New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1892-07-06


it been passed in Richmond during the
Rebellion. The Constitution Of the Con-
federate Government did contain u pro-
vision which limited its powers as to a
tariff. There is, however, in the Consti-
tuition of the United States notsa single
syllable which bears out the claim ofthe
Democratic National platform. Indeed,
the very first Congress Of the United
States, composed largely of the very men
who framed the Constitution, passed a
Protective Tariff bill almost immediate
| " after conve ming in the first session. II
is not wonderful, however, that the Chi
cago Convention voted for this substi-
ltute. Whoever will analyze thevotes by
which the tariff plank was adopted will
see that a very large number of the dele
gates who voted for it were men who
who once believed in the Constitution OF
the Confederate States, and who still be-
lieve that that Constitution was better
one than the one under which our Gov
eminent exists to-day.
That plank in the Demo platform
sounds precisely like the resolutions of
the multiplying convention which met in
South Carolina during the Administra-
ton of General jackson. Those resolu-
tons declared protective tariff uncon-
stitutional and proposed to disobey the
law. It will be remembered that there
was at that time a Democratic President
who had both nerve and common-sense.
jackson believed that the law was con-
stitutional, and he proceeded to enforce
it.
There is one good thing about this
substitute. It places the Democratic
party, as a party, squarely in favor Of a
free-trade tariff, or a tariff for revenue
only. By adopting the substitute the
Democratic party says to every working
man in the United States: ct makesno
difference to us whether acknowledgment
of England receive less wages than you
do or not; it matters not to us whether
your wages are reduced to a point as low
as are paid to similar workingmen abroad;
we propose without regard to such side
issues to levy duties simply for the pur-
pose of getting revenue. We deny the
constitutional right to pass any law
which shall in any way benefit the peo-
pie who work in this country. Our aim.
is to levy duties 50 as to let the goods of
foreign countries into this Nation, the
more the better. The, duty which the
Government receives on such goods is
the only thing we propose to take into
consideration. If oursaction shallreduce
your wages or throw you out Of employ
ment, that's no concern Of ours. Indeed,
that is a matter about which the Consti-
tuition does not permit us to think. It
may be hard on workingmen, but that
we cannot help"
This substitute says also to every man
ufacturer engaged in any American in
dustry:
's1ou may be relying upon present
legislation for success in your business.
The law which we propose to enact may
injure or ruin your BUSINESS. Itmatters
not. The only question which we have
the right to inquire into is, what rate of
duty will insure the Importation of the
most foreign goods and thus secure the
largest amount of revenue. Whether YOU
are ruined or not is no concern of ours
The Constitution prohibits us from look
,ng after your welfare. True, you are
citizens of the United States. You have
been furnishing employment to the peo-
pie of this country. You have been able
to do business, only because the duty. le-
y
We'd on the competing foreign has been
SO high as to protect you in the high wa
ges you have paid against the low wages
of your competitors across the ocean.
But that kind Of tariff is a fraud and
a robbery and contrary to the funda-
mental principles of the Democratic par
ty.'"
| desire to state, here and now, that
every true Republican in the United
States gladly accepts the issue in the
precise form in which it is left by the
two parties. Many of us have been fo1
years declaring that the position Of the. De
tmocratic party, when once honestly sta
ted, would be precisely the position now
taken by thier platform. Large numbers
Of Democrats have persistently denied
this. 1t will be useless for them hereaf-
ter to make any such claim. The action