The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-25
SEATTLE. MoyDAF. JULY 25.
A FREE TRADE PLATFORM.
The tariff plank OF the Chicago platform
reads as follows:

The tariff plank OF the Chicago platform
reads as follows:
We denounee Republican protection as
fraud, robbery Of the great majority OF the
American people for the benefit OF the few. We
declare 4 10 be a fundamental principle OF the
Democratic party that the federal government
has no constitutional power to enforce and coli
lect tariff duties except for the purpose OF reve-
rue only; and demand that the collection OF
such taxes shall be limited to the necessities OF
tie government honestly and economically sd-
ministe-ed.
This is '.free trade" platform; the kind
of free trade that England has adopted.
Great Britain is free trade country, but
raises certain revenues by means Of GUS
toms duties on tea, coffee, ETC., which do
not enter into competition with British
grown or British made articles. No civil
lied nation ever adopted absolute free
trade but ''tariff for revenue only" means
free trade as il is commonly understood,
the kind of free trade that England has
adopted. Il means a tariff levied on arti-
cles which cannot be produced in this
country, and under the tariff plank of the
Chicago platform there can be no Incl
dental protection" for that was delib-
erately rejected after full discussion and
thrown overheard to make room for "a
tariff for revenue only" This tariff
plank. rejected by the Democratic conven-
ton for the Watterson plank of "a tariff
for revenue only" read as follows:
But In making reduction in taxes, II is not
proposed to iniure any domestic industries, but
rather 10 promote their healthy growth. From
the foundation OF this government taxes COL
iccted at the custom houses have been the chief
source of federal revenue. Such they must con-
tinue to be. Moreover. many industries have
come to rely upon legislation for successful con-
tinuanee. so that any change of law must be at
every step regardful OF the labor and capital
thus involved The process of reform m LIST be
subject to the execution OF this plain dictate of
justice.
The Chicago platform is q free trade
platform; it declares protection not only
fraud, bat entirely unconstitutional. Its
execution would require the elimination
OF protection from the present tariff and
the imposition of duties on tea, coffee,
sugar, molasses and other non-competi-
tive articles Of popular consumption now
on the free list.
The original protectionist plank in the
Chicago platform was repudiated by the
convention and the free trade platform
was adopted in its place. Cleveland's
message of 1887 was a sqnare declaration
for the principle of free trade. While Mr..
Cleveland is exceedingly anxious to re-
pudiate the ''free trade" plank of his plat
form, because he sees clearly it will not
bear his weight, the Democrats of Califor-
mia accept the Chicago platform as a free
trade" utterance and print their interpre-
tation of ii on their handbills, as follows:
Hurrah for
GROVER CLEVELAND
AND FREE TRADE!
Down with Monopolstsi
We Want Free Wool from Australia,
Free Barley and Lumber from Canada,
Free Silver from Mexico,
Free Tin from England and
Free Wines from France.
Tariff for Revenue only"
That's the TAX which viii wini
The people must have Cheap Goods,
Cheap Clothing.
Cheap Shoes,
Cheap Houses and
Cheap Food.
All oi which we can have II we only have
FREE TRADEi
Therefore let's all vote for
CLEVELAND AND FREE TRADE.