to
readjust the tariff if it could only be done by
its friends, instead of rebel brigadiers " will
not refer TO ali the means by which our oppo-
nents succeeded in that contest. Suffice 1t to
say, they gained complete possession OF the
government in every branch, and the tariff was
reformed by its alleged friends. All must ad-
NIT, however, that either this was not done by
the peoples friends or that the effort in their
behalf sadly miscarried or was ungratefulfy re-
menbered for q few weeks thereafter the rele-
CATION to private life among those occupying
seats in congress who had been activs in reform
ing the tariff occurred. which amount
ed to political revolution. These
victims claimed that our voters
failed to ndoTse their reform Of the tariff be-
cause they did not understand It. II is quite
probable, however, that il they did not under
stand 1t they felt it, and taet because IL made
them uncomfortable they emphatcally said
such reform was not what they wanted. At
any rate, the consumer has found life harder
since this reform than before, and If there is a
workiDgman anywhere who has had his wages
increased by virtue of its operation he has not
yet made himself known. Plenty Of mills and
factories have been closed, thousands OF men
have thus lost employment, and we daily hear
from this reform and It's ADVANTAGE
to the people who really need
relief ore not apparent. The provision it CON
tains permitting reciprocity OF trade in certain
cases depending on the action OF the President,
is sdmsson, as fer as it goes, against the
theory upon which this reform is predicated, and
it lamely imps in the direction OF Tree com
merciaI exchange. II 'hypocrtay is homage
wee pays TO virtue" reciprocity may be called
homage the prohibitory protection pays TO gen
uine tariff reform. The demand In your plat
I yrm for free "a ~ materials ought, it seems to
me, TO be warmly seconded By the citizens OF
your state. The advantages 70 the people of
Rhode Island Of such a policy do
not seem 10 be Objectionable, and l
am not here TO discuss them in detail,
but all have said touching the conduct and
record OF tho Democratic party aud its oppo-
nents in regard to tariff legislation ls in support
of the proposition that all who desire the special
relief referred to in your platform for any other
improvement ln our tariff laws in the general
interest OF the people must look to the Demo
cratic party for It, The manufacturer who soes
in free raw materials reduced cost Of his prod
ucts resulting in increased consumption and
extension of his markets and q constant activity
and return for his invested capital, can hardly
trust the party which first resisted any reform
IA the tariff, tnen juggled with IL, and at last
fiat Y refused hiln the relief he still needs The
workingmen who have been deceived by prom
ise of higher wages and better employ ment, and
who now constantly fear the closing of manu-
factories and loss OF work, ought certainly
TO be no longer cajoled by the party whose per
fornance has so clearly given the lie to its pro-
fessions. The consumer has trusted to reforma-
ton ofthe tariff by its friends, now that he feels
ought to look in another direction for relief
II the Democratic party does not give to the
state Of Rhode Island during the present session
Of congress the free raw materials she needs
IL will be because republican Senate or exc
cutive thwarts its design. AT any rate nothing
shslI divert us from our purpose to reform the
tariff in this regard as well as many others to
the time Of its accomplishment, near or remote.
IL doubtless would please our adversaries If we
could be aured from our watch and guard over
the cause of tariff reform to certain other OBJ
iects thus forfeiting the peoples trust and con-
fidence. The national democracy will hardly
crafty this wish and turn its back
upon the peoples cause to wander
after false and unsteady lights In the
wilderness of doubt and danger Our
opDonents must in the coming national canvass
settle accounts with us on the issue OF tariff re-
form IL will not do for them TO say TO us that
this Is an old and determined contention. The
tks.Va1 1u 80. oil