The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-04-06

| for so many years from the Democratic ora
tors AMI have read SO frequently in Demo-
cratic newspapers and platforms, but have
been unsuccessful in finding any such pro-
vision. 1t Is true that sugar, an article Of
prime necessity to every household. and
which the law OF 1890 made free to the peo-
per pound. every cent of which will be paid
by the consumers Of the United States. But,
doubtless In compensation for this added
burden Of upward Of $50, COO 900 and because
of it, they lowered the tariff on tobacco and
extended the bonded period for the ware
housing of whisky and giving to the distil-
lers eight years In which to pay the tax
They restored the tariff on coal. but then In
fairness they should be credited with taking
the tariff off Of diamonds. They reason that
the manufacturers are few, forgetting that
the workmen are many. They look to the
interests Of Importers, ignoring the farmer
and obliyious to the fact that the agriculture
ist Is everywhere Their blows are directed
against the welfare Of the masses Of the
people, but from them the country will yet
hear, for this is still government of the
people, and the popular will has already
marked them for political overthrow. l do
not believe that the true interests Of the
South, nor of any other section of the coun-
try, lie in the direetion Of free trade, nor OF
the revenue tariff legislation proposed by
this congress.
The present position and action of the
Democratic leaders on internal taxes is Pc
culiariy an anomalo lous one. They are so de-
termined to break down the protective sys-
ttli lIeS are Nll1lnS 10 resort TO inter-
nal taxes, which have been opposed not only
by every Democratic national administration
preceding the present one from Jacksons to
Buchanan's. but also as a matter of princi-
pie, by every other administration. Federal,
ant-Federal. Whig or Republican. In our
history. The only excuse for resort TO such
taxation has been the financial exigencies Of
actual war. Laws imposing internal taxes
have always been repealed as rapidly as
such eSigencies disappeared, and have never
peIore been seriously proposed in times Of
profound peace Some Of the same Demo
cratic leaders who,e during and subsequent
10 ihe war, stood In congress speaking and
voting against internal taxes and an income
tax, are found to-day heartily favurng
them. Ihey were unwilling to adopt these
methods Of taxation when it was necessary
70 preserve the government and the flag but
they are willing to adopt them now as a
means mean, OF breaking down the patriotic prin-
clpie OF protection under which the North
ana Northwest, as well as the South have
enjoyed such unparalleled prosperity and
nave attained such marvellous development.
irritating to Industries.
~ would be interesting to the stu,Ie,t OF
political history TO examine the va ions nsts
ana resolves Of congress touching internal
taxes, beginning in 1861 and including the
sears - @ during t, anu shortly after the war; and
DenocratR party thereon. l have time to
fe1er to but one such law-the internal rev
eilne act which was approved by President
April - the vote being yeas 11O, nays So
every Democrat present and voting respond
ing In the negative. Among the Democrats
t, VINO tnen condemned internal revenue taxa
tlon were John w. Chanler, james Brooks
and Fernando Wood of New York; Charles
q. Eldrldge Of .seons!n: Benjamin j. Har-
ris of Maryland: Daniel Marcy Of New
hampshire: John Law, James +. Mcdowell
and Daniel w. Voorhees, Of Indiana; An
thony L.. Knapp, John L. Stuart aud Will
lam K. Morrison of Illinois; John l.. Daw-
son and Sydenham Ancoma of pennsylvanin.
Nehemiah Perry of New Jersey, and Samuel
,. Cox, Alexander Long and George H
Pendleton OF Ohio The negative vote by
states s. nn% was % as follows: Ohio, II; Illinois,
:, and New Hampshire, New Jersey, Mary
land and Wisconsin ! each eaeh-ail Demo
Gratis The bill was passed as amended by
negative votes We're cast by Garrett Davis
and L. w. Powell of Kentucky and Thomas
A. hendricks of Indiana
= AS Illustrating further the position of the
DeinocraI1e party on internal taxes, the reSo-
luton OF July 4. 1854, providing for a special
war income tax may be cited This was
adopted by the house by the close vote of
53 yeas to 40 nays. Every affirmative vote
was cast by Republican and every mega
tive vote, except four, by a Democrat 1t
received the cordial support of William b.
nahson' George s. Boutwell,, Henry l..
Dawes, James A. Garfield. William d. Kel-
ley, EEhu B. Washburn. William B. Wash
burn and William Window. 1t was opposed
oy sucn Democratic leaders as Samuel S.
A..
bridge. William r. Morrison, Francis H
Herman and Samuel j. Randall and James
>. Rollins. In the senate among its strong
escaa est champions P1n We're John r Hale. Charles
sumner, John Sherman and Henry Wilson
and among It's ablest opponents were Charles
T. Ruekalew. Willard Salisbury and Will
lam A. Richardson. These are fair instances
Of the attitude of the Democratic party at
that time.
The system has heen condemned by all
the Democratic presidents except Mr.. Cleve-
by Democratic plltforms '.as uncomfortable
in its offensive eAactions." Such taxes have
been constantly denounced as ''wac taxes"
and an, Dem9cratic Platforms have loudly and
thirty years after the close Of the war. in
a time of peace, they now propose to re-
enact. in part this odious system of internal
rcyenu, taxation, which James Madison and
ether illnstrious statesmen pronounced to
he ''inest grievons and un-Americnn. ana
oniv 70 be justified in the presence Of a
great national emergency"
Reciprocity.
TO my mind. another hurtful provision Of
the Wilson bill, entirely unwarrantnd by |
experience and uniustitiable as a matter Of |
wise international policy, is that which re
peas section of the act Of 1890, commonly |
known as the .'reciprocity clause This, 1t /
will he remembered, was enacted to secure
trade between the United States /
ana countries largely producing sugar mo
lasses. coffee. tea and hides, ard under
which this country has opened up a for
pign trade prertable to the people and of /
the most promising proportions
Commercial agreements relating to recip-
rocal trade have already been made with
he following countries: Brazil. the Domin-
can Republic, Spain. for Cuba and Porto
Rico; Guatemala, Salvador. the German en-
Dire, Great Britain. for certain West Indian
Honduras and Austro- Hungary. In these
1t has been the aim OF the
government to secure enlarged markets for
he products OF agriculture. winch. added
o their splendid home market, would per-
secure them from the occasional
iepressions which visit our agricuiturists
because OF their surplus products.
As the result of these commercial ar
'angements, and for the most part due to