The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-08-27

ana added to their pronts ana to the burdens
of the people by increased duties. grant the
necessity of repeating these internal war taxes
when the exigencies of war no longer de-
manded their continuance. But why did not
the Republican congress repeal tho war taxes
-tarin taxes-which bore so heavily upon the
farmer upon the mechanic, upon the laborer.
upon the great mass of our peope7 Why was
not the war tax reduced upon the necessaries
of life2
The Mckinley Bill.
But this is not all. The protected classes
growing year by year stronger and more pow
erfulwth the protection afforded them, de-
manded of the Fifty-first congress yet higher
duties. The response to this demand was the
passage by Republican congress Of the Me-
Klnley bill. The nvowed object of this bill
was to check importation. Its purpose to
increase the rate Of duties in many in
stances to exclude absolutely foreign goods
from our markets, and thus by cutting off
competition, enable the home manufacturer
without let or hindrance to fix the price Of his
wares. Was this legislation demanded by the
peoplc7 The American people Enthusiastically
set their seal of condemnation upon this bill.
Slowly but surely they have become convinced
that "protec ion does not protect" them.
To tho mechanic and laborer no less than to
the farmer protection has proved delusion
and a snare. In no instance has Ii opened up
TO the farmer additional market for pound
of meat or bushel of grain" II was never
intended to benefit them. Long enough has
the wage Garner been deluded by the cry that
high tariff means high wages. Tariffs have no
effects upon wages, except to diminish their
purchasing power, The higher the tariff the
less the purchasing power of the wages
Wages are governed by the great law of sup
ply and demand II the claim of the protec-
ZIONIST is we'll founded, why have not wages
increased, rs tariffs have increased2 Why
constant reduction of wages In the most highly
protected establishments in the land2
A Bankrupt Treasury.
have shown that instead of n surplus OF
little less than siOOOO0,OO0 left by the Cleve-
land administration, the treasury is now con-
fronted bybankruptcy. This is the result in
part of tho reckless extravaganza Of Rcpub-
lican congress. II is in large measure the
necessary result of the Mckinley tariff BY
that bill the treasury deprived of $4,000, %
OF revenue by repeating the sugar tax; but in
order to compensate the sugar grower for this
loss of tho protection" afforded him, SlOOO,-
900 annually, for fifteen years, are tu be paid
out of the treasury as bounty. Whatever
benefit might como to the consumer by the free
sugar clause of the bill is over balanced many
fold by the largely increased cost of woolen
goods and of all other necessarics of life.
The Democratic house of representatives OF
the present congress has passed n bill rcmov-
ing the increased duty imposed by the Mckin-
ley bill upon tin plate and providing that
WllHlh II lbH 1thGS II Snlll 20 upon tlle Ifec
list. 1t has also passed the free wool and
cheap clothing bill, by which wool Is admitted
free Of duty, and n large reduction sought TO
be effected in the tariff upon wooden goods of
all descriptions. 1t has also removed the tariff
upon binding twine. But for the hostility OF
q Republican senate these measurcrs, so Just,
30 benchcial to the people, would now be upon
our statute books.
To you the tariff is the all important ques.
ton, Tho question is not how much of your
earnings shall be given to the support of the
government, but how much shall under the
forms of law be seized by the favored tho
''protectod" classes. The contest upon which
we have now entered is OF deep significance TO
TO the American people. Shall high tariff.
continually increasing with the demands OF
the protected classes, be the settled policy of
our government or shall there be relief to tho
people from the burdens of taxation?
The Force Bill.
Another issue OF great moment In the pend
ing contest is tho force bill. The magnitude
of this Issue cannot be OverstatGd. II may
mean the control of the election of reprcsen-
tativcs In congress by the bayunet. The Re-
publican party, by its acts in the Fifty-flrst
congress, and by its platform, In its late
national convention, stands pledged to the
passage Of the force bill. That it will pass
this bill, when 1t has the power, no sane man
can doubt. To all of the people all who de-
sire the peace and prosperity of our common
country this question is important. To the
people of tho southern states 1t is one of trans
oendent Importance. Shall they still have
peace and the protection Of the law2 Or shall
the horrors with which they are menaced lind
their counterpart only in those of the darkest
hours Of the reconstruction period2
The Compulsory School Law.
! am heartily in accord with the Democratic
party in Its efforts to repeal the obnoxious
provisions of the compulsory school law, en-
acted by Republican legislature in this state.
II is passing strange that legislation so hostile
to the spirit of our free institutions should
ever have found its way to our statute books.
Tho right of the parent to exercise reasonable
control over the education of his child should
not be abridged. The Democratic party of I'LL
nois stands pledged to the repeal of a law
which has, justly, giyea offense TO many Of
the best CitiZens in our state.
Fellow citizens, | firmly believe that your in
terests, the interests of all the people Of these
UnitcdStates,aro bound up in the success of the
party that came In with Jefferson in the very
infancy of our republic; tho party which for
more than half n century of onr existence has
stood at the helm of state; the party which in
all periods of our history has been the bulwark
of our constitution aud the faithful guardian of
the rights Of all the people; the party under
whose broad banner The men of all natlunali-
ties have been welcomed to share with us this
God.givcn hertage the party which, from the
beginning has been tho foe of prescription,
whether on account Of birthplace or OF rci-
Eion; the party which knows no privileged
rlasses, but demands equal and exact justice
for all; the party which, under Jefferson, pur-
chased the great valley Of the Mississippi, and
extended our domain TO the gulf and TO the
pecan; the party which, under Madison, bore
our flag to victory in our second struggle with
Great nreat Britain, and which. under his Inn
mediate successor, established firmly for all
time the rights of the American nation, by the
declaration and maintenance of the Monroe
doctrine; the party which, in the early morn
ing and In the noon of this century, gloried in
the leadership OF jackson and of Douglas, the
undaunted foes Of special privileges and of
unjust taxation.