The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-06-25

The mission of the Democratic party
is to fight for the under dog. When
that party is out of power we may be
sure there is an under dog to fight for,
and the under dog is the American
people. When the party is out of power
we may be sure that some party is in
control of our government that repre-
sents section, and not the whole coun-
try: that stands for class and not the
whole people.
Never was this truth brought home to
us more defiantly than by the Repub-
lican convention at Minneapolis. We
are not deceived as to the temper OF the
Republican party; We are not in doubt
as to it's purposes. Having taxed US for
years without mercy it now proposes to
disarm us OF all powers of resistance.
Republican success in this campaign,
whether we look to the party platform,
the party candidates, or to the utterances
of party leaders, means that the people
are to be stripped of their franchise
through force bills in order that they
may be stripped of their substance
through tariff bills. Free government
is self~government. There is no self
government where the people do not
control their own elections and levy
their own taxes. When either of these
rights is taken away or diminished a
breach is made, not in the outer defenees
but in the citadel of our freedom.
For years We have been struggling to
recover the lost right of taxing ourselves,
and now we are threatened with the loss
OF the greater right of governing our
selves. The loss of one right is followed
necessarily IN the succession by the Loss
of others.
In every campaign the privilege of
taxing the people will be bartered for
contributions to corrupt them at the
polls. After every victory a new Nc
Kinley bill to repay these contributions
with usury out of taxes wrung from the
people. For every self-governing people
there can be no more momentous ques-
ton than the question of taxation. 1t is
the question, as Mr.. Burke truely said,
around which all the great battles Of free
dom have been fought. It is the CUES
ton out Of which grow all the issues OF
government Until we settle this ques-
ton, wisely, permanently, justly, we build
all other reforms On foundation ct
sand. We and the great party we repre-
sent are to-day for tariff reform because
it is the only gateway to genuine Demo
cratic government.
The distinguished leader who presided
over the Republican convention boosted
that he does not know what tariff reform
is. Who ever said that he did? Let us
hope, with the charity that helpeth all
things, that relieveth all things, that he
is fully as ignorant as he vaunts himself
to be. Unfortunately, the people are not
80 ignorant Of Thu meaning of protection
at least OF Tie protection which is
doled out to them in the bill that bears
his name. They see that meaning writ"
ten large to-day in FRUSTRATED agriculture,
in shackled commerce and in stricken
industries; in the compulsory idleness Of
labor, in law-made wealth, and the de-
SPAR of the farmer. They know by hard
experience that protection as a system OF
taxation is but the old crafty scheme by
which the rich compel the poor to pay
the expense of the government. They
know by hard experience that protection,
as system of tribute, is but the old and
crafty scheme by which the power of tax
alton of the people is held as the private
property of a few of the people.
But we are confronted by new cry in
this campaign, The Republican party
says Gov. Mckinley now stands for pro
lection and reciprocity. He was for pro-
lection alone when he framed his bill in
the house, or rather when he permitted
its benefciaries to frame it for him, and
firmly resisted all efforts Of the states
man from Maine to annex reciprocity to
it. No wonder that he favors the reel
procity added by his bill to the senate.
You may explore the pages OF burlesque
literature for anything more supremacy
ludicrous than the so-called reciprocity
OF the Mckinley bill. 1t is not recipro.
city at all, It is retaliation; and, worst
of all, retaliation on Our own people. 1t
Furnishes American citizens for the
necessities or follies of other people. 1t
says to few little countries south Of us:
Eff you are forced by your necessities, Oh
led by your follies, to make bread higher
and scarcer to your people, we will make
sugar and shoes higher to our people"
Whoever may be your chosen leader
in this campaign, no message will fash
across the sea from the castles of alb
oontao tor;ff lords IN cnnprRi11lafo him