The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-26
THE DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTIONS.

Inc IesoutloHS ouOpSeO Wy tHo DeuAV'
cratic state convention at Olympia yester-
day begin as follows:
We indorse the platform of the Democratic
party adopted at the national convention in
Chicago, and its nominees, Grover Cleveland
and Adai E. Stevenson, and pledge them our
hearty support
The Democratic national platform,
which the Washington Democracy has
thus Endorsed and promised to support
threw overheard the tariff plank which
promised incidental" protection::to Amer.
lean industry and labor. and substituted
for 1t denunciation Of the principle of
protection as a violation Of the federal
constitution, and declared without quail
fication for q tariff for revenue only. But
the Washington Democracy after indors-
ing the national platform as q whole has
this to say specifically of the tariff ques-
ton:
We pledge ourselves to advance BY every ex-
crtion within our power the reform of the exist
ing tariff and the imposition of taxes upon lux.
uries instead OF necessities, to the end that the
burden laid upon the many for the privileged
few be lfghtened as fully as possible.
This resolution is absurd. for It could
not be made to square IN practice with the
declaration favoring a tariff for revenue
only, and the denunciation Of protection
as unconstitutional. Under a tariff for
revenue only no competitive industries
would be taxed, for that would be pro-
lection.
The Democracy under the free trade
British policy OF q tariff for revenue only
would be obliged to raise its revenue by
taxing spirits and tobacco heavily; by re-
storing the tax on sugar, by putting a 50
per cent. tax on tea and coffee. Luxuries
under the present tariff are heavily taxed,
so that the bulk of the Democratic revenue
would be raised by taxing the poor mans
sugar, tea and coffee, which are now on
the free list, and by heavily taxing to-
bacco and spirits. The Brooklyn Citizen,
q Democratic paper. thinks that America
could obtain $23s. OOO, 900 from taxes on
spirits; a revenue of some $5S 100000
from tobacco; . revenue of $55, OO0. 900 by
restoring the tax on sugar; revenue
Of $i5, 00O, 600 from tea and coffee. This
with the whisky and tobacco tax would
make $685., OOO, 600. and there could be
added the $2s. 900. 900 which is already re-
Gel we'd from duties on luxuries, diamonds.
works of art and the like, and the total
would be $423. 100000.
The tax on immigration, the receipts
from the patent Office and tn, oleomar-
garine tax would bring the revenue well
above 500, 600. 900.
This is the scheme for raising a revenue
under tariff for revenue only. but this
scheme would not satisfy the Democracy
of Washington, for it would impose a tax
of $lo0, coo 900 on tea and coffee and sugar,
which the workingman's table pays; it
would impose increased taxes on spirits
and tobacco, which by the Democratic
than Iuxuries. Under the Mckinley
tariff luxuries now are heavily taxed,
while sugar. tea and coffee are free.
IL is clear that under the tariff for rev.
enue only plank of the Democratic ma
tional platform there is no room for the
'raritf reform" policy of the Washington
Democracy, which is a most absurd deini-
ton of the Chicago plank.
The Chicago platform pronounced
squarely against the free coinage Of silver,
while the Washington Democracy 'favors
the free and unlimited coinage of Ameri-
can silver" OF course the Washing
ton Democracy cannot be against and in
favor Of free silver at the same time. so
they do not indorse the silver resolution OF
the Chicago platform in spite of their
statement to that effect.
There is no difference in principle be-
tween the free coinage of silver and the
free coinage Of American silver; the only
difference in practice is that the free coin
age Of American silver would permit the
American silver miner to bring IS cents
worth OF silver to the United States mint
and receive for it silver dollar, or 81
cents above the market price for his
bullion. but would not permit any foreign
producer of silver to swind!e the American
people in this way. The Chicago platform
is against free silver coinage; il is against
"the free and unlimited coinage OF Alneri-
can silver" because il would mean the
coinage of the Old Bland dishonest dollar
in unlimited quantity and free of charge
10 ali holders OF American silver bullion.
The Chicago platform insisted on an
honest dollar; insisted with President
Harrison taat ''eyery dollar We issue
should be ~ good as any dollar We issue;
should be full-va!ue dollar Of permanent
value eli the year round" But the Wash
ington state Democracy call for the free
coinage ~ the dishones, dollar containing
g or 6i cents worth OF silver bullion
coined under the old Bland act OF lS-S
whose coinage has been discontinued IN
der the Republican silver law OF july Il
1880. under which We issue silver treasury
notes which represent 81 honest dollar
and res: on 100 cents worth of bullion
These treasury notes the government gives
the gold for, and as long 50 the govern
rnsnt can DO this the treasury note stands
for sn honest dollar while the Bland dol
lar stands Cor a dishonest dollar.
II is very plain that the Washington
state Democracy didn't know what they
we're taking about when they Endorsed
the Chicago platform, for while the Chi
eAgo Platform dsnoances protection and