The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-06
a PARTY ISSUE.

toIldl on the DemOcrdtlc tarln. 1t IS
denounced by the Tribune as "a
shameful article" And yet all the
points in it but one the Tribune says
are true. That exception it makes in
these words:
1T declares that the Democratic
party did not intend to smash the
tariff, establish free trade or ruin
American industries, and that is I'M
true
But our contemporary does not offer
any proof that this assertion of The
Herald's is untrue. Everybody who
understands the chief issue of the
campaign of 1892, knows that the
proposition was to substitute for the
Mckinley monstrosity a tariff for
revenue. The tariff was not to be
Smashed but to be reformed. Re
auctions were to be made on many du-
ties and some new materials were to
be placed on the free list.
The free trade" cry of the Repub-
licans was shown to be false alarm.
The predictions of ruin as the conse-
quence Of the free trade" which they
l4SiQ Qp d. d OuSdDOO were SApOSSQ dS
false prophesies. The assertion that
the Democratic party wanted to ruin
American industries was so ridiculous
that only the simplest people believed
| it, and only the very blacklist of Re
publican falsifiers uttered it: among
them. however, was the Salt Lake
Tribune 1t still persists in that most
foolish of falsehoods.
Why should Democrats want to ruin
the industries of their country any
more than Republicans should? Both
political parties aim at the prosperity
of the country, no matter how much
mistaken one of them is in the means
employed to accomplish that result
The intent on both sides is the same
the methods are different and one of
them is wrong.
But our contemporary quotes the
plank in the Democratic platform
which says:
I'VE denounce Republican protection
as a fraud and a robbery of the great
majority Of the American people for
the benefit of the few"
That paper is either unable to see
that the denunciation of Republican
protection is perfectly compatible
with a tariff for revenue, or it is en-
deavoring, with it's usual sophistry, to
deceive the unwary. Republican pro-
lection is a fraud and it is unconstf-
tutional. But that does not argue that
any kind of tariff is a fraud or is
unconstitutional. The Tribune tries to
convey the idea that a tariff and Re
publican protection mean the same
thing, and that by denouncing the
latter is meant the smashing and de-
struction of the former
Both parties believe in a tariff. The
Republicans want a tariff for protec-
ton; that is, high duties placed upon
foreign goods so that American man
ufacturers may charge high prices for
their own wares. That makes the
great masses of consumers pay tribute
to the comparatively small number of
manufacturers. That the Democrats
regard as the robbery of the many for
the benefit of the few.
The Democrats want tariff levied
for the purpose of providing revenue
which they demand shall be economi-
cally administered. The duties in that
tariff they desire to be so regulated
that industries which have been es-
tablished shall not be injured They
have regard for existing conditions
They aim at reform of the former
tariff, not its destruction. Because
they have been moderate in the reduc-
lions made, their opponents ridicule
their moderation, and seem angry be-
cause they have not endeavored to
smash anything. That is Republi-
canism all over.
The Democratic platform declared
that there is no constitutional author
ity to levy a tariff except for the
purpose of raising revenue. Our con-
temporary has many times endeav-
been able to quote from the constitu-
ton a clause comforting power upon
Congress to pass a law on the lines of
Republican protection. We challenge
it's production now. Show US the au-
thority in the constitution for tariff
for any other purpose than revenue.
and that will close this part of the
tariff controversy.
1t would not prove that Republican
protection is right in principle. 1t
would not show it is not fraud.
Whenever the people are taxed in any
way for the special benefit of any
class, that is "a fraud and a robbery
of the majority for the benefit of the
few" When money, forced from the
people by way of taxation for public
purposes, is given to individuals or
corporations for private use, that is
robbery and a fraud.
Republicanism teaches and practices
both. That is what the Democratic
platform denounces. When any other
meaning is attached to it, that is de-
ception and fraud also. The Demo-
cratic purpose was embodied in the
Wilson tariff bill. 1t was changed in
the Senate so as to make the reduc-
lions in many instances more moder-
ate Yet that does not suit Republi-
can deceivers. The Tribune admits
that after these notifications were
made the same disasters were predic-
ted that were based on the original
bill. And yet it declares the bill as
passed is protection. That is TO say,
ord 6ica rraY.a - ba Tho oo,