The Delta independent., 1894-08-22
REPUBLICAN MATTERS,
FREE RAW MATERIALS.


Is the president of the United
States the platform of the Demo-
cratic party? Has any utterance he
may choose to make the force and
u effect of declaration of national
convention? In his famous (Senator
German says infamous) letter to
Professor Wilson he says: lone
topic will be submitted to the con-
ference which embodies Democratic
principles so directly that it cannot
be compromised. We have in our
platforms, and in evory way possi-
BILE. dec 'arcd in favor of the free i'm
portation of raw materials"
Is that so or is it not so? When did
the free importation OF all raw ma
terials become a Democratic prin'
ciple9 Let us bring the president
to the test and see whether he
speaks by the book or not. says the
Detroit Tribune.
Going back to the period before
the war, we find the Walker tariff,
lS45-1S61, making all raw materi ais
dutiable, almost without exception
Free raw materials" was not the n
a Democratic principle. The Dem
ocratic platform OF 1861 was silen
upon the tariff, and OF course upon
raw ma terials.
The platform of 1868 pronounced
for IA tariff upon foreign imports,
and such equal taxation under the
internal revenue laws as will afford
incidental protection to domestic
manufactures Nothing about raw
materials being free, but the oppo-
site implied. The platform of 1872
(Greeley campaign) recognized that
there are honest and irreconcilable
differences OF opinion in regard to
the respective systems OF protection
and free trade" and thereupon re-
mits the whole subject of the tariff
.to the people in their congressional
districts" Nothing whatever in it
about free raw materials.
! The platform of 1876 declared
that ave demand that all custom
house taxation shall be for revenue.
Nothing more.
| 1880 "A tariff for revenue only"
That was the sole enunciation on the
tariff. Nothing about raw materials.
| The platform of 1884. which was
the one on which Grover Cleveland
was first elected, and which must
come within the purview OF the pres
ident's statement, makes no mention
of raw materials as such. or as en-
bodying a distinctive Democratic
principle. But it does say: '.The
Democratic party is pledged to re-
wise the tariff in a spirit OF fairness
to all interests. But in making re-
ductlons IN taxes it is not proposed
to injure any domestic Industries, but
rather to promote their healthy
growth. Any change OF
the law must at every stop be re-
gardful of the labor and capital thus
involved" etc. In this first platform
upon which Mr.. Cleveland was
elected to the presidency, there is
no mention made OF any principle
that raw materials should be free of
duty. 1t seems to us that in this
platform. at least. the president
should be able to point out this great
Democratic principle. But he cannot
| And now We come to the platform
OF 1888. when, for the second time,
Grover Cleveland came before the
American people upon platform
supposed to embody the full text Of
all cardinal democratic principles
In December. 1887. Mr.. Cleveland
had sent his famous free trade mos
sage to congress, but no mention
was made therein OF free iron ore Or
free coal, though there was great
plea for the free Importation OF
wool The result of that message
was the introduction into the house
OF the Mills bill, as cmbodying the
| Il sf e., /, Il =
While that measure was still pend
ing in the house of representatives,
the Democratic national convention
Assem- bled in St Louis, and unani-
mously, ''amid loud applause"
adopted the following resolution:
"Resolved, that this convention
hereby indorses and recommends the
early passage OF the bill for the re-
duction of the revenue now pend
ing in the house Of representatives. :"
That was the Mills bill. Any one
can turn to the Mills bill and SEQ for
themselves what it did with iron ore
and coal. Mr.. Cleveland can see for
himself the platform on which he
ran only six years ago
The Mills bill made iron ore and
coal dutiable at IS cents per ton. the
exact rate that was afterward adopt
ed in the Mckinley law. that .'cul-
minating atrocity. So that down to
and including 1888 there was no rec
og gnized principle OF ..'ree raw mater
ials."
And now we come to the platform
of 1892, and, for the first time, we
find the mention of raw materials.
in haf fun