The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-01
PLATFORMS AMI PLATFORMS


somebody to be good things 70 get in on,
but not to stand on. This cynical view
CT the intelligence of the American voter
has its limitations in fact; since as
Abraham Lincoln said you cannot fool all
the people all the time. But an examin-
alton of the platforms of the Two national
parties furnishes many amusing and no.
un~instructive comparisons.
The Republican platform Of 1863 de-
nounced all forms of reputation. Blu this
platform OF 1868 is remarkable as having
contained the first real tariff declaration
a promise to reduce taxation made in the
words:-"It is due to the labor of the
nation that taxation shoul be eulogized
as rapsdly as the national faith will per-
nit" How the Republican party kept
that promise to the ear but broke 1t to the
nope is known of all men.
The Democratic platform of the same
Observation-Disclosures the Payment of
all the public debts Of the United States
as rapidly as possible-all money drawn
from the people by taxation, except SO
much as is requisite for the necessities
of the government economically admins
tered. being honestly applied to such pay
fil6uIr dii4 WIclt ~ U1i15altcAto rH
government do not expressly state upon
their face. or the law under which they
were issued does moi provide that they
shall be paid in coin, they ought in right
and in Justice TO be paid in the lawful
money of the United States"
The Republican platform of 1872 thus
proclaimed it's belief IN protection-re-
pudiating the promise of the platform of
4cco T. 3rasa,od 4tn+ NATIONAL ratnrilnG
except so much as may be derived from
a tax upon liquor and tobacco, should
be so adjusted as to aid in securing re-
munerative wages to labor and promote
the Industrial growth and prosperity of
the whole country"
The Republican tariff plank of '76 re-
affirmed practically that of 70; but the
language is scarcely in either case suffi-
cient to reassure protectionists-if n
Of them existed-of the Mckinley school;
the necessity for revenue is first urged,
and the doctrine of protection is timidly
enshrined in tina cocoon.
But the Democratic platform which in
1868 wanted to pay bondholders in
greenbacks, in 1876 denounced the Repub-
lican party for the failure to make good
the promise of legal tender notes. which
are "a changing standard Of value in the
hands of the people. and the non-paynent
of which is a disregard of the plighted
faith of the nation Elsewhere the
platform denounced the Republican party
fer taking no steps towards resumption.
This Democratic platform of 1876 was
the boldest and best of any political party
since the war; and that the people liked
it was shown by the support given the
Democratic ticket that year. After an
nouncing in rigorous terms the tariff
denominations, it affirmed for the first time
In nnmistakable Saxon the doctrine Of a
tariff for revenue only.-tWe demand
that all custom house taxation shall be
only for ~enu
In 1872 the Republican platforms began
the eternal toot which has lasted ever
stree, pointing with pride to its record.
insisting that it had saved the country,
suppressed the armed rebellion of a mill
Hon of men, &c, &c. In 1876 it shouted
itself hoarse with the same paean; and in
1850, with voice still husky, again called
attention to the grandeur of its record.
It contained a plank the ferocity of which
was not q Mttle amusing when we con-
slider that the Republicans had held about
all the offices IN the nation for twenty
y LIS WV SAA - aRNRf
party the habitual sacrifice of patriotism
Justice to a supreme and Unsuitable
lust for office and patronage II is Gu
rious, however, that We have not yet an
~out-and-out protection plank; there is
still an inherent timidity, and protection
still stalks guardedly, covering itself in
a shame-faeed fashion with the mask of
revenue. W reaffirm the belief, avowed
- 1920 no +n1 7,,+sa~ I = <-iaJ for fhn pt,r
pose of revenue should so discriminate
as to favor American labor n this is
not even a plank in itself, but runs into
another.
The Democratic platform of this year
asks simply for a tariff for revenue only:
but what it says about money is almost
as Janus-faeed as the record of the sell
ernn and inscrutable mystery from Ohio
Honest money, consisting of gold and
silver and paper convertible into coin on
demand"
1t would seem tha the of the
English language had quite failed the
makers of the Democratic platform of
1890; its consistency is weak and fiabby,
and a startling contrast to the platform
of &c. The bold and unmistakable word
ing Of its tariff plank was abandoned
for a simple declaration, Undecided in an
other plank. and in that year the party
was soundly beaten.
The Democratic platform of 1884 was
an improvement. All taxation should be
limited to the requirements of economic
government. .tWe demand that Federal
taxation shall be exclusively for public
purposes and shall not exceed the needs
of the Government economically admins
tered" That year the Democrats ELECTED
Grover Cleveland.
The Republican platform Of that year
contains a money plank which would nave
gladdened the heart OF Mckinley IL it
could have been introduced into the plat
form at st. Louis. It's meaninglessness is
perfectior-ft is absolutely without paral-
lei as a aingual vacuum:-'We have al
ways recommended the best money known
TO the civilized world. and we urge thai
an effort be made to unite all commercial
nations In the establishment of an inter
national standard. which shall fix for an
tho relative value of gold and silver coin
age AS we know the Republicans were
beaten this year.
The Democratic tariff declarations OF
1888 We're again tifnid and half-hearted
and practically granted all the projections
list claims. In that year the Democrats
were deservediy beaten.
The Republican platform which. in 1865
had declared for taxes on liquor and to-
baero III 1899 advocated fine repeal of An