The San Francisco call., 1896-05-17
PoPULIsTs ON PROTECTION.
They Meet the Tariff Issue in a Busi-
nesslike Manner


Editor Of The Cdtl-SIR: About two months
since March 20), my "letter" to THE CALL
bore the title "Populists and the Tariff" in
which 1t was said that: Heretofore it has
been the policy OF the Populists as a party to
ignore the tariff issue, and individuals have
had absolute liberty to hold and cherish
any views they please the subject. There
are protectionists as strong as Mckinley and
free-traders as rank as Henry George in the
Peoples party all over the country who work
side by side in the utmost harmony; but l
think the conviction is general among Popu-
lists that the tariff should be taken out of poll
tics entirely and placed in the hands of great
non-partisan National tribunal, equal to the
supreme Court in dignity and character, the
members TO be chosen by direct vote OF the
people, and each State to have at least one
member"
1t twas also further said that, ''as the tariff Is
purely business matter it should be left to
business men OF the highest attainments and
character to fix the schedules and adjust the
rates, who should hold Office as long as do
United States Senators, if not longer; one-half
OF the mem bers should be holdOvers. The in
terests of trade and manufacture would thus
never be subject 10 sudden and radical changes
with change in the administration. The
temptation as II now exists to use the tariff
issue Tor partisan advantage would then cease
forever. So far as / know both the protection
ist and free-trade Populists are now ready TO
accept this disposition OF the much buffeted
issue in politics.
Some ten days after the publication in The
CALL of this prospective disposition OF the
tariff issue by the Peoples party, the news dis
patches contained the announcement that 200
OF the leading commercial bodies of the coun-
try, Boards OF Trade and Chambers of Com
merce, had united in a call for a congress of
business men and representatives. OF farmers
organizations and trades unions to be held in
Detroit, Mich, on May 20, TO devise some
method by which the tariff issue can be taken
out OF politics. In word, it has become
burden TO business too grievous to be borne
with dumb endurance through another Presi.
dental campaign as a political issue. 1t must
be settled in some way.
In the Peoples party State Convention as
sembled IN Sacramento May 13, the following
declaration Was adopted by an almost
unanimous vote as part of the party plat
form:
We request delegates to the National Con-
venton 10 present the following for its consdera-
tion; We favor genuine protection to American
labor by the restriction of the immigration of
foreign labor, and by a trne American system of
finance which will render justice TO labor and in
dustry and restrain the evils of usury; and we
demand the creation OF National non-partisan
be subject To the control of Congress, to the end
that tariff agitation may be taken out of politics
and 10 the END that tarin schedules shall be so ad
iusted that the benefit derived therefrom shall re-
suit 10 labor and not to trusts and we denounce
the Democratic and Republican parties for refus-
ing o properly restrict immigration of foreign
labor when having power to do so in Congress.
As delegate to the National Convention of
the Peopie's party, to be held in st. Louis July
~, 1t is my purpose to do all can to secure the
adoption or this plank of our State platform.
with the insertion of the single word .elect,
i've" between the words "non-partisan'' and
tariff tribunal" thus amended, as a plank In
the National platform. Such action would
lay the foundation for a safe and we'll balanced
revenue system for the Peoples party, which
will commend it to the good Judgment and
confidence OF the business men of the Nation.
as well as to the wage-earners and laborers in
every State OF the Union-a most satisfactory
revenue policy as contrasted with that of bor,
rowing money on interest-bearing bonds to
meet the necessary expenditures of the Gov
ernment In time OF profound peace, which
is about to turn that party out of power and
relegate 1t to the outer darkness of political
hades, where there is weeping and wailing and
gnashlng OF teeth. JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON
IL Essex street, San Francisco.