Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-07-01
Democratic Tariff pink.
The strnddIc First Proposed, and where
II Came from.

II Came from.
We denouncc the Republican protection
tariff as fraud upon the labor of the
great majority Of the American people for
the benefit of the few. We declare it to be
a fundamental principle of the Democratic
party that the federal government has not
constitutional power TO impose and collect
tariff duties, except for the purposes of
revenue only, and we demand that the col
lection of such taxes shall be limited to
the necessities of the government when
honestly and economically administered.
We denounce the Mckinley tariff law
enacted by the Fifty first Congress as the
eliminating atrocity Of class legislation;
we ndorse the efforts made by the Demo
Gratis of the present Congress TO modify its
most oppressive features IN the direction of
free raw materials and cheaper manutact-
ured goods that enter into general CON
sumption, and we promise its repeal as one
of the beneficent results that will follow
the action Of the people in intrusting pow
er to the Democratic party Since the
Mckinley tariff went into operation there
have been ten reductions of the wages of
laborng men to one increase. We deny
that there has been any increase of pros
perity to the country since the tariff went
ness and distress, the wage reductions and
strikes in the iron trade, as the best posi-
BILE evidence that no such prosperity has
resulted from the Mckinley act.
This is the tariff plank of the Demo
cratic platform as it was finally adopted
and now stands. In the majority report
of the committee on resolutions, as first
read before the convention, in place of the
first paragraph above given the following
platitudinous generality was submitted
We reiterate the oft repeated doctrines
of the Democratic party that the necessity
of the government is the only justification
for taxation. and whenever a tax is unncc-
essary ii is uniustiiablc: that when custom
house taxation is levied upon articles of
any kind produced in this country the diff
ference between the cost of labor here and
labor abroad. when such difference exists
fully measures any possible benefits to
labor, and the enormous additional impos
itiomN OF the existing tariff fall with crush
ing force upon our farmers and working
men. and. for the mere advantage of the
few whom 1t cnrichcs. exact from labor "a
grossly unjust share of the expenses of the
government and We demand such il rcvi-
sion of the tariff laws as will remove their
iniquitOus inequalities. tighten their OPP
pression> and put them on q constitutional
and equitable basis
But in making reductions In taxes 10 is
not proposed to iniurc any domestic u-
dustrics. but rather To- promote their
healthy growth From the foundation of
this government the taxes collected at the
custom house have been the chief source of
federal revenue. such they must continue
TO be. Moreover, many industries have
come to rely upon legislation for successful
continuance, so thar any change OF law
must be at every step regardful OF the labor
and capital thus involved The process of
reform must be subject in The execution TO
this plain dictate of justice.
As soon as the platform had been read
the Ohio member OF the committee on reso-
buttons took the floor and submitted as an
amendment the declaration beginning I'VE
denouncc the Republican protective tariff
as a fraud, - and moved its substitution in
place Of all down to eve denounce the
Mckinley tariff law" Il was over this
amendment that long and heated debate
took place, during which wild scenes of
disorder disgraced the convention. 1t was
during this debate that Henry Wattcrson,
supporting the proposed amendment, hotly
said, my God, have We got to repeat the
straddle OF lSS4,' The amendment was
finally carried by vote Of 564 TO 81.
What makes the selection interesting is
the fact that the plattudinous straddlc. as
first proposed by the committee. unques-
tionably was written in advance 10y Grover
Cleveland, and shows how this outSpoken
O. advocate of tariff reform wanted TO
cover his tracks and hedge for votes on
this issue.