The morning news., 1892-03-17

| A word upon this subject Of taxation always
an interesting one. The Democratic party oe
lieves now, as il always believed, that the best
method 20 raise money sufficient TO support the
! government is BY taxes upon imports. The
man who says that the Democratic party wants
| 70 tear down the custom houses or the land mis-
/ states our position and he knows il. Applause
The man who says the Democratic party
proposes a method Of direct taxation
FOR be purpose of supporting the government
is masquerading as a democrat, but he is not a
true democrat. Applause. We believe that
the power o. taxation must be used Tor public
and not FOR private purposes. lApplause.I IL
has been established by long custom that the
best way TO meet the expenses OF the govern
meut Is by tariff upon imports. No one pro
| poses 70 change that but because Of that most
/ excellent way OF raising the necessary money
| 70 support the government, We do not believe
| that a single dollar more should be raised than
is necessary TO meet the actual needs Of the
government. LApplause.l
THE TARIFF A TAX.
| Now. my friends. 1 do not propose 20 take up
/ your time TO argue She question that the tariff
/ is a tax. Every citizen understands that
question now. The campaign OF 1883, although
disastrous one IN its results, necessarily was
Campaign of education. Applause. Our
/ people understand this question now better
| than they did then. and since the Mckinley
/ bill was put in force every citizen understands
and laughter had the honor of
| saying the night after the election
| of 1855 when l was serenaded by the demo-
/ cratic cluOs OF Albany. THESE WOrQs buOSldu-
/ italy: Although we are defeated il is our
duty TO nail the flag Of tariff reform 10 the mast
and there let in remain until we are victorious. ="
| Loud applause repeat that sentiment now
| and would not lower an atom the high stand
that the party has taken. said we were de-
| feated in the campaign of 1888, that is true,
| through the machinery of the electoral
| college. You have not forgotten the fact, fell
| low citizens, that although the electoral
| college vote was given to our opponents we had
amaJority of the popular vote Of this country
| in favor of democratic principles, APP
| plause. II is not the proper place here to dis
cuss the question of whether 1t was wise or I'M
wise TO have that issue in the campaign of 1888
! lt is sufficient that the people understand IL
now and thoroughly appreciate the sophistry
of the arguments Of our opponents. They can
not longer deceive or misead the people. lap.
plause.l
THE CoUSTRY's UPHEAvAL
Two years ago there was an uprising through
out the country Everywhere the provisions of
the Mckinley bill were discussed before the
people. The whole subject OF tariff legislation
was gone into. There never was such a polit
ical overturning in the history Of any country.
Applause The majority in congress of six
teen against the democrats was reversed until
we to-day have q two-thirds majority in the
House OF Representatives in this country.
Applause do not propose 20 call your at.
tention to what was done by that congress for
the purpose of retaining power and for the
purpose OF putting their laws in such shape
that they could not be amended or repealed
Neither do propose to discuss the ruling of an
arbitrary speaker, the man who was then, but
thank God is not now, speaker Of the House of
Representatives. (Great applause. We went
before the people upon the great issue of tariff
reform and were sustained. Applause.
What was done! The republican congress met
to live out the few remaining months Of its life.
Did they heed the peoples verdict? No. DID
they propose TO repeal the very laws which the
people had condemned? No. They in.
sisted and determined-not that they
were wrong and would change their pol
icy-but that the people were mistaken. and
they bade the people to change their minds, and
the Republican party refused to change its
course lLaughter.l An expression of public
opinion like this would have been respected in
almost any other country in the world. In Eng
land, II there had been such popular upheaval
and the ministry had refused 10 abide by the
manifestation Of the public will 1t would haYe
been obliged TO resign its power and go again
before the people.
THE FORCE BILL
But in a country like ours party although
reouked and condemned at the polls can arbi-
trarily under the form of our government refuse
to heed the peoples will. At least temporarily,
and so the republican congress met and refused
70 change its course. Indeed, II sought to do
more. 1t sought to pass bill whereby it could
hereafter absolutely control through the ma
ehinery OF the general government the elections
OF the various states. do not propose TO dis
cuss at this time the provisions of what is known
as the force bill. That bill was defeated and [
trust that 1t never will again be presented in
Lle COukftSb oi Lu6 lulJcu bLhIoH. Applause.
What now is the duty of the democracy? IL is
to insist that the bad legislation OF the preced-
ing congress shall be repealed. IL is our duty to
insist that the work shall be undone It is our
duty TO insist that the will OF the peope shall be
respected 1t is to the credit or the
Democratic party that it always
respected the will OF the people. Applause |
Then, my friends, let us keep before the people
this one grand issue, Let us insist upon IL that
the laws passed by the late republican congress
shall be repealed. Let us not be misled by other
or minor issues l have the honor to repeat
what recently said in the city of Albany at the
close Of my gubernatorial term: mo small
issue, no untimey issue, no new issue, no other
issues and Irepeat that sentiment now, Ap-
plause.
THE DEMOCRATS AND THE TARIFF.
1t is unnecessary for me to enter into any
elaborate discussion Of the position of the
Democratic party upon the tariff question |
know 1t was misre presented here before |
know II was alleged from one end of the country
to the other that the Democratic party proposed
TO reduce the wages of the laboring man |
denied it then and deny it now. You recollect
the provisions of the democratic platform of
1883 and IN that respect l have no
contained in the platform Of the Chicago cor
vention in June next. We recognize the fact
that industries have been established through
out the country and we recognize that as a
rule wages in this country are higher than in
any other. 1t is unnecessary to ascertain the
reason why this fact exists am glad that the
idCb uoco eAisI dun Rlau Jnat the laOOFlnE
people OF our country receive, as a general rule
larger wages for their honest toll than they do
in other countries across the water The
Democratic party makes no war uDon
manufacturers, 1t makes no war upon the in
dustries of thesland, but it insists on fair play
II insists upon this position, namely, that the
power of taxation shall be used for public and
not for private purposes, and recognizing the
fact that wages are higher in this country than
they are in other countries. the Democratic
party propose to legislate with that question in
view.
THE FRIEND OF LABOR.
want to read you provision of the platform
of 1888, which shows that the Democratic party
is not in favor of reduction of taxation so that
it would inture the wages of single
laboring man. Here it is: "Neces-
effected without depriving the American leborer
of ability TO compete successfully with foreign
| labor and without imposing lower rates OF duty
than will be ample TO cover any increase in the
| cost of production which may result in conse
| quence Of the higher rate OF wages prevailing
in this country" There il is plain, explicit and
| decisive.
THE MILLS BILL.
The famous bill known as the Mills bill was
! framed in accordance with that platform, and
| repeat now, speaking OF that great bill upon
| which we entered the campaign of 1888 that
outside of the free list there is not a single arti
Gle upon which the duty is reduced in that Mills
bill upon which there was not levied duty suffi.
| cient between the cost of the labor involved M
| production in this country and
| other countries. In other words the
| Democratic party's position is that so far as
the difference of wages has gone in the tariff
question the duties shall be sufficient to recog.
nize the difference. Applause The Demo
cratic party believes in the announcement of