The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-12

I
! political economists will record, as to the
! action of party convention which offers
I an inducement to national dishonesty by
| a premium of II cents for every 50 cents
! worth of silver that can be extracted from
the bowels of the whole earth, with cor
dial invitation to all to produce 1t at our
| mints and accept for 1t full silver legal
tender dollar Of 100 cents rated value, to be
coined free of charge and unlimited in
| quantity for private account.
A MENACE TO THE NATION.
But vastly more than mere assertion
| of a purpose to reconstruct the national
currency Is suggested by the Chicago
platform. 1t assumes, In fact. the form
| OF revolutionary propaganda. 1t en-
bodies a menace Of national disintegra-
ton and destruction. This spirit manifest
ed itself in deliberate proposition to re-
pudate the plighted public faith. to i'm
pair the sanctity of the obligation of pri-
vate contracts, to cripple the credit Of
the nation by stripping the government
gent eXigences of the treasury may re-
| qure, and. in word to overthrow all the
foundations of financial and Industrial
stability.
position to thus debauch the currency and
| to unsettle all conditions of trade and
commerce., the party responsible for this
platform denies the competency Of the
government to protect the lives and prop
erty Of its citizens against internal disor-
der and violence.
| III aSSdllS tne JuulClal munlmentS reared
by the constitution for the defence of in
dividual rights and the public welfare.
and it even threatens to destroy the in
tegrty and independence Of the supreme
refuge of the citizen against every form
of outrage and injustice.
In the face of the serious peril which
| these propositions embody, 1t would seem
! that there could be but one sentiment
among right-thinking citizens. as to the
duty of the hour. All men. Of whatever
party, who believe in law, and have some
regard for the sacredness of individual
and institutional rights, must unite in
defence OF the endangered interests Of the
| nation.
| THE TARIFF ISSUE.
While the financial issue which has been
| thus considered and which has come as
| the result of the agitation of recent years,
| admittedly of primary Importance, there
| is another question which must command
| careful and serious attention Our finan-
cia and business condition Is at this mo-
| ment one OF almost unprecedented de-
| preston. Our great industrial system Is
seriously paralyzed. Production in many
important branches of mapufacture has
altogether ceased. Capital is without re-
munerative employment. Labor is Idle.
The revenues Of the government are in
sufficient to meet its ordinary and neces-
the result of accident They are the out
come of mistaken economic policy de-
liberately enacted and applied. 1t would
not be difficult. and would not involve
| any violent disturbance of our existing
commercial system, to enact necessary
tariff notifications along the lines of ex-
| perience. For the first two fiscal years of
soGaed Mkney ssIa ar ri the reeei
| writing the Wilson Tariff Act has been in
force for nearly two full fiscal years; but
the total receipts. actual and estimated,
cannot exceed $9'2,4il, ,si7. A steady de-
fcit, constantly depicting the. resources
of the government and trenchng even
upon Its gold reserve, has brought about
public distrust and business disaster. 1t
has, too. necessitated the sale of s262 OOO,-
| 600 of bonds, thereby increasing to that
| extent the national debt 1T will be re-
membered that in no year of the more
| than a quarter of a century of continuous
| Republican admnstrat ton succeeding the
Civil War. when our industries were dis
| integrated and all the conditions of busi-
| ness were more or less disturbed. was the
national debt increased by single dol.
| lar; ii was on the contrary, steadily and
| rapidly diminished. In such condition of
affairs as this, 1t is idle to argue against
the necessity of some sort of Il change in
| our fiscal laws The Democratic party
declares for remedy by direct taxation
| upon selected class of citizens. 1t OPP
poses any application Of the protective
our party holds that by a wise adjust
| ment of the tariff. conceived In modera-
ton and with a view to stability, we may
| secure all needed revenue, and 1t declares
that in the. event of its restoration to
power, It will Seek to accomplish that re-
suit. 1t holds, too, that is the duty of
the government to protect and encourage
in all practicable ways the development of
domestic industries, the elevation of
home labor. and the enlargement of the
prosperity of the people. II does not favor
any form of legislation which would lodge
| in the government power to do what the
people ought to do for themselves hut it
believes that 1t is both wise and patriotic
terial resources, and the utilization, under
the best attainable conditions. or our own
capital and our own available skill and
| industry.
PROTECTION NECESSARY.
The words of the Republican national
platform on this subject are at once
temperate and emphatic. It says of the
application it is just, fair and impartial.
equally opposed to foreign control and
domestic monopoly, to sectional discrim-
ination and individual favortism" I"
1--WE demand such an euitable
tariff on foreign imports which come into
competition with American products as
will not only furnish adequate revenue for
the necessary. expenses of the govern
ment, but will protect American labor
from degradation to the wage level of
other lands. We, are not pledged to any
particular schedules. The question of rates
is practical question to be governed by
the conditions of the time and of produc-
tion; the ruling and uncompromsng prin-
ciple Is the protection and development Of
American labor and industry. The coun-
Try demands right settlement, and then
II wants rest"
The Republican party, in its first sue
cessful national contest, under Abrah ham
} Lincoln declared in favor "of that policy
OF national exchanges which secures to
the work!ngman living wages, to agricul-
ture remunerative prices. to mechanics
and manufacturers an adequate reward
for their skill, labor and enterprise, and
TO the nation commercial prosperity and
independence." The principle thus enun-
ciated has never been abandoned. In the
crisis now upon US, 1t must be tenaciously
adhered to. While we must insist that our
monetary standard shall be maintained in
harmony with that of the civilized world,
that our currency shall be sound and hon.
est; we must also remember that unless
We make it possible for capital to find en-
ployment and for labor to earn ample and
remunerative wages it will be impossible
to attain that degree of prosperity which,
with sound monetary policy buttressed
by sound tariff, policy. will be assured.
, IN lsy2, when by universal consent we
touched the high water mark of our ma
tional prosperity, we were under the same
financial system that we have today. Gold
, was then the sole standard, and silver
mon currency. We had tariff framed by
Republican hands under the direction OF
the great statesman who now logically
leads the contest for a restoration of Tho
.. policy whose reversal brought paralysis
, to so many of our industries and distress
upon so large body of our people, We
were under the policy of reciprocity, for
Of the genuine American type. We may,
II we choose to do so. return to the pros.
porous conditions which existed before the
present administration came into power
My sincere conviction is that my coun-
: trymen will prove wise enough to under
stand the issues that confront them. and
! patriotic enough to apply safe and sure
| Has fNr hn L., tl..&
| They will not, am sure. accept again al
their face value. the promises of a party
which. under desperate and perverted
leadership has SO recently dishonored its
| solemn pledges. which has repudated the
, principles and policies which have given
; 1t historic past. and the success of which
! as now constituted, would endanger al
home private security and the public safe
| II. and iSaStrnlSlY affect ahroad hnr h