The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-05
THE REAL DEMOCRATIC POSITION.


c. c. Matson delivered a speech at a Demo-
cratic convention in that city a few days
ago. In which, referring to the charge Of
Inconsistency between the Chicago platform
and the Wilson bill, he said that the Dem
ocratic party declared for a revenue tariff,
but they did not say when the party would
make it the law of the country; that the
purpose of the party was and is TO feel it's
way and by degrees approach a revenue
basis. We fear Colonel Matson has not
sufficiently recovered from the attack of
political grip (or shall we say loss of gripO
under which he has been laboring for some
time past. to undertake so heavy a task
as that Of proving the consistency of the
Democratic party on the tariff question.
TIL foregoing statement indicates either
that he has lost his own memory, or mag
ines that other people have lost theirs.
AS the Democrats in Congress are about
to enter on the task Of redeeming their
platform pledges on the tariff question:, it
may be we'll enough to recall the action of
the Chicago convention. The platform, as
reported from the committee on resolu-
tons. contained the following:
We demand such a revision of the tariff
laws as will remove their Ubiquitous in
CAPABILITIES, tighten their expressions and put
them on a constitutional and equitable
basis. But in making reduction in taxes 1t
Is not proposed to injure any domestic in
d~ustrtes. but rather to promote their
healthy growth. From the Foundation of
THIS government fQXQG COLLECTED of the atyG-
tom house have been the chief source OF
federal revenue Such they must continue
TO be. Moreover, many industries have
come to rely upon legislation for successful
continuance, so that any change of law
must be at every step regardful of the la
Dor and capital thus involved. The process
of reform must be subject in it's execution
to this plain dictate of justice.
This declaration recognized the necessity
of going slow in the matter of tariff reform
to avoid destroying or Gripping industries
which had grown up under protection. 1t
embodied Colonel Matson's idea of APP
preaching a revenue basis by degrees. But
it was not to stand as the expression of
the convention. On motion of Hon. law
renee T. Neal, of Ohio. it was struck from
the platform and the following was adopted
in its stead:
We denounce Republican protection as a
fraud, a robbery of the great majority Of
the American people for the benefit Of the
few. We declare it TO be a fundamental
principle of the Democratic party that the
federal government has no constitutional
power to impose and collect tariff duties.
I" " We denounce the Mckinley tariff
law enacted by the Fifty-first Congress as
the eliminating. atrocity of class legisla-
ton. . And we promise its repeal as
one of the beneficent results that will fol-
low the action of the people in intrusting
power to the Democratic party.
This resolution was substituted for the
other by a majority of 564 to 342. BY this
action the convention distinctly repudiated
all idea Of compromise with protection in
any form or degree, and declared the pur-
pose of the Democratic party to wipe it
out. The manner in which this result was
brought about, viz. by rejecting one reso-
luton and substituting another for it by a
very lage majority, emphasized the deter
mination Of the party to make wal to the
knife against protection. The campaign
was fought on this line, and Mr.. Cleveland
was elected on that platform. 1t follows
that any compromise with protection, any
recognition of the principle in the slightest
degree, anything but a tariff for revenue
only will be a deliberate reputation by the
Democratic party of the platform on which
1t came into power. In the light of all the
facts Colonel Matson's statement as to the
Democratic position on the tariff question
raises a suspicion that his mind is affected.
yVa Sban rnt ha cllrnriQa6 however III q
great many Democrats go crazy trying to
find out where the party stands on this
question.