The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-08-12
Mckinley SOUNDS THE KEY
NOTE OF THE HOUR.
THE PROTECTIVE QUESTION AS
IT NOW IS.
HOME WAGES RAISED BY THE
PRESENT Law.

grounds this afternoon nSteneu 10 q SUR
ring address by Gov. Mckinley of Ohio.
Business in the city was suspended, and
everybody witnessed the procession
which was the most elaborate ever held
in this State. Promptly at 2:3O O'Clock
Mr.. Mckinley began his address. The
Governor received an ovation. He said:
Nh FellOlg-citizenS: | am glad to
meet the citizens of Nebraska. am
glad to visit your progressive and pros
porous city, and heartily congratulate
you upon the advancement of your State
in population, in wealth and industrial
activity.
have come here upon the invitation
of the Chautauqua Committee to discuss
before this assemblage the question of
tariff and taxation, which has given to it
added importance this year because of
the sharp divisions among the people as
expressed in the latest platforms of the
two leading parties of the country. |
learn that on this platform you invite the
freest discussions and welcome men of
every phase of party and political belief;
that all the parties except the Republi-
can, have been heard, and you have been
kind enough to assign to me the pre-
sentatiOn of Republican belief and con-
viction upon the great issues which
divide the parties this year. | will not
discuss further issues, but the living one,
the one which affects the revenues of the
Government and the occupations and
employments of the people. | suppose
that no one will question that citizens of
other countries desiring to bring their
products into this country can do so,
only upon the conditions this Govern
ment may prescribe-the terms Of their
admission here to be fixed by us as it
may seem best to us. This plain
principle will be admitted by all. The
question of difference will be the con-
ditions to be prescribed, and this diff
ference marks the divisions among our
people and between the two great politi-
cal parties of the country. The terms
which both parties would prescribe
recognize primarily the revenue needs of
the Government, and both propose to
provide for them. The one has that for
its sole purpose; the other has that for
one of its purposes, coupled with another
which takes into account home and
country, and fixes the conditions so as
to promote our largest industrial pros
perity and the highest development of
our natural resources. The terms which
our political adversaries would fix re-
gard only revenue. The terms which
we prescribe secure ample revenue for
the Treasury and the highest rewards
to the industry and activity of our own
people.
The latest national platform of the
Democratic party is holder recognition
of free trade than any of its predeces-
sors. An analysis of it is necessary to
its full understandings and to that full
understanding we must know what was
reported, what was stricken out and
what was adopted as substitute for all.
The report, as it came from the Com
mittee on resolutions, declared that:
when customs taxation is levied upon
articles of any kind produced in this
country, the difference between the cost
OF labor here and labor abroad fully
measures any possible benefits to labor"
That was stricken out, and this diff
ference in favor of the American work
ingman is no longer to be recognized by
the Democratic party in its arrangement
of the tariff.
Again, the sentence, "but in making
reduction in taxes it is not proposed to
injure any domestic industry" was
Stricken out, and in their revised edition
they take no care of domestic industry.
DIRECT TAXATION.
Again, the report declared that from
the foundation of this Government taxes
collected at the Custom House have been
the chief source of federal revenue; such
they must continue to be- That is
out. which indicates most
strongly that the new leaders of the
Democratic party propose to abandon
their old policy of raising revenue from
customs and rely soley upon direct
taxation for the revenue needs of the
They give up their old
theories of taxation and are ready to
accept the land tax scheme of Henry
George or adopt the system of direct
taxation which Thomas Jefferson de.
clared too odious and onerous to be
thought of except in great national
Again, the committee report declared
$50 that every change of law must be at
every step regardful of the labor and
capital involved" That, too, is stricken
out, and any change of law hereafter is
not to be regardful of the labor employed
and capital invested in the great in
lustries of the country.
Again, "the processes of reform must
be subject to the execution of these plain
dictates of Justice" That was stricken
,ut. No quarter is to be given, but all
our vast enterprises must surrender
without terms to the demands of tariff
reform. Then they denounce Republican
Protection as fraud and robbery, and de- |
,lare that Congress has no constitutional |
power to enforce and collect tariff duties |
in their nature.
The constitutionality of a protective |
iariff has not been seriously questioned |
n more than one hundred years. Never, |
believe, before was it questioned in |
,he national platform of any party. The |
platform of to-day reads like the |
ordinance of notification which passed |
| general convention in South Carolina |
'ixty years ago. Indeed, after carefully |
'eading the two documents you may |
Tavely suspicion that the latter was |
copied from the former. Any particular |
n which you may find the last instru- |
nent different from fhe first to which | |
rave referred, you will find that it is be-
,ause the latter has more closely adhered |
o the Confederate Constitution than to |
he ordinance of notification.
Is PROTECTION UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Protection unconstitutional A policy
which is as old as the Government; !
,olicy which was recognized in the !
econd act ever passed by the Congress
# the United States, by a Congress |
participated in by many of the trainers
# the Constitution, fresh from the !
and PRONUNCIATION of that |
-reat instrument That COnoress nassed