Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-10-17

powerful cldSS Ill our pUIulullbu uN-
came by the operation Of a protective
tariff practically partners of the govern
ment The partnership was carried on
by the government heaping up taxes on
things consumed by the people, and
the partners taking the profit The
Republican party was the agent for
maintaining this partnership. The
partners put up money to run the politi
cal campaigns, and when success had
been achieved Republican politicians
were given the offices and the partners
took tariff legislation wrote line
here and another there in a tariff bill
artfully contrived to transfer millions
from the pockets of the masses to the
pockets Of the persons who dictated the
legislation. The partners grew very
rich at it.
When the Democrats began to attack
this arrangement, the Republican
party to raised great cry of indigna-
tion. Tariff reform was dreadful
thing-free trade in Disguise
would ruin the prosperity of the coun-
try! The laboring men in particular
would suffer. II the partnership ar
rangement, which the Republicans
called protection, were touched, wages
would be reduced to the level of foreign
pauper labor 1t was truly pathetic to
witness the alarm OF tn sse agents of
plutocracy. They protested that the
whole purpose of the partnership ar
rangement was TO keep up the wages
of laboring men!
They filled the future with most alarm
ing stories Of bears to eat up children
who wandered away from the protec-
tive tariff enclosure. Hobgoblins would
get them for sure! They even accused
the Democrats of wilfuly plotting to
ruin the country and to rob laboring
men of profitable employment, having
accepted 'bribes of British gold" to
wreck their own country.
In the last twelve months we have
seen this whole Republican argument
collapse. Nothing remains of it. The
children dared the bears and hobgob
Inns and got over the fence in 1892 by
electing Democratic tariff reform
President and giving the Democrats IL
majority of both houses of Congress.
They did not do ii moment too soon.
Before the tariff could be reformed,
one Of the panics which came with
pnrin6if, ra0ulnriFv anI ,yn,nnc;,,. -.
lcnce under the protective system,
shook the country. The Republicans
took advantage of it last fall and told
the people: This is the free trade
hobgoblin which has got you. You
will never get away from it until we
restore the partnership between tho
government and the tariff fed manufac
turers. "
But in 1894 they worked the hobgob,
lin argument for the last time. The
history of business and wages under
the present partially reformed tariff has
knocked the life out of it. Everybody
knows row that it was great big
bluff and nothing more. The hand has
been called and it could not show even
little pair of deuces.
The claim that general buainess
prosperity was due to the Republican
tariff has utterly collapsed for busi
ness prosperity began to return as SION
as the Democratic tariff was passed.
and within twelve months it was ex.
citing the admiration Of the world. A
politician who attempts to tell the
people hereafter that tariff reform hurts
business prosperity will need meta
cheek reaching from his ear to his boot
heels.
The claim that tariff reform reduces
the wages of laboring men has alsr
utterly collapsed, Under the Democrat,
tariff there has been in the last min,
months an increase ofwages UNPARALLELED
in our industrial history. Everybod,
knows it, and nobody knows it bot
ter than the wage-earucrs themselves
The protectionists will shed theil
crocodile tears over foreign paupel
labor all in vain in the future.
During the last twelve months th,
Republican party has been stripped o
every argument it used on the taril
issue, and left with nothing but thin
hypocrisy to cover its nallpdncss. TIL,
people are clear enough Of vision Ia aeO
that they We're causclessly frightenc,
by false prophets and dupcd for wear
L., L.. "a. = Al