Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1894-06-29
The Dilemma OF the Democratic
Party.

Party.
The Democratic party for narrow, po-
liIical ends, started few years ago the
cry Of Tariff for Revenue only" To
win control Of the National Governm snt
vas its real aim, aud as cheap goods
was the most plausible argument to be
used with the majority Of trusting.
untbinking people. it vas urged with all
possisl effect ia every campaign from
the day Cleveland FIRST sent his famous
message on the subject to Congress until
he last National election which gave
ahAt party control Ofthe Government. The
party won on it, aud the people have
the effect Of the vision of free trade be-
fore even the enactment of the declared
intentions Of the Democratic party into
n law. But to the point: A low tariff
Law could be passed BY Congress, it was
contended, through the means OF which
ample revenue could be raised to defray
the running expenses Ofthe government.
and the burdens of taxation ossened
upon the people. Congress met, aud for
abe FIRST time since the war, the
Democratic party controlled every branch
Of the National Government with
more zeal than discretion undertook the
arduOus task Of passing tariff bill 10
IN the manner and form stated. The most
astute and skillful leaders of the party
undertook the framing of the measure
10 accord with the theory heretofore
st Ited. With the result, that the best law
possible to be drawn upon the line of
revenue only, could not b. made to raise
sufficient money to defray the actual ex.
penses Of the government. A shortage
Of several millions of dollars would fol-
low. Thus the dilemma of the party;
A bold and reckless statement was made
to the people that lower tariff would
run the government; aud prote ,tion TO
the industries Of the country being no
longer necessary, a reduction in prices
in all articles Of government usage
wsuld follow. Wh,n the task of the
practical operation of the theory was I'M
dertaken, it vas shown that it could not
be done, aud tariff law with strong
protection factions was necessary =
10 us straights to make the best Of an
unfortunate predicament, and to cover
the error of judgment, the problem Of
raising the necessary revenue to defray
the expenses to run the government vas
attempted to be met By levying a tax
upon incomes, and 10 this last scheme,
to say nothing Of the uufairness and in
justice of the proposition, to make good
as far as possible, party pledges. diff
culties also to beset its purpose =
The party is not happy family ous-e
proposed plan. The Southern Demo-
Gratis favor the plsn; the Northern Dem
ocrats oppose il. The exemption fes-
ture, eiempting all persons or institu.
tons whose incomes do not annually
amount to as much as $4,000, pretty
wellexempts all SOutherners from liabil-
bility under the law, while the Northern
capitalists have the burden to shoulder.
The disagreement 10 the party is there
fore self-evident, and the country not
Interested in the spirit of sectionalism
daily more and more developing are
treated with the iiresome evidences of
personal chickering's in Congress growing
out Of the dilemua in which the Demo
cratic party has placed itself, by favor
ing Tariff Law for Revenue" only
when such measure, as was contended
By the Republican party. is utterly i'm
practicable, and then compromising the
principle. by attaching rider to the
measure in the vain hope Of effecting
standing before The people who have
been SO cruelty deceived by their false
theories and brazen demagoguery.