New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-28
HEADING FOR THE DEEP SEA.

| Evidence is not wanting to show that many
| Democrats and Independents who voted 1Ot
| Mr. Cleveland four years ago will resolitely
| decline to support him this year. They VIII
abandon him because he no longer represents
the principles of his tariff message and the
platform of 1888 lie now stands for tariff
| for revenue only, whereas he then advocated
n revision of the schedules mainly as means
| of reducing the surplus revenues. The radical
change in his views may be readily illustrated
| In his tariff message he said
Our progress toward wise conclusion will not be
improved by dwelling upon the theories Of protection
| and free trade This savors too much Of bandylng
ep,tbets II is condition which confrOnts us-not
| theory Relief from this condition may Involve
slight reduction OF the advantages when We a"''l
| orr home productions but the entire withdrawal OF
| sucb advantages should not be contemplated The
question Of tree trade Is absolutely Irrelevant: ana
the persistent claim made In certain quarters uat al
efforts 10 relieve the people from unjust and IN
necessary taxation schemes OF so-caIied fN'
Traders Is mischevous and far removed from any
| consideration for the public good Tho slmpio All"
pain duty which VIC tho people Is TO reduce TAX
| alton 10 the necessary expenses OF an eo0nohic"i
operation Of the Government and to restore to the
busness OF the country the money which we hold In
the Treasury through the perverson OF Government
powers These things can and should be done Win
safety 10 all our industries without danger 10 the
opportunity for remunerative labor which our work
ngnen need and with benefit to them and to all our
people Nv chcapcnng their means OF subsistence ana
| Increasing the mca sure Of their comforts.
The necessity for a reduction of the surplus
revenues was Mr.. Cleveland's paramount Issue
in 1888. lie disclaimed indscriminate war
fare upon industries and tho labor dependent
mon them. The Democratic platform Of that
A. 0f %
| and recognized the need of protecting home
industries so far as there was any difference
in the wages Of labor at homo and abroad.
Tho Democratic Convention of this year has
explicitly repudiated the clauses OF the last
platform in which these conservative ideas were
embodied. BY a test vote OF 564 to 342 1t
struck out every sentence designed to concili-
alto manufacturers and to rcassure wagc-eafn-
ers and adopted this radical tariff plank
| We denounce the Republican protection as fraud
robbery Of the great majority OF the American pco
pie for The benefit Of the few. We declare II 10 be
fundamental principle OF the Democratic parry 'ha'
the Federal Government has no constitutional power
TO impose and collect tariff dutes except for the pur
poses OF revenue only and We demand that the col
ectHl OF such taxes shah be limited 10 the neces-
stiles Of the Government when honestly and eco
| nomically administered
Nothing could be more uncompromislng than
this tariff plank. 1t embodcs as "a funda-
| mental principle denial of the constitutional
right of Congress to impose tariff duties ex-
| copt for tho purpose of revenue only, and
brands Protection as fraud and robbery. That
is the platform upon which Mr. Cleveland has
been renominated. That he is at home upon
it and entirely satisfied with it is evident from
his radical utteranccs at Providence when he
put in high bid for the nomination in these
| words: "The Ten Commandments are thou
sands of years old ; but they and the doctrine
of tariff reform will be taught and preached
until mankind and the Republican party shall
heed the injunction, Thou shalt not steal =
Candidate and platform are wholly in har-
mony. They are alike hostile to the Protective
policy as an organized system of public rob-
berry. They are Indifferent to the fate Of homo
| industries and TO the interests of wage earn
crs. Without DISCUSSES and juggling Of phrases
they are for the English economic system pure
and simple. Conservative Democrats perceive
the wide gulf separating their canvass in 1883
from the canvass in 1892. They are hanging
back they cannot follow Mr.. Cleveland. Then
he was hugging the shore; now he is heading
for the deep sea of FREQ Trade.