The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-05-12
. srHAlaHTFoRwARD COURSE.


Tho Dcraocratic Party Has Steadily Or
posed Protective Taxes.
The proposition that the democratic
party shall abandon revenue reform
and take to the woods is one Of those
preposterous suggestions that come
only from men who are ignorant Of
political history or devoid Of political
principle. Mr.. Crisp and Mr.. Springer
could not If they would, and would not
II they could, abandon revenue reform,
or reverse the position Of the party.
From the time Of jefferson to Cleve-
land the party has been consistent in
its opposition to protective taxes. The
declaration Of Independence was the
formulation Of demand for free trade.
The first democratic platform adopted
by the party called republican to dis
tinguish it from the federalist, came
from congressional caucus at Phila-
delphia in 1900, the year when Jeffer-
SON was first elected president. Its
second resolution is as follows:
Free commerce nations,
political connection with none, and lit
tie or no diplomatic establishment"
n In 1901 jefferson, in his first annual
message, declared: Agriculture. man
ufactures, commerce and navigation,
the four pillars of our prosperity, are
most thriving when left free to indi-
vidual enterprise" In our early his
tory, when no nation feared our
strength or regarded our rights, every
reasonable effort was made to develop
our resources in order to make us indie.
pendent OF all nations. This was done
in some cases by small import duties,
such as now would be considered
ruinous- jefferson, Madison and
Monroe ever manifested disposition
to encourage agriculture, manufacture,
commerce and navigation, as the
means Of increasing our war resources,
but Jefferson was particular to say in
1905 that the remaining revenue on
the consumption of foreign articles is
paid cheerfully by those who can afford
to add foreign luxuries to domestic
comforts. In 1906, referring to GER
tain duties, he insisted they be re-
tanned, because they are LEVIED chiefly
on Injuries.
The war of 1872 caused an increase
OF duties, interrupted and destroyed
foreign commerce and called for war
tariffs.
Then, as now, the benefciaries Of
the war tariff were reluctant to sur
render their war privileges, but, in
1929, jackson insisted that revenue
was the first consideration, and all in
tcrests should be equally favored. In
his inaugural he said: with regard to
a proper selection Of the subjects of
impost, with view to revenue, it
would seem to me that the spirit of
equity, caution and compromise, in
which the constitution was formed, re-
quires that the great interests of agri-
culture, commerce and manufactures
SHOULD be equally favored, and that
perhaps the only exception to this rule
81 ould consist in the peculiar encour-
aaement Of any product of either OF
them that may be found essential to
our national Independence.
In 1882, Jackson, in his veto Of the
bank bill, said that most of the diff
culties surrounding the government
and most of the danger threatening
the union came from the abandonment
of the legitimate objects of govern
ment.. "Many of our rich men, he
said, shave not been content with
equal protection, but have besought us
to makeEtlfem rich by acts of congress. :"
>In 1882, in his annual message, he in
sisted that Americans might be willing
for awhile to pay higher prices, in
order 10 encourage the establishment
of factories, but, at the same time, he
emphatically repudiated the idea that
such a policy was to be permanent.
But" he said, "for this purpose, it is
presumed that tariff of high duties,
designed for perpetual protection, has
entered into the minds OF but few of
our statesmen. The most they have
anticipated is temporary and gcner-
ally incidental protection, which they
maintain has the effect to reduce the
price, by domestic competition, below
that of the foreign article"
Jackson, in his other state papers,
was consistent in his opposition to all
class legislation, denouncing every at
tempt to build up one interest at the
expense of another, insisted on relief
of such necessaries of life as salt and
coal from tariff taxation, and in his
farewell address said: 1.-THE govern
ment has no power to raise a revenue
or impose taxes except for the purposes
enumerated in the constitution"
The vigorous intellect of Jackson,
his determined character, his broad
sympathies with the people, left their
| impress on the democratic party.
In 1910 the democratic convention
met at Baltimore and adopted plat
form declaring that Justice and sound
policy forbid the federal government
to foster one branch of industry to the
detriment of another" and the fifth
resolution was emphatic in the demand
that mo more revenue ought to be
raised than is required to defray the
expenses of government
In 1914 the fourth and fifth resolu-
tious of 1910 were reafiirmcd.
In 1s4s the party platform declared
that ''the fruits OF the great political
triumph of 1874 have fulfilled the hopes
Of the democracy Of the union in the
noble impulse given to the cause Of
| free trade by the repeal of the tariff of
1912. and the creation of the more
equal, honest and productive tariff of
| 1886"
These principles We're reaffirmed
every four years until 1864.
Here is record so simple, so direct,
SO consistent that no man need mis-
take it. From the beginning until now
the democratic party has been the OPP
ponent of the principles underlying
the whole system of protection. On
| the other hand Hamilton. the federal
party, the wing party, and now the re-
publican party, have been its advocates
and defenders.
And SO 1t will be through all time
Should the democratic party abandon
these principles, the people would
abandon the democratic party. Louis
Vile Courier-Journal.