The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-08-12
A PROPOSED TRANSFORMATIONS.

In attempting to apologize for Governor
MCKINLEY'S impudent invitation to
President CLEVELAND to announce that
the high tariff policy shall not be dis
turbed, Republican paper supposes that
the President should discover that 'sthe
Constitution of the United States does not
forbid the levying of import duties, or in
other words does not forbid Congress to
enact protective tariff laws and there
fore he proposes to s'repudiate and
ignore that declaration of the Chicago
platform 'tand refuse to sign any bill for
the reduction of duties on imports. -
The effect of this is pictured as ga trans
figuration scene, the like of which this
world never Witnessed
That may be all very wise in the view
OF the writer; but it will not bear investi-
cation. First, the President knows all
about the provision OF the Constitution as
to import duties,r having written upon
| it in such a way as to impress the country
with the soundness of mis- views to such
an extent that he was elected President
the second time chiefly for that cause
And he arrived at the very opposite con-
clusion to that supposed by our imagin-
alive contemporary. He failed TO find
anything in the Constitution which
authorized import duties for any other
than revenue purposes only.
There is nothing in that instrument
which in terms or by implication requires
or permits the imposition of taxes, Gus
toms, duties or imposts for the protec-
ton or special benefit Of any class in this
country. Public purposes alone are con-
templated in the tax paying power. 'sTo
pay the debts and provide for the COM
mon defense and general welfare of the
United States," Congress is authorized
to 'slay and collect taxes, duties, &c. -
IN other words, to obtain the necessary
revenue for the purposes of the general
government. That, and that alone, is
the legitimate purpose of tax or duty oil
any kind, and the Constitution is in har-
mony herewith.
But suppose President CLEVELAND, in
opposition to his well known and thor
oughly digested opinions on this ques-
zion, were to veer round like weather.
cock and point in direction Numerically
opposite to the whole trend of his political
life. Suppose he were to announce that
he would repudiate and ignore the plat
form on which he was elected, fight the
principles which he has maintained with
such force and success, defy the people
who put him TO the front to lead in the
work OF tariff reform, betray those who
trust in him to help smash to pieces the
fooleries and yillainies of Republican pro-
lection, what kind of TRANSPORTATION
would appear?
The champion of Democratic govern.
ment would stand before the country as 6
renegade and traitor; false to his own
convictions, false to his party fealty, false
to the people who placed him where b.
stands, false to the interests of the nation
and the task imposed upon him of redeem
! ing it from the legislative errors of thirty
years. A great TRANSPORTATION, truly
and one that the country, thank heaven,
'shas never Witnessed
/ No, thank you. The Democratic adj
ADMINISTRATION will not take any cues from
Republican demagogues. 1t has duty
to perform. and proposes to undertake i
with the determination to do itthorough
ly and in due time.
1t will take no notice either of the jibe
of its opponens about not establishing
free trade at once, or OF their pleas to lie
the tariff remain as 1t is. Each OF thes
destinations is equally insincere, ant
will neither hinder the reforms that ar,