The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-09-22

Ter Is TO be given, but all our vast Industries
must surrender without terms 10 the demandi
OF the tariff reformer And having stricken thai
OUT they, upon the motion of Mr.. Neal resolved:
we denounce republican protection AS
fraud We declare IL to be the fundamental
principle OF the democratic party that the fed
erai government has no constitutional power TO
impose and collect tariff duties except for the
purpose OF revenue only, and we demand that
the collection of such taxes shall be limited to
the necessities of the government when honest
~ and economically administered"
This Is the voice OF the democratic candidate
Tor governor. Is 1t the voice of Ohiog Win 1t
De the approved utterance of the voters OF
Ohio? This is the principle upon which the re-
vision is to be made, and 1t is the tariff reform
referred to by the president in his recent mes
sage, to which he declares that every effort OF
MS administration shall be dedicated. AS cast
ing further light upon democratic purposes we
nave only to observe how the committee on
ways and means in the present house of repre-
sentatives has been organized A majority OF
the democratic members constituting IL are
| from the south, and from districts Of compare
| lively little manufacturing and commercial inn
| portance.
The Hon. VIM. L. Wilson, representative in
| congress from West Virginia, has been APP
| pointed chairman of that committee and will
have charge OF the tariff legislation of the
| present congress. In an article entitled "The
| Tariff Plank at Chicago, published in the
| North American Review OF September, 1892 he
| expresses the convention purposes of his party
| and considers its action at length He reviews
| the platforms of the democratic party on the
subject of the tariff from 1876 to 1892 inclusive.
| In speaking of the plank of 1884 on this sub
| ject, which was substantially the plank re-
| ported by the committee on resolutions OF 1892,
he says:
Tt
exclusively for public purposes, but subject
to certain specified Limitations The most note
worthy Of these Limitations were: The party
pledged itself to revise the tariff in q spirit of
fairness to all interests; that in reducing taxes
| 1T was not proposed to injure any domestic
industries, but to promote their hearty growth;
that custom house taxes must remain, as from
| the foundation OF the government they have
| been the chief source Of revenue; that as many
| industries have come to rely on legislation for
| their successful continuance any change OF law
| must be, at every step, regardful OF the labor
and capital thus involved; that necessary re-
auctions OF taxes must be effected without de-
| priving American labor OF the ability to COM
| pete successfully with foreign labor, and with
out imposing lower rates than would be ample
to cover any increased cost Of production due to
| the higher wages Of our labor"
Mr.. Wilson says these limitations ''were no
| longer aids, but membranes in the fight The
| temper and courage of the party are nightly
different in 1892 from what they were in 1884;
| what was necessary prudence then would be
| cowardice now. The convention responded fully
and heartily to the feeling of the party 1t repre-
| sented 1t showed its confidence in tariff re-
| form as the great and winning issue by the
| nomination of Mr. Cleveland in the face OF
| warnings that would have driven 1t from man
who did not also stand for cause. 1t meant
| that there should be nothing ambiguous about
the partys attitude to that cause, and that the
| statement of its fundamental principle should
not be overlaid with cumulative limitations.
And in all this the convention was right"
| He further says:
| 1--WE are called upon as the urgent duty Of
| the hour, and of all time, to guard against the
perversion of our tariff system, that has ripened
| into the Mckinley bill Nor can
! the democratic party any longer derive strength
| from pandering to the deluson that protective
| duties can in any way directly benefit labor"
These are the views of the new chairman Of
| the committee on ways and means and will
| prepare the people, to some extent at least for
what may be expected from the present admin
| istration.
So the two economic systems are again on
| trial in Ohio this year The republican party
| has renewed its adherance to the system of Il
protective tariff, and the democratic party has,
| through its platform, declared its adherence to
| free trade or q tariff for revenue only, and has
| put in nomination gentleman who has been
| wing of the democratic party, and is the repre-
| sentative of the most radical views upon the
| subject. What the republican party means by
protection it has interpreted in its legislation
| for the last thirty-three years and its most
recent expression upon that subject is found in
| the tariff law of 1890. So the people know what
! the republican party means by q protective
| tariff, and would be glad TO know what the
democratic party means in detail and with
| particularly by tariff for revenue only. 1t is
| fortunate, therefore, that we have one so dis
| tinguished and able-the very author of the
| tariff plank OF the last Democratic National
| platform itself, TO advise the country exactly
| what the party now in power will do with the
| tariff. lthas occurred to me, therefore, to ask
| my distinguished competitor what his tariff
would do with the law Of 1890 in detail
| And first, call his attention to Schedule A,
| "chemcals, oils and paints" and inquire of him
| what duties, If any, he would impose upon the
| ~ paragraphs contained ip that SCHEDULED? What
| duty will he put upon boraX and boracic acid?
| What upon fax-seed oil? What upon paints.
coOrs and varnishes? What upon lead products?
What upon soda in its various forms? When no
has informed the people of the state upon SEIZED
| ule A, direct his attention TO Schedule B, UNI
| der which are designated "Carths, earthenware
| and glassware" What tariff, il any, will he
| leave upon friedrich, upon tiles, upon sewer
pipe, vitriiied brick and encaustic thing? What
| upon earthen and chinaware, and what upon
| upon glass bottles? What upon marble, stones
and manufactures thereof? What upon slate
roofing? Most of these are peculiarly Ohio
| products, whose manufacture involves large in
vested capital and gives employment to q vast
| army OF Ohio workingmor and are those upon
which the people Of this STATE would especially
| like information.
Then will he be good enough to inform the
people OF the state what will he do with Sched-
ule G, metals and the manufactures of me als?"
What with iron ore, what with coal, what with
pig iron? What upon the several forms of iron
and steel? What tariff will he put upon cotton
ties, what upon hoop iron what upon steel in
gots, what upon cutlery IL any, and what upon
tin plate? There are 103 paragraphs in this
schedule. VIII he be good enough to take them
up and enlighten the people of the state what
duties they shall hereafter bear under the rev.
enue tariff policy which he represents? The
people along the Ohio river and the lake. and in
the valleys OF the Mahoning the Tuscarawas,
the Scioto, the Hooking, the Muskingum and
the Miami, all want to know what is TO be done
with the tariff protecting these vast and in
creasing interests. What will he do with
Schedule ID, "wood and manufactures OPP Then
L draw his attention to Schedule T., and beg him
TO inform US what he will do with sugar?
II he is q genuine revenue tariff reformer,
M no asserts he Is then he will restore