The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-11-27
THE AMERICAN POLICY.

I A Republican paper, commenting on
the recent popular action at the polls,
says it was 1.-THE determination of a
patriotic people to put away from
power party which had startled them
by the Introduction of an un-Ameriean
policy. That is very funny way of
1 putting it. What are the facts as to
the policy of the party which it is said
the people were determined to put
away from power?
The Democratic policy was defined in
its platform on which the people elect
ed it 10 power How could they be
startled in 1894 by a policy which
was enunciated. explained and voted
on by the same people in 1892? The
tariff policy of the Democratic parry
is no new thing under the American
sun. 1t is as old as the government
itself. 1t is the policy of the national
! constitution. and there has never 6been
an argument adduced to disprove the
| enuncfation that Republican protec-
ton is unconstitutional"
To say that the people OF the United
tates put away from power the DEM
oeratic party because it carried out a
policy which they had placed il in
power to establish, is not to proclaim
them patriotic but puerile and per-
/ verse. Tariff reform was the slogan in
! 1892, and it was what the party which
then gained the victory on It accom-
plished in 1894
| a tariff for revenue is not un-Amer-
lean. II has been established before
It was the underlying principle of the
levying oe duties upon foreign imports
| in the beginning of our nation. The
duties imposed in the Wilson law are
so much greater than those submitted
TO by the people in the commencement
Of this century. as TO be startling. The
same paper which makes the remarks
we have quoted has declared the very
law which it now calls un-American
10 be virtually protective tariff law.
The actual un-Ame,ican tariff was
that levied unier the Mckinley law.
That was oppressive. excessive, intend
led to beneft certain classes Of this
country. framed al their dictation or
suggestion, designed to be prohibitive, |
to restrict and prevent commerce. and
was therefore un-American and unjust.
We have the satisfaction of the as
surance that it viii never he revived. !
il the Democratic party has achieved !
nothing else during its short lease of
national power. ii has killed Mckinney i
ism. Those monstrous and eXorbitant
duties will not be revived. Moderation
will be maintained. The Republican
party will be shrewd enough not to at |
tempt to impose the old rates upon !
imports again. They may call what |
the Democrats have established pro !
let their protective policy run mad /
again.
The truth is that the patriotic peo-
ple' were grooming under the effects |
Of hard times brought upon them after /
nearly third Of a century of Repub- |
lican rule, and they overturned the
party which they believed was the
cause of the trouble and installed the
Democracy. Foohshly expecting that
the mere change of administration
would bring them immediate relief, |
and finding that the disasters they re-
volted against increased, without stop
ping to reason as to the cause, they
turned against the party which they
had relied upon to make the neadful !
change and listened to the receptions
uttered by the Republicans.
The patriotic people" were mott
startled, they were disappointed.
They expected impossibilities. They re-
scented the non-realization of their
hopes. The hard times" cry caused
the uprising. The party in power was
held responsible for all the results of
the doings of its predecessors. The
policy of the Democratic party is all
right, the anger of the dear people was
what did the wrong. That will pass
away. as it has faded out before, and
common sense will takes its place after
a while
The true American policy is to pro-
mote commerce; to keep down taxation;
to provide revenue by a reasonable
tariff; to make the burdens of govern
ment fall chiefly upon those most able
to bear them; to limit the expenditure
Of public funds 10 public uses; to iegis-
late for the welfare of the whole people
rather than for a few; to preserve the
balance of power between the respec-
tive states and the national authority.
and TO seek for the greatest good 10
the greatest number, securing equal
and exact justice to all and bestowing
special privileges upon none That is
the American policy of the founders of
our nation and that is Democracy. The
patriotic people will yet understand it
and make it triumphant