St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-08-08
STICK TO TARIFF REFORM.
The Democratic States Adhere to Tariff
fer Revenue Only,

+ =
~
The Democratic states Adhere to Tarifs
fer Revenue Only.
The platforms of the democratic
state conventions that have assembled
lately are SO thoroughly in accord on
the cardinal democratic doctrine of
extreme that an undemocratic clamor
for cheap money has arisen to create
dissensions in the party. With q pre-
ponderance Of sound money sentiment
at Chicago and a declaration in favor
of sustaining the national credit as the
present administration has gallantly
sought to do, the decks would be cleared
for a spirited and determined encoun-
ter with the McKinleyites that would
be pretty sure toleave the tariff reforn-
crs in command of the national craft
Illinois. q biectly as it has surrendered
TO republican and populist notions of
fatism, clings to tariff reform with
commendable tenacity. 'sWe favor a
tariff for revenue only" the platform
reads, "and declare that the govern
ment should collect no more taxes than
are necessary to defray the expenses
of the government, honestly and eco
nomicallv administered This has the
right ring. There is no principle that
will inspire the democracy with greater
zeal and enthusiasm than this. AS long
as there are McKinleys to barter legis-
lation for campaign contributions and
as long as there are republican con-
gressmen to squander public funds
with such wanton lavishness as marked
the appropriations of the first term of
the Fifty fourth congress, such emil
nently sound doctrine as this cannot be
too often enunciated or too earnestly
enforced.
Wisconsin is sound way through on
the tenets of the democratic faith, but
especially explicit and emphatic in her
expressions on the tariff. "We believe a
tariff for revenue only would extend
American commerce to the uttermost
parts of the earth" the Badgers declare,
"and that untranmeled industry would
advance our country to the foremost
place among nations Here is scheme
of commercial supremacy, a plan of ma {
tional Development that is founded on
correct principles, quite unlike the Nc
Kinley method of stimulating private
enterprises by making the people pay
tribute to them. The remarkable de-
yelopment of export trade under the
Wilson bill proves that. the faith of the.
Wisconsin democrats in the triumphs
Of untrammeled industry is well
founded.
The New York democracy takes no
backward step upon the principle that
1t is an abuse of the taxing power to
build up one mans business at the ex-
pense of another and it declares that
no public taxation, except for public
purposes, is the true theory upon which
our system Of government is based and
upon which it should be honestly and
impartially administered. The plat
form declares opposition to government
partnership with protected monopoly,
such a partnership as Mckinley eff
fected when he invited the trusts and
monopolies to make out the schedules
they wanted for the Mckinley bill, and
it demands that import duties, like
Other taxes, shall be impartially laid
and their imposition limited to the
necessities of the government, econom-
ically administered.
The repetition of these familiar max
inns is demanded by the recent exhi-
bition of republican prodigality, and
the wisdom of tariff reform has been
demonstrated by the lifting of burdens
from the masses and by the gradual but
certain recovery from financial ills aris-
ing from the operation of the deficit
producing Mckinley law and pernicious
financial legislation of the republican
party. For the fiscal year ended june
. 80, 1894, the Mckinley law produced a
deficit of SS72, 100000. This deficit has
been gradually reduced under the new
tariff, and Tor the fiscal year now draw
ing. to a close it will be $2s 100000 or
less. But for the invalidating of the in
come tax the present year would show u
surplus.
Temporary distractions like the
cheap money madness may arise, but
there is no danger that the democrat
ic party will veer very far from the
course that has led to its notable fri
umphs the past 10 years.Detroit
Free. Press. Hss.3
Mckinley Doesn't Fit. s.-5
The protective plank of the republican
platform leaves Mckinley looking al
most as much of a rnisfit Candidate as