The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-20

these Authorities and under the argu.
ments presented fair minded men will
arrive at the conclusion that the Demo-
cratic party was right when it declared
that Taxation for private purposes is
unconstitutional"
have read with care all the Grgu-
ments urged by the two very able
apostles Of protection, Governor Nc
Kinley and Senator Aldrich, but | fail
to discover that they present asingle
tenable ground upon which protection
pure and simple can be constitutionally
defended. Incidental protection, on
the other hand, is unobiectionable.
Tariffs should be imposed for the OK
press purpose Of revenue. and not for
any private purpose. We believe IN
revenue with incidental protection, and
not in protection with incidental rove
nue.. In SO far as the tariff Ia necessary
to meet the necessities OF the govern
mont it may be imposed, and any other
benefit which may be legitimately de-
rived from its imposition may and does
necessarily accompany it. II the bur
den imposed would operate to prevent
foreign competition the benefit is in
direct and unobiectionable.
President Harrison, in, his ingenious
letter of acceptance, endeRvors to place
our, party in false attitude by calling
attention to the fact that while our
platform in 1884, readopted in 1888,
contained an express plank upon this
question OF the equalization of wages,
vet it was omitted in 1892, and asserts
thatwe have changed our position. ]
beg to differ with him. There has been
no change. 1t is not always practicable
to place in platform the details Of pro-
posed legislation. We stand not only
upon our platform OF 1892, but upon
the Mills bill, which was the latest gem
eral Democratic legislation upon tho
tariff subject. That bill was rs good an
exposition OF our principles as any
elaborate platform could possibly be.
II l were asked to define as concisely
as possible the whole Democratic pol
icy, / should state it substantially as
follows:
But YOUR PLATFORM DOESN'T SAY so.
We favor tariff for revenue only,
limited to the necessi ties of the govern
ment, economically administered and
SO adjusted in its application, as far as
practicable. Rs to prevent unequal bnr-
dens, encourage productive industries
at home and afford Just compensation
to labor, but not to create or foster mo-
nopolies. These are the cardinal prin-
ciples upon which tho details OF all
tariff legislation should be based.
Our opponents profess to be much
disturbed because We have in our plat
form denounced "Republican protec-
ton" as fraud. Whlt else Is it? 1t
is fraud for these conclusive reasons:
First-It is secured by palpable
abuse OF the taxing power oil the gov
ernment.
Second-It lnnures to the benefit OF
the few at the expense of tho many.
Third-It is based upon favoritism OF
the worst species.
Fourth--1t tends to create fictitious
prosperity to be followed by subsequent
business depression.
Fifth-It Is deceptive in its promises
and unsatisfactory in its results.
sixtE-Its principal beneiiciaries con-
stitute privileged class, and their inn
portunities for governmental aid load
TO public scandal and Generalization.
WE'LL, 1T DOES MEAN THAT, SENATOR
President Harrison and all the other
great and small advocates of this vicious
system diligently seek to create the i'm
preston that the Democratic party has
assumed bolder attitude than former
w, and become an advocate Of absolute
free trade. l said in the campaign OF
1888, in my opening speech At the
Academy OF Music in New York City,
that II believed the Democratic party
favored absolute free trade should not
advocate its cause, and / repeat the
statement tonight
| insist that neither the Democratic
party nor have changed our position
upon the question, but that we stand
whore we have ever stood. Tariff re-
form does not mean free trade. Our
opponents misrepresent our position
now as thoy have ever done since the
iamous tariff message Of 1851 In that
Historic message our candidate express
ly repudiated the suggestion that he
was entering upon any crusade OF free
trade. lie did not demund that our
tariff laws should be wiped out OF ex-
istonce.
PrcK's REPORT.
He then quoted from ex.Prosiden
Q,ayclnrd's message, and then took up
the NJ z nley bill, Of which he said in