The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-11-05
A Refuge of Lies.
Sary.

A Refuge of Lies.
This has been called IA campaign OF
education. 1t is also campaign of will
full falsehood by the Republican leaders.
There is the 'free trade" allegation to be-
gin with. Every man who uses it against
the Democratic party knows that he Is
deliberately perverting the truth with the
intention to deceive. We have always
had tariff, and must always have one,
unless the people determine to resort to
direct tax to raise the necessary revenue
for the support of government, which Is
not likely ever to be done. What the
Democrats are contending for is reduc-
ton not the destruction of the tariff, and
levying of duties upon the luzurles
rather than upon the necessarles OF life
ANY one at all familiar with our present
tariff. knows that it is mainly levied upon
the necessaries of life which enter into
the consumption of the poor, while
the articles chiefly consumed by the
rich are admitted comparatively free or
at much lower rate. We must hav
a tariff, but in levying it upon imports
it can be made to operate more equally
upon all classes Of our citizens than the
Mckinley law does, which taxes one class
of citizens for the benefit of another.
This is unfair and unjust, and the Demo-
Gratis only seek to correct this injustice
and to distribute the burdens of govern
ment equally upon the shoulders of all
men, And this is falsely, knowingly and
maliciously called free trade.
Another malignant misrepresentation is
the statement that the Democrats wish to
revive the old wildcat currency of the
State banks. This, also, our opponents
know to be utterly false as often as they
repeat it. There never will be return
to such currency, If a system of State
DdIlk ISSUES Siuulu tNtl SuItNtuF .NdtiOIti
banks, such currency will be based upon
the faith and resources of the State to
guarantee its value equivalent to gold, or
it will never be issued. The people
would be satisfied with nothing less.
The present banking system must cease
with the payment of the public debt and
the redemption of the bonds which repre-
sent it. Whether the present banking
system shall be superseded by system
of U. S. Treasury issues, or a well-secured
currency based upon the faith and re-
sources of the States, remains to be set
tied by the wisdom of future legislation.
To assert, as the Republican press and
speakers do, every day, that the Demo-
Gratis are in favor of wildcat" State
bank currency, because their platform ia
vors a repeal of the unconstitutional tax
which taxed State banks out Of existence,
is another wilful and malignant falsehood
intended to deceive and mislead the ignor-
ant and uninformed, and another evidence
of the utter unscrupulousness and dishon-
esty of the leaders of the Republican par
ty, who are willing to take any and every
advantage of their opponents, at the ex-
pense of truth, fairness, decency, and
every consideration that honorable men
hold dear
Another self-evident falsehood is the
denial that the Force Bill is living issue
in this campaign This falsehood is bold
ly affirmed in the Republican press and on
the stump, in the face Of the fact that the
subject forms part of their national plat
form, and that President Harrison advo-
Gated such measure in his message to
Congress, and it actually passed the House
of Representatives and was only defeated
in the Senate by the heroic stand taken
against it by Senators German and those
who came to his assistance on that memor-
able occasion. These facts are well known
to the public, and yet there are those who
have the hardihood to deny that the
Force Bill is an issue in this campaign
Another self-evident falseho cd is the as
sertion that the country is enjoying a
period of unparalleled prosperity through
the operation of the Mckinley tariff.
Ask the farmer whether this statement is
true or false, with his wheat selling for
20 cents per bushel and his corn for 30. Ask
the mechanic and the laborer what is the
cause of so many strikes throughout the
country and why so many are out of en-
ployment. Are such things as these evil
denees of prosperity Does such con-
dition of the country warrant the asser-
ton of Republican stump speakers that
our people are enjoying unparalleled pros
perity? Don't the intelligence of the
masses stamp such statements, at once, as
arrant falsehoods, and shame the authors
of them as attempting to mislead the pub
lie mind by such unblushing perversions
of the truth.
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