The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-11-03
nues FOR the support OF the government.

|
| pose the adoption of any such suicida policy
as Is said to be contemplated by the meeting
| 10 winch you have invited me. In my opinion
such movements only embarrass and iniure
inc cause or tariff reform. l remain. very
truly yours, DAVID B. HILL
| | insist that neither the Democratic marty
nor / have changed our position upon this
| question, but that we stand where We have
| Tariff reform does not mean free trade. Our
! opponents mlsrepresent our position now as
they have ever done since the famous tariff
me message s OF 49,: In that historic message
our candIdate expressly reDudiated the sug-
gestion that he was entering upon any crusade
OF free trade. He did not demand that our
tarlff laws should be wiped out of existence
Listen TO what tie then said
our present tariff laws. the vicious, ineuui-
TABLE and Illogical source Of unnecessary tax.
ed" - "' o. ol0e e' iseu anu aiiieho-
AA # in not nrono.sa to sn,;r.,,, ..,,.. -,
country or this taxation. 1t must be extern
s1Vely continued as a source of the govern
ment's income, and in the read justmept of Our
tariff the interests Of American labor engaged
In manufacture should be carefully consid-
cred. as well as the preservation Of our manu-
Again he says:
But the reduction of taxation demanded
should be SO measured as not to necessitate or
justify either the loss of employment by the
worklngman or the lessening of his wages"
The question of free trade is absolutely If.
relevant. and the persistent claim made III
certain quarters that all efforts to relieve the
unnecessary taxation
sCHeIIeS Ol SO called Tree traders
chievous and far removed from anyc, ,ra-
ton of the public good"
These extracts speak for themselves
Inc disastrous defeat OF 1883 brought q
Republican president and Republican con-
gress into pc yer, and two years later, as a re-
ward to those beneficiaries who had SO largely
oon 1dd TO their success, our opponents
PassKgid what Is So known the world wide as the
cuss the details of that measure this evening
as you have heard me frequently upon that
the country, nor has it benefited it. 1t has
increased the burdens Of the taxpayers and
a1ded many of the monoroles Of the land.
There Is no satisfactory evidence that it has
Increased our prosperity in any degree or adj
vanced the wages Of single workingman
Sklilful statisticians capable of jugglin. with
hgures may assume to have more information
than we possess, and may figure different
result, but l can safely assert that it is the
Mckinley bill has not increased wages either
In New York or elsewhere. 1t is undoubtedly
true that in this state the aggregate amount
OF all wages paid the year after its passage
may nave been greater than the aggregate
amount paid the year preceding, but that does
not prove any increase in the rate of wages
paid, and only shows that some new industries
have been established additional men en-
pioyed III others. And it does not appear that
sucn increase has been any more than the
usual natural increase occasioned by the
steady growth of the state
tin II may possibly also be true tat there have
years than during the preceding two years. but
this may be attributed to the moderation and
good judgment of labor organizations
rather than to the effect of any tariff law |
know this much, that the Democratic party
VII be entirely content to permit every work
the passage of the Mckinley bill to vote TIE
Republican ticket if our opponents will con-
sent that all those whose wages have not been
increased shall vote the Democratic ticket
fnd upon that basis we will carry the country
py m,ll?n majortly We should not how
We az: not seeking power upon the "cal;tm-
ity issue, but with all good citizens We rejoice
IN the PROSPERITY OF the country ana trust that
1t may continue, but We insist that the country
mas been prosperous not because of the Nc
hlnley law, but III spite OF il.
New ork Is Il great and cnterpr;sing state
IL Is rapidly increasing in wealth, population |
and resources sand While it is probably true
tnat during the past two years our savings
nave been constructed, new hotels built new |
pubic buildings erected, fire and life insur-
ance business augo,ente;i and other evidences
of a fair degree Of prosperity have abounded, |
these results can no more be attributed to the |
tariff than to the weather. They are inevita-
bic in the natural growth of the state. They !
might better be regarded as an evidence of the !
beneiicent effects of a Democratic state admin |
lstratlor, under whose auspices they have &C. |
Cured.
The people cannot longer be deceived on this
question by the opposition, Public; sentiment
has made RAPID strides during the past few |
years, and greatly cleared the political atmos- |
Phere, rs well as brushed aside many plaus- !
iblc but untenablc cobwebs which have here !
tofore obScured the discussion. No one need |
no" enter into an argument to establish the |
fact that tariff is tax. as the people have |
operations of the Mckinley bill. Five years |
ago the cry that the tariff is tax was re-
celved with derision and laughter by our Re-
publican friends, but now they are endeavor-
ing to convince US how much they have re-
lievcd Us from taxation by the abolition of the
sugar duty. Pray tell us also what has be-
come of the Republican claim, so industriously
persisted in. that the foreigner pays the taxi
The claim has been most thoroughly and
q T. ed and II iC thGra
dent that the campaign of education has borne
its fruits The plain truth is that this policy
of protection cannot much longer stand |
against tho tremendous pressure of public
sentiment for its abandonment
The cause # industrial emancipation is
marching On. When protection was first sug-
gested III this country it was not intended to
be the permanent policy Of the government,
but it urged merely as a temporary meas
urc in aid of weak and struggling industries.
1t was understood that the favOritism was to
cease when our Infant industries" as they
heard this cry of Infant industries" when |
was a child; ii was continued during my boy
hood: it was reiterated when | was a Young
man, and it has redoub!ed in intensity during
my Manhood, but while have been growing
old during all this period these same industries
seem to have been enjoying a season of perpet-
ual youth under the invigoratng air of gov
ernmental favoritism. 1t is high time that the
fostering care, of the government should be
withdrawn and they be permitted to mature
In the elections Of 1870 the Mckinley bill !
was one of the important issues involved You
repudlated by the people,, who demanded its
repeal or modification. There was no mistake
ing the public 7entiment expressed. 1t was a
political revolution unprecedented in the his
tory of the republic. \ Democratic house Of
representatives. chosen by the people in thejr
great uprising, faithfully obeyed the popuIar
will and sought to change the tariff, but a Re-
publican senate refused even to consider the
subject. The free wool BILL the free binding
by the peoples representa- ives in the house
for relief FROM tariff taxation were contemp-
t!aousy laid a3d de- in the senate The Repn
ing that the popular verdict had been pro-
dnced by Misrepresentation the people
peal therefore in this election from the senate
their disap approval of the Mckinley law. We
cernrlent. and we have every reason to expect
that the verdict of 1890 once intelligentiy rem
dered. will not be reversed in 1892
There is another issue In this campaign of
equal if rot greater Importance than the tariff,
which affects tue rights and liberties of every
citizen. The Republican party seems to be If
eral elections bill. generally Known as the
force bill" and although it must be evident
to the most patriotic and thoughtful members
of that organization that it is piece Of politi-
cal foolishness only equaled by its mendacity,
its advocacy. 1t is an Impeachment of the
good sense of the Republican leaders that they
should press the consideration Of offensive
and unwise measure at this any other
time, especially in view of the fact, now ap-
parent to every one, that it absolutely pre-
vents their party receiving a. single electoral
vote in a Il ird of the states of the Union, and
although partisans we may rejoice at their
folly, yet 2 citizens we depiore their threat
ened attat upon the free institutions of our
country, never before so imperiled.
The bill has been well described as a menace
to lberty'-the liberty of the north as well
as the south; the liberty of the black we'll as
the white; the liberty of every citizen no mat
ter to what party he may happen to belong,
1t is conceded that the measure is without
precedent in the history of the country For
over hundred years the government had
been successfully cond ucted, yet no such meas
uree as this had ever been proposed. The Re.
party in the days of its greatest sue.
cess and glory had never ventured to suggest
a scheme of this, character to perpetuate its
power. In those DAYS of its prestige and honor
under honest leadership and with patriotic
methods. it appealed to the intelligence, loyal
t. and emotions of its followers to sustain its
supremacy. but not to fraud, force federal
bayonets or :~hitrary procedures against its
opponents.
Whence CON-. this Objectionable scheme for
federal Interference in cur elections, and who
nripir >rn-- ap1