Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-09-24
ISSUES OF THE DAY
CANDIDATE sTEvENsON'S ADDRESS A
6LooMINGTOS, HL.-THE WAu
rAEIEE


r'evenson, spoke before great gather
iag Of Democrats at Bloomington, III.
Nh Stevenson's speech, which was re-
ceTed with tremendous enthusiasm, in
tuIstance was as follows:
The responsibility of determinin,
what line Pf public policy shall be pur-
faed, and who shall be selected as Chief
NaglstrateI IS again upon us. Upon
'ce correct determination of these ques.
tious shrod Oh the peaceful methods pre-.
fcrbed by law, will depend the welfare
Of fhe people.
1t Will be my endeavor to suggest
some ot the reasons why Mr. Cleveland
should be elected President and the
Democratic Party restored to power.
The four years administration of presi-
dent Cleveland was confessedly an
honest administration Those who nre-
dlctcd evil from Mr.. Cleveland's election
proved false prophets. The Democratic
administration ending March 4 1889.
has gone into history as an economical
and able administration Of the Govern
Ieat No scandals attached to any of
IL appointments to office.
AT the close of President Cleyelan1's
Administration the surplus IN the Treas
nry. exclusive of the gold reserve, was,
in round numbers, eighty three millions
oi dollars.
w bat is the condition that now CON
fronts US at the end Of three and half
year. ol Republican administration On
the basis of revenues to the Government.
u estimated by the Secretary Of the
Treasury, for the present fiscal year, and
II the liabilities of the Government on
account of the annual and permanent
appropriations for the same period, there
viii be a deficit of fifty-two millions of
Hiolors. The bankruptcy which now
threatens the Treasury is the result, first.
ot the enactment of the Mckinley Tariff
Jaw, and, secondly, OF the lavish appro-
frlatlons of the Fifty-frst Congress.
THE TARIFF.
"Thc tariff is the all important ISSUE
Of the campaign. The position of the
two leading political parties upon that
question cannot be misunderstood The
Republican Party, as illustrated by its
seccnt enactment Of the Mckinley law,
stands for high protective-in other
words, prohibitory tariff. The Dem
ocFatic Party, as emphasized by its ut
tHeranccs and its acts, Is the advocate of
tatItI reform.
The argument advanced by the early
advocates Of a protective system was the
aoccSsity Of protecting our 'infant in
dnStrles.' Yet Mr.. Clay, the author of
Ahe famous tariff bill with which his
70 III
tncA protection to be only temporary
nv thIt SO soon as such industries were
abb tc stand alone, tariff duties should
DC reduced. The compromise tariff law
Of ~33, of which Mr.. Clay was the
author, provided that at the end of ten
years there should begin rapid reduc-
ton Of duties, until the average rate
should not exceed twenty per cent. In
view Of the fact that protection to the
''infnnt industries has more than
trcblctl since the passage Of the bill of
which Mr.. Clay was the author, Clay
would himself, if living, be now de-
bounced as free trader by the protec-
tlOnlsts.
"The average tariff tax at the begin
ming of the Civil War in 1861 was but
nineteen per cent. To purchase muni-
tions of war, to arm AID equip soldiers
and meet All Of the expenses incident to
The great struggle. required large sums
Of money Tariff taxes were largely III
creased. Our Government was III the
throes of war, struggling for its exist
ence, and but little heed was given by
the people to the fact that duties under
The new tariff law were not onl1 highly
protective TO manu- facturers bus burden
some to the people. Bat this was not
all BY subsequent increase by success
sive Republican Congresses the average
rate Of duties reached four seventh Per
cent. This wa, the average rate OF tariff
taxes when the Mckinley bill became the
Jaw
'ln the early days Of the war a new
system of taxation was devised by Con-
gress known rs the Internal Revenue
system, by which enormous suns h1Nei
into the Treasury. With the war closed
Republican Congress relieved the
manufacturers from this taxation. ami
added 10 their profits and 70 the huriens
Of the people by increased duties.
grant the necc :sity of repealiag these in
ternai war taxes wneu the evi iiences OF
war no longer demanded ther con
t.uuancc. But why did not the Repub
lican Congress repeal the war taxes
tariff taxes-wlljch bore SO heavily upoi
the farmer, upon the mechanic, upon ,h
laborer, upon the great mass OF on
pcop1cl Why was not the war tax re
duced upon the nece<saries OF life!
"Why remove from the manufacture
e" the tax OF less than five per cent. an'
leave him the power 10 tax the consume
forty-seven, sixty, eighty per cent. upo
hats, upon shoes, upon blankets, upo
clothng}
''B4t this is not all. The protecte
cla>s,, .roMiat ltar by year etr'n e
ani a.oyo ,oNv. i with the pr".e..ao
afforded them, ceuandei OF the F!t.
tirs, Congress yet higher du'ics.
1880 then demand was IN substance !
c p!oLlbliory tariI. The response