Huntsville gazette., 1894-04-21
THE DEMOCRATIC TARIFF.
Legislative Incspacity of laundering Free
Traders.

Traders.
The tariff bill as finally reported to
the senate is a ridiculous travesty upon
democratic theories and professions. In
many points it directly antsgonizes the
fundamental declaration OF the party
platform. That platform affirms pro-
lection to be unconstitutional. Tho
bill, as reconstructed by the Senate
committee, adopts this demonstrations
al principle as to certain preferred in
dustries, extending to them protec-
tion which is arbitrarily denied to other
interests equally important and de-
serving These concessions are made,
admittedly, for partisan reasons, and
independently altogether OF broad con-
siderations Of public policy; they are
made to conciliate special interests and
appease the hostile sentiment of spe-
cial localities. Thus we have a bill
which is inspired on the one hand by
motives of hostility to great national
interests, and on the other by solicit
tude for interests which are largely Sec
tional and hold no vital relation to the
national prosperlty--a bill which Is for
protection and against 1t, which em-
bodies both a constitutional aud an un-
constitutional principles, which pro-
poses, accepting the claims OF its franz
ers as sincere, to promote the national
welfare and at the same time encour-
age national disaster.
Believing as we do in the protective
policy, we OF course regard its applica-
tion as to any interest or industry rs
matter for congratulatlon. We have
no doubt that the determinations OF
the amended Wilson bill, made in the
interest of localities, will in some sense
inure to tho public advantage. But
this does not alter the fact that the
bill is dishonest and incoherent, utterly
bad In morals, and that as such it must
bring our legislation into contempt
Whenever a country let's down the
standard of legislation to the level Of
expediency, and its laws come to image
the prejudices or passions, or reflect
the selfishness and venality Of the pop
ulace, or any part Of it-when, in
word, it enacts its laws by process of
bargain and sale-it invites the deri.
sion of all right-thlnking peoples and
makes 1t inevitable that it's own au-
thority will cease, sooner or later, to
command respect.
The blundering Of the democratic
party In this matter of the tariff Illus
trates afresh its singular incapacity for
dealing In statesmanlike way with
questions of public concern. 1t had an
opportunity such as rarely comes to
any party to formulate and carry out
distinctive, concrete and positive policy.
The country had declared In It's favor.
Its power, with all departments of the
government In Its possession, was abso-
lutte and complete. Acting in honest
conformity to the spirit and demands
Of it's platform, and standing unitedly
for principle, 1t could have commanded
popular respect because of it's integrity
of purpose however much the results
Of its action might have been depre-
Gated. Instead of this 1t has by it's In
competence and timorous insncerity
deepcned the distrust Of the people, lost
its opportunity, and brought upon the
country fresh confusion and apprehen-
sion as to the economic policy Of the
future. Instead Of settling. 1t has IN
settled financial and industrial oondi-
tions, and thus has aggravated the
difficulties, already ominously great,
thI ough which we must make our way
to that cles, wall-settled and perma-
nent national policy which can alone
bring genuine and abiding prosperity,
-Leslie's Weekly. -