The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-03-01
PROMISES NOT KEPT,
DEMOCRACY HAS PLAYED FALSE
WITH THE PEOPLE.
The Administration and Its Congress Have
Not Carried Out One SOLITARY Chicago
Platform Promise - Have Always Taken
y Contrary Course.
Wilson lsill E'iascO.

Contrary Course.
Wilson lsin Fiasco.
Should the Wilson tariff bill, which
recently passed the Lower House of the
National Legislature, finally become a
statute law, it will be second Demo-
cratic promise fulfilled adversely.
The country is aware, without reit-
Grafton here, how the promise of the
Chicago platform relative to the free
coinage Of both gold and silver, with
out discrimination against either met
al. has been kept. The action by this
Democratic Congress, at the urgent
request, amounting to almost II COM
mand by the executive, was to dis
criminate SO decidedly against silver
that it is wholly debased. If the Dem
ocratic administration had sought to
go directly adverse to the platform
promise, it could not have more com
pletely and etfectuallv done So than 1t
did. using the undue haste of an extra
session to accomplish this adverse
promise.
In relation to the tariff the national
Democracy set forth, what the Com
mittee on Resolutions doubtless
thought was new. if not novel view
of the whole question. The conven
ton proclaimed that the government
mad no right to levy tariff for no
other purpose than for revenue. This
was announced US a fundamental truth
"A constitutional axiom.
The committee, of which Congress-
man Wilson of West Virginia. is chair
man, set to work long before the date
of the meeting OF the regular session,
to draft tariff law on this idea of eX
elusive revenue constitutional jurisdic
ton, and had it ready TO launch upon
the regular session during the first
days of it's assembling. Much labor
was expended in this effort, but it
soon developed that the profound the
orv on tariff, as announced by MIR.
Cleveland and platform of the Democ-
racy. was false in theory and impossible
in practice. Hence, the Wilson tariff
bill was not II measure for revenue
only, as had been proclaimed as the
. constitutional limit of tariff. but it is
rather a sort of tariff freak. 1t not
only fails in being solely devoted to
the production of revenue, but it ac
| tually produces II deficiency of reve
| nues variously estimated at from sixty
to one hundred million dollars.
The idea that the fundamental duty
of tariff law being for revenue only
had to he given up. 1t is lost sight of
in the Wilson bill as it passed the
House. As revenue was announced rs
it follows, of course, that protection
was not part of its constitutional func-
tions. Here, again, is surrender, for
the Wilson bill has more of the ele-
ment of protection in L. than it has of
=s7enue. Its failure to provide reve-
nue. is admitted by its author, and its
protective features he also admits, but
claims they are designed to aid the fin
ishers of manufacture.
OF course it is too early to criticize
this measure as an entirety, as it
doubtless will be subject to change in
the Senate. but the work of the popu-
lar branch of the Congress, where the
Democratic majority is overwhelming.
is where the administration policy has
its birth. The House has done its part.
; and if the pledges of the party plat
form really meant anything that body
1
failed to do so on two of the most i'm
portant questions touched upon by the
platform. and cannot be now looked to
for any further or more honorable full
tillment of other party promises to the
people.
In fact, the administration and its
Congress have not carried ont one soil
tary platform promise, but in every
case where the subject of the promise
came up for action the contrary course
. has been taken.
The Wilson tariff bill is failure and
a tiasco. There is nothing in it des-
tined to bring relief. It may modify
the evils of the Mckinley bill, TO some
extent, but as a measure of reform era
mating from a great reform Congress.
chosen by and for that especial pur-
pose. and directly under the inspira-
ton of q reform President. it is the
mouse brought forth by the mountain
Dallas Mercury.