The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-24
RKPUDIArrNG THE CHICAGO PLAT
FORM.
The tariff plank Of the national Demo
cratic nlafforn, raads a. foiIoxs.

FORM.
The tariff plank Of the national Demo-
cratic platform reads as follows:
We denounce protection a. q fraud, robbery
OF the great majority of the American people Tor
the benefit of the few. We declare 1t to De
fundamental principle Of tie Democratic party
that the federal government has no constitu-
tional power to impose and collect tariff duties,
except for the purpose Of revenue only.
The Republican platform adopted at
Minneapolis declares concerning the tariff:
We affirm the American doctrine of protec-
ton. We call attention to its growth abroad.
We maintain shat the prosperous condition OF
our country Is largely due to the wise revenue
legislation OF the Republican congress. We
believe that all articles which cannot be pro-
euced In the United states, except luxuries,
should be admitted FREQ Of duty, and that on all
imports coming into competition with the pro-
ducts Of American labor there should be levied
duties equal to the difference between wages at
home and abroad.
A tariff for revenue only means ''free
trade:" the New York Sun (Dem.) con.
fesses this editorially when 1t says: 1--WE
have never advocated the wildcat banking
plank of the Chicago platform any more
than the free trade plank" The Sun
frankly repudiates the tariff plank OF the
Democratic platform and calls the atten-
ton Of the Western Democrats to the fact
that the Democracy of Connecticut, New
Jersey and New York have already reject
ed the free trade plank Of the Chicago
platform. The Connecticut Democratic
state convention on the 18th inst. said in
their resolutions: "There should be care
full regard for the interests of our domes-
tic industries and for the just wages Of
American workingmen."
The New Jersey Democratic state con-
vention on the 14th instant was, in the
language of the Sun, ''silent about razing
custom houses and supporting the gov
eminent by any of the vagaries proposed
elsewhere, such as tax on matches, tax
on incomes or single tax on land"
The Sun declares that the state of New
York is for protection" that ats fac
tories and workshops and the labor of
those in them, enormously productive and
steadily increasing. points out the utter
folly of fight on free trade lines here"
The Sun does not hesitate to tell the
Democrats of the West that they are max
ing great mistake when ''they desire to
submerge all other issues, to affront all
other interests and to alright the whole
voting public by going in for all they are
worth for free trade, double distilled and
warranted to kill at fifteen PAGES"
The Sun further warns the Western
Democrats that Mr.. Cleveland in his letter
of acceptance will repudiate the free trade
tariff plank of the Chicago platform, for
the very good reason that Mr.. Cleveland is
sensible that no man in America can carry
New York, Connecticut. or even New
Jersey. on the platform of ga tariff for
revenue only" which is nothing more
than the "free trade" tariff Of Great Britain.
A tariff for revenue only would admit
free of duty all commodities. except lux
uries, we produce in this country today,
and levy duties upon such commodities of
foreign production as We largely consume
yet cannot or do not produce ourselves.
Under tariff for revenue only we would
lay heavy duties on sugar, tea. coffee,
spices. tropical fruits, and such articles of
luxury as wine, spirits, tobacco and costly
goods used only by rich, and put on the
free list the whole line Of commodities
most used by our people, now supplied by
our protected manufacturers of clothing,
textiles, metals and manufactures thereof,
hardware, leather goods. glass and glass
ware.
Amy tariff on goods similar to those we
produce in our own country is tariff for
protection and not for revenue, since We
can raise revenue enough from commodi-
ties We do not produce. We could, as
Henry Watterson says, restore the tax on
sugar. yielding SIS. 900 900, and put a
so per cent. tax on tea, coffee, cocoa
and chocolate that would yield $45, COX, 600.
The Brooklyn, N. Y, Citizen, Demo-
cratic paper. points out that if England
derives $50. 900 900 from her tax on spirits.
America could easily obtain 1886. OoO, coo
from a similar tax. Furthermore adds
this Democratic newspaper: England
receives revenue of f12,0o0, 600, or $751;
SOC, 900, from tobacco. America, being a
than England. But suppose we place the
revenue from this source at the same fig
ure as England's, We should then have a
total of $2S5, 100000 from these two arti.
cies"
These Democratic figures prove that we
We do not produce, and. therefore. if pro-
lection is to be abandoned as unconstitu.
tional under tariff for revenue only there
would be no duty on any of our competi.
tive products or manufactures. A tariff
for revenue only would, therefore, mean
tree wool and woollen goods; free lumber,
free coal, free hops. free iron, free barley,
potatoes, eggs, butter. cheese, cattle and
horses. There would be no protection for
the Washington farmer, miner or logger.
The state of Washington would see pro-
lection withdrawn from its coal mines. its
hop fields, its wool and It's lumber. To-
day our tariff on coal is but IS cents ton,
protection 50 inadequate that Australia
can lay down coal in San Fran.
cisco cheaper than Seattle can. Under
tariff for revenue only Washington
would have no protection for its coal
whatever. Australia puts heavy tariff
on American lumber: why should We not
put heavy tariff on foreign coal instead
OF removing the tariff altogether as We
should be compelled 10 do under the pro.
posed Democratic tariff for revenue only I
No wonder the ah.est Democrats az the
East perceive that they cannot carry New