The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-06-13
The Need OF the Country.

Senator Patrick Walsh, of Georgia,
made one day last week one of the best
speeches of the session in favor of tariff
reform. He repudiated the charge
made by Senator Hoar, Of Massachu-
sets, that the South is IN any sense hos
tile to the industries of New England,
and claimed that the South is destined
to be the great manufacturing centre
of this country. He declared that the
Democrats of the South favor the in
come tax, not as sectional measure,
but because it is just and equitable.
The revenue tariff plank IN the Chicago
platform IS solidly endorsed in the
South, but our people trecogniZe the
fact that the Democratic party is
National and not sectional, and it's
absurd to suppose that they have any
desire to discriminate against any
American industry or lower the wages
of the mechanic or laborers. We have
seen under the Mckinley bill millions
of dollars worth of our products shut
out from foreign markets because we
would not allow other countries to
compete with US forth custom of our
home markets. The policy of the
Democratic party has not been free
trade but tariff reduction. 1t has de
clared not only for lower taxation but
for non.interfernce with the capital
and labor engaged in the manufactur-
Ing interests of the country The over
whelming election of Mr.. Cleveland on
a revenue tariff platform leaves no
doubt as to the wishes or the people.
Under the Mckinley tariff we have
had more failures, suspensions, en-
| forced idleness and general distress
| than has ever been known within the
pas two generations, In three years it
has caused an increase Of l8 per cent.
in the number of failures and "A per
cent. in the liabilities. The prices OF
farm products have declinsd lower
than at any time within fifty years.
| The demonetiZation of silver was
| largely responsible for this shrinkage,
| but it will be seen that the claims OF the
protectionists are not sustained by the
facts. The Wilson bill may not be a
complete remedy but it is reform and
on the right line. In regard to the Ia
| come tax Senator Walsh made strong
point when he called attention to the
fact that the British masses never com.
plain of the tax, because it falls on
those who are able to pay 1t, whereas,
under our system we collected last year
over 60 per cent of our tariff duties
out OF the necessarles of life while the
luxuries paid only 81 per cent. Under
the present law the poor man pays as
much and sometimes more than the
millionaire for the support Of the Gov
ernment because the tax is laid on con.
sumption. This Is inequltable. The
senator urges the Democrats in Con-
gress to redeem the free silver and
State Banks planks of their platform.
He contends that it is safe for this
country to adopt free coinage, with or
without international agreement, and
that our population, wealth and re-
sources will enable US to sus ain it on
a parity with gold, and compel recog-
milton for it from the enlightened gov
ernments of Europe. His view OF the
State bank tax Is sound one. He ar
CUES that 1t is an unconstitutional war
measure, prohibltory tax, and that 1t
should be repealed, because it has
served its purpose and because the
States have just as much right 10 con-
troll their own local banks as they have
to exercise any other right under the
Constitution. The tax should be un-
conditionally repealed. The speech is
a clear presentation Of the facts OF the
situation and an unansWerable argu-
ment for the redemption of.the Demo
cratic pledges of the reconciliation OF
silver, State banks and revenue tar
iff. Until these pledges are redeemed
the senator frankly says that he sees
little prospect of the improvement of
trade, the revival of industry and bet
ter prices for farm products. Senator
Walsh has pointed out the remedy that
is needed to cure the malady from
which the country is suffering, but we
have little hope that it will be applied
by the present administration, which
seems to be blind.