Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-09
MIR. WHITES ADDRESS.

The Champion Of Democracy Receives
an Ovation.
When Mr.. Estee finally closed, and az
he took his eeat, he was loudly ap.
plauded.
Mr.. White then came forward and re-
ceived an ovation lasting several mo
ments. When quiet was again obtained
Mr.. White opened his address. For an
hour and half he spoke, holding bis
audience spell bound. He was frequently
interrupted by applause, and it was
manifest that there was more Demo
cratic enthusiasm in the hall than Re.
publican. Mr.. White spoke as follows
At the outset of this discussion it is
important to consider the position Of the
respective parties as expressed in their
platforms and exemplifed in their his
tory with reference to the imposition of
tariff tax.
Perhaps no Misrepresentation has
been 80 frequently made as the assertion
that the Democratic party is committed
to free trade.
In the first place, free trade under
present conditions is absolutely imprac-
ticable. The necessity of raising an
enormous sum of money for the purpose
of meeting the annual expenses of the
government, and the impossibility of
collecting it all through an internal rev.
enue tax, renders it essential that
ther eshould be custom-house returns.
But the platform OF 1892 is explicit.
"We denounce Republican protection
as fraud, robbery of the great major
ity of the American people for the BEN
eft of the few. We declare it to be q
fundamental principle of the Democrat
ic party that the federal government has
no constitutional power to impose and
collect tariff taxes, except for the pur-
pose of revenue only and we demand
that the collection of such taxes shall
be limited to the necessities of the gov
eminent, when honestly and economi-
cally administered"
The man capable of extracting dec
laration in favor of free trade from these
words is, indeed, peculiarly constituted.
1t is immaterial whether such a conclus-
ion results from mental alteration or
moral perverseness. No candid, careful
person can long act under such an erro-
neous conclusion.
We are in favor of tariff of revenue
only. We are in favor of levying such
taxes as shall be necessary to meet the
expenses of an honestly and economi-
cally administered government. We do
not denounce protection resulting from
this modified and rational revenue as q
fraud. But we denounce Republican
protection as fraud-that sort OF so.
called protection which guards the
wealthy, which produces inequality in
the distribution of property, which op-
presses the many and advances the in
terests of the few.
Moreover, our presidential candidate,
whose tariff views we have ever re-
spected, clearly laid down in his cele-
brated message of 1887, the principles
which now govern his party.
He said sour present tariff laws, the
vicious, ineouitable and illogical source
OF unnecessary taxation, ought to be at
once revised and amended"
Again, 'It is not proposed to entirely
relieve the country Of this taxation. 1t
must be extensively continued as a
source of the governments income; and,
| in the readjustment of our tariff, the in
terests of American labor engaged in
manufacture should be carefully consid-
cred, aa well as the preservation OF our
manufactures"
He also remarked: "But the reduc-
tion of taxation demanded should be go
measured as not to necessitate or justify
either the loss of employment by the
workman or the lessening of his wages. :"
He also said: 1.-THE question of free
trade is absolutely irrevelant; and the