The Portland daily press., 1892-06-25


to enable our industries to compete with
similar industries abroad there may be
| need of discriminating duties against the
products of the latter, because of the
| higher wages paid to our operatives,
and it declares that 'the necessary re-
| duction in taxation can and must be
effected without depriving American
labor of the ability to compete success
fully with foreign labor and without inn
posing lower rates of duty than will be
ample to cover any increased cost of
production which may exist in eonse-
quence of the higher rate of wages pre-
vailing in this country Here is an adj
mission of the constitutionality of pro-
lection duties, of their propriety and of
their desirability even to protect the la
boring man from the ruinous competi-
ton of Europe. Contrast this with the
resolution adopted by the convention
which has just adjourned under the lead
of Henry Watterson:
We denounee Republican protection as a
fraud. robbery OF the great majority of Ameri-
can people for the benefit of the few. We de-
Democratic party that the federal government
has no constitutional power to enforce and col
lect tariff duties except for the purpose of reve
nue. only, and demand that the collection of
such taxes shall be limited to the necessities of
the government, and honestly and economically
administered
1t will be seen that this is an out and
out free trade resolution. 1t absolutely
cuts the party off from imposing single
discriminating duty, though it may be
clearly apparent that it is demanded ito
cover any increased cost of production
which may exist in consequence of the
higher rate of wages prevailing in this
country" Such a duty it declares to be
unconstitutional. If the party lives up to
its platform it must levy it's duties with
a view simply for the production of
revenue, and therefore it must select
articles produced entirely or largely
abroad.
What will be the result of such a
policy? The Democratic platform of
1884 suggests the answer. Moreover"
says that platform ''many industries
have come to rely upon legislation for
successful continuance, so that every
change of law must be at every step re-
gardful of the labor and capital thus in
volved.'' But legislation under the plat
form just adopted cannot be regardful of
capital and labor, because the imposition
of duties for any other purpose than
revenue is declared to be unconstitution-
al and antagonistic to the fundamental
| principles of the Democratic party.
Therefore these ''many industries which
depend upon legislation for their con-
| tinuance' must perish. Certain gentle
men are now engaged in building a plush
mill in the town of Cape Elizabeth. This
| enterprise, which it is acknowledged on
all sides will be of much benefit to the
| town in which it is located and to the
| city of Portland, and which will give en-
| ployment to many people, is one of the
many Industries referred to in the
Democratic platform of 1884 ''as depend
ing upon legislation for their continu-
ance." The discriminating duty .of the
| Mckinley bill made the establishment of
this industry possible. Everybody knows
that the chief object fof that duty was
not the production of revenue,
but to enable enterprises like this
plush mill to be built up here.
The Democratic platform just
adopted at Chicago pledges the party to
repeal this duty, because it declares that
| duties like this whose chief purpose is
not the production of revenue are uncon-
| stitutional and in antagonism to the
! fundamental principles of the Democratic
| party. So with all similar Industries
| which have been built up by the imposi-
| ton of duties, ''to cover any increased
cost of production which may exist in
consequence of the higher rate of wages
| prevailing in this country" they must go
| the wages of the operatives must be
| lowered to the rate prevailing in Europe.
The Democratic platform says to thous-
ands of Industries in this country, indus
| tries which give employment to tens and
| hundreds of thousands of men and
| women ''We will no longer impose dis
eliminating duties to cover the difference
between the rates of wages in this
country and abroad Ia difference which
we recognized eight years ago. You
must shut up your establishments and
let England supply the articles you are
producing OF you must reduce the wages
Of your operatives to the English stand
| ard"