The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-29
The Great Partisan Question.

It is surprising to find an intelligent
newspaper. like the Minneapolis journal
making such proposition as this:
"This whole matter of tho tariff should be handed
over to . non.partisan commission. and taken alto
gether OF politics. The this done the
And It be done IL all Industrial interests
and all business associations would hurl petitions to
shat effect upon Congress- agtnte the subject persist
snty. hold conventions and insist tho change.
LET It DO made q dominant demand. Take the
taria ont Of potios. however the politicians may
squirm It win mako thsm howl but that will not
matter.
take the .arin out of politics and hand 1t to
. permanent non.partisan commission for determi-
nation There never was q better time to do IT,"
We can hardly believe that this Is meant
In earnest. There must be some recondte
and esoteric humor in 1t that has been lost
IN passing through the malls. It must be
as well known In Minneapolis as 1t is else
where in these United States that the tariff
was put into the hands Of partisan COM
mission last foil. The people voted to refer
the tariff question to q commission consist
ing Of the Democrats In the Fifty-third
Congress. with instructions to wipe out the
tariff for protection and to substitute a
tariff for revenue only. All the petitions
that can be signed. and all the conventions
that can be called. cannot take the tariff out
Of politics or politics out of the tariff. AS
well might our Gopher contemporary pro-
pose to take politics out of politics. and to
put the Government into the hands Of a
non-partisan commission.
There Is no sharper division between the
Democratic party and the Republican party
than the division on the tariff. Contrast
the Republican doctrine as laid down In 1892
with the Democratic doctrine OF the same
year. Here Is the Republican confession Of
faith:
I'VE reafnrm the American doctrine of protection.
W call attention to its growth abroad We maintain
that the prosperous condition of country Is largely
due to the wise revenue legislation Of tho Republican
Congress. We believe that all articles which cannot BE-
1rosesd In the United Sta erospt iurues should admit
NJ Irs Of duty. and hat oil imports coming eompat
oa Wh the rodua, Of American labor there should b. levied
dss' equal 10 the Differences bso as abroad and a, home"
That Is the essential part Of the Repubii-
can declaration and doctrine: the free ad-
mission Of articles other than luxuries. that
cannot be produced in the United States;
on all other imports. duties to make up the
difference between American and foreign
wages. Here is the Democratic doctrine:
"wo denounce Republican protection as a fraud, a
robbery of the majority of the American people for the
benent Of the few We declare to be a fundamental prin-
epis Of he Democratic party that the Federal Gossrnmens Aas
oo"Ationai 10 impose and collect larG dutie. sres
for The Of only and We demand that tho
collection OF such taxes shall be limited 20 the necess
ties OF the Government economically and honestly
administered"
The Democrats proclaim as unconstitu-
tional fraud. and a robbery. the system
OF taxation to which the Republicans at
tribute large part of the prosperity of the
country; and the country has decided that
the Democrats are right. and that protec-
ton must give way to tariff for revenue
only. There is no non-partisanship big
enough to span the tremendous and ex-
IRENE distance from the Democratic position
regarding the tariff to the Republican posi-
ton regarding 1t. Protection is Repub-
lican; tariff for revenue only is Democratic.
Tho Democratic position has been affirmed
by the people, and any talk about nom
partisan commission is impertinence or
nl-timed levity. 1t is for the Democrats In
Congress to make constitutional and
Democratic tariff: and for the Republicans
10 destroy that and to revive the Republican
tariff. II they ever get the chance.