The record-union., 1892-10-21

Alr. DAVIS SAD he had had tie prlncl-
pies OF Americanism burned into him
recently while visiting Washington, and
he became satisfied that the
DEMOCRATIC PARrY's AMERICANIsM
Could not be questioned. He occupied a
seat in the gallery OF the House OF Repre-
sentatlves. he went there to listen to
the debates. And, he added, facetiously,
he went there to see the seat he expects TO
soon occupy in that great chamber. No
particular debate was going on when he
arrived, and nobody seemed to be paying
attention to what the Speaker was
saying. But presently a messenger
arrived, and when it was announced
that he bore the message of Presi-
dent Harrison on the Chilean
question, the great assemblage-a Demo-
cratic Colgress-became as still as death.
All realized that Il crisis had arriVed-a
time had come when America must stand
on her dignity, throw aside all little fac
| tional affairs, and show an impudent
| foreign country that America was unit
when it came to protecting itself, its sail
ors and its people, from insult. y pin
could have been heard to drop when that
message was read, and when ii was con-
cluded Old Congressman Blount of
| Cieorgla, Chairman OF the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and an old ex-Confeder-
ate General, arose in his seat and moved
that the matter be referred to his commit
tee. And, shaking his finger warningly
to his fellow Democrats, he added that he
hoped no American in that body would
assert his privilege to debate this i'm
portant matter.
1--WE make no claims that the Demo-
cratic party is made up Of an un-Ameri-
can people at ali +" said Mr.. Davis. I'VE
are not abusing them personally, but we
are opposing their insane internal policy,
particularly its position on the important
tariff question.
TIE DEMOCRATS POSITION.
For the next two months, at least,
| continued Mr.. Davis, in the position
which it has taken upon the tariff ques-
ton the Democratic party has burned its
| bridges. 1t is now too late for any of
| their speakers to come upon this stand
| and explain away or attempt TO minimize
or do anything else than uphold the
! position which their convention at Chi
cago frankly took upon this subject. Be
I fore entering upon a discussion of the
| difference between the two great parties
| upon this question, let us first examine
how the Democratic party in convention
assembled came to take the position it did
for this campaign. In the platform
adopted by the Republican party at
| Minneapolis on June TO- 1892. the gist OF
the declaration on protection is as fol-
lows: 1--WE reaf1irm the American doc
trine of protection. We believe that all
articles which cannot be produced in the
| United States, except luxuries, should be
| admitted free of duty, and that on all i'm
ports coming into competition with the
| products of American labor there should
| be levied duties equal to the difference
| between wages abroad and at home.''
In the Democratic Convention at Chi
cago the gist of the resolution reported
| by the majority of the Committee on
| Platform and Resolutions was as fol-
/
| IS levied upon articles OF any kind
produced in this country the differ
ence between the cost of labor here
and abroad, where such differences exist,
! fully measures any possible benefits to
labor. In making reductions in taxes it
| is not proposed to injure any domestic
| industries, but rather to promote their
healthy growth. Moreover, many in
dustries have come to rely upon legisla-
| ton for successful continuance, so that any
! change of the law must be ut every step
regardful of the labor and capital thus in
volved, and the process OF reform must
| be subject in execution to this plain die
tate OF justice"
THE PRINCIPLE OF PROTECTION.
The principle of protection is recog-
nized in both. In the Democratic resolu-
ton reference just as explicit as that in
the Republican platform was made to the
| difference between the cost of labor here
and labor abroad as a factor in making up
! tariff legislation. And it goes on to say
that in framing tariff it is not proposed
| to iniure any domestic industries but
rather to promote their healthy growth,
| and declares that as many industries are
| founded upon tariff legislation, and rely
| upon it for their continuance. all changes
| must respect the capital and labor in
volved in these industries. Here are two
| platforms, which, in their ultimate analy-
sis, are in substantial accord. Here was
a majority report of tie leaders Of the
Democratic party; here was the sober
conviction and best thought of the con-
servative members of that party, formu-
| lated in an unique political utterance, dis
tinctly recognizing and favoring the
principle of protection.
| What was done with the resolution
when it reached the convention? Imme-
| diately upon the reading of the majority
report minority report was read as fol-
lows: "We denounce Republican pro-
| lection as fraud, a robbery Of the great
majority of the American people for the
benefit of a few. We declare it to be a
fundamental principle of the Democratic
party that the Federal Government has
no constitutional power to impose and
collect tariff duties, except for the pur-
poses of revenue only, and we demand
| that the collection of such duties shall be
| limited to the necessities of the Govern
ment when honestly and economically
administered
This substitute was championed by
| Henry Watterson of Kentucky and op-
posed by Villas of Wisconsin, and after a
debate was finally adopted upon the roll
| call of the convention of the following
vote: Ayes 564, nays 345. In the Ma
| tional Democratic Convention, though
| little less than five-eighths OF Is members
were in favor of the radical declaration Of
n-Iff fnr nralx
eighths were in favor of an acknowledge
ment of the principle of protection, and
| OF that three-elg ghthS, among other great
producing and manufacturing sections of
! the North, was to be found the solid vote
| of the State of California. You know it is
in the caucus of the party that men are
| most apt to cast their votes in accordance
with the real interests of their section.
The California delegation knew that the
| interests of this State were in favor of
protection.
/ TRIES To FORGET.
| When any Democratic orator comes to
you in this campaign and affects to forget
the position which the Democratic dele
| CATION of California took in that caucus of
! the Committee of the Whole, be not mis-
! led by his assurance. If on the other
hand any Democrat comes to you and
claims that the National Democratic party
| is in favor of a moderate protection or
| SIMPLY ueSlreS 10 lower the tarln some
what, or simply desires that it shall not
/ be as high as it is, then he is utterly in
! sincere or he has never read the present
national platform of his party or the debate
and vote that preceded its adoption.
No matter how much Mr.. Cleveland or
Mr.. Stevenson may seek in their letters
/ to ignore the intent of this plank of their
4 platform and to leave the impression that
no radical departure is intended, Henry
/ WatterSon OF Kentucky, the man who
championed the adoption of the plank