The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-13

ls,ss-ssr..ssv nrsrnfsrens psece Of oratory.
syfar giving q comprehensive sketch
ana trftufs 30 Lincoln, In which ettuslon
q made % the principal events Ia his He.
Maj Mckinley devoted nsmseI 70 q eon-
ssdcratton of current political questions.
- exsmpIifef by the speeches and writ
Arg. OF Mr.. Lincoln. He said:
"a rrofound common sense n ne best
~sniu. for statsmanship. and there 10 no
subetitute for IL Lincoln n certainly the
most sagacious and fAr-sseing statesman
a the annals Of American history. Ills
whole life 5ustlies this estimate Of him
II IA notable that his stand on al public
questions IN his earlier a. well as his later
career stamp him az the visest exponsnf
of political truths We have ever had
.sWitnezslng the government as we DO
today. with iss debt-increasing. bond
issuing, gold-deplefing. iabor-destroyfnx.
low tarin policy. with vha, mighty force
the words OF Lincoln. written more than
half q century ago. comes 10 Us N ths
hour and emergency They READ as u
written for the living present. not Tor tne
past Why, DO you know, that a. far BACK
as March !. ssf3. mt WhIg meeting IN
Springfield, Mr.. Lincoln offered series
Of resolutions relating 90 the tariff. whieh
could well b accepted here tonizhty Iney
were thea instantly and unansmousiy
adopted. and Mr.. Lincoln was nimseil ap-
pointed 20 prepare an address 70 rae peo-
pie of the state upon thsssuDJecs Wnicn
they embraced. Let me read from this
address hi. profound observations upon
tariff and taxation ard their relation 10
the condition Of the country;
The first OF our resolutions, SAID MI
Ianeoln. declares a tariff OF duties upon
foreign irnportatioBs, producing suf'ieient
revenue for the support OF the genera gov
American industry. 10 be indsspensabiy
necessary 10 the prosperity OF the Ameri-
can peouIe. and the second declares direct
taxation for national revenue TO be ius-
proper.
of the government have been unequal 10
iss experdlfurea. and consequently loan
after loan. sometimes direct and some
times indirect IN form. has been resorted
TO- BY this means a new national debt
has been created. and II still growing on
US with a rapidity fearful to contemplate
"a rapidlty only reasonably 10 be expected
in time OF war. This state OF things has
been produced by prevailing unwilling
ness either 10 increase the tariff or to re-
sort 10 direct taxation. But one or the
other must come. Coming expenditures
must be met. and the present debt must
he paid: and money can not always be
borrowed for these objects. The system OF
loans Is but temporary In its nature and
must soon explode. II IL a system not
only runong while 10 lasts. but one that
must soon fail and leave Us destitute. As
an individual who undertakes 10 live by
borrowing soon fnds his original means
devoured by interest. and. next, no one
left to borrow from, SO must IL be with
the government.
{" We repeat, then. that n tarin suffi-
Client for revenue, or direct tax. must
coon be resortcd 10. and. indeed. We believe
this alternative is now denied by no one
But which system shall be adopted? some
t.. fhAr fvxaff tftA 81
priety OF tariff sufficient for a revenue;
but even they viii not In practice vote for
such tariff; while others boldly advocate
direct taxation. .Inasnuch, therefore. az
come OF them boldly adyocate direct taxa
ton, and all the resf--or so nearly all as 10
make exceptions needless-refuse TO ADOPT
the tariff. we think IL doing them no tn.
Justice to class them ali az advocates of
direct taxation. Indeed. we believe they
are only delaying an open avowal OF the
system I'll. they can assure themselves
that tho people VIII tolerate IL. Let US
then briefly compare the two systems
The tariff IL tho cheaper system because
the duties, being collected In large parcels
at a few commercial points, Will require
comparatively few officers In their coilec-
ton; while by the direct tax system the
land must be literally covered with asses
sors and collectors. going forth like swarms
OF Egyptian iocusts. devouripg every
blade OF grass and other green thing.
"sBy this system (ths protective) tho
man who contents himself to live upon
the products OF his own country pays moth
ing at all. Surely our country IL extensive
enough and Its products abundant and
varied enough TO answer all the real wants
of Its people. In short. by the protective
system the burden OF revenue falls almost
entirely upon the wealthy and luxurious
few. while the substantial and laboring
many who live at home ana upon nome
products 70 entirely free.
BY the direct tar system none can es-
cape. However strictly the citizen may
exclude from his premises all foreign lux
uries--fine cloths. fine silks, rich wines,
golden chains and diamond rings-still. for
the possession OF his house. his barn and
his homespun. he h TO be psrpetualiy
haunted and harasscd by the tax gatherer.
With these views we leave IL TO be deter
mined whether we or our opponents are the
more truly democratic on the subject
Perhaps II was not entirely accidental
that these views Of Mr. Lincoln found al
most literal expression IN the Republican
national platform OF 1860. Nor IS IL strange
that this year. as IN 1850. no chart Is needed
90 mark the Republican position upon this
great economic question. The whole world
knew a year In advance OF its utseranee
what the Republican platform OF 1850
would be. and the whole world knows now.
and has known for year past. what the
Republican platform Of 1898 viii be.
Then tho battle was TO arrest the
spread OF slave labor In America. now IL to
TO prevent the increase OF iily-paid and de-
graded free labor IN America. The plat
form OF 1873. / say. Is already written
written I'm the hearts and At the homes OF
the masses OF cur countrytnen. IL has been
thought out around hundreds OF thousands
of American enthusiastically wrought
oet. by the new conditions and harsh expe-
flences OF the past three years.
And gentlemen OF the MarQustte Club,
let me tell yoa that the Republican party,
true 10 the advice ana example OF Lin
coin. - going 20 make the campaign this
year upon it's own ground. not upon rs OPP
ponents That IS To say, the Republicans
OF the country are not going 70 help the
Democratic leaders obscure the issue On
which their party has been wrseked and
the administration stranded, by taking p
every new incident ahaat which a hue and
cry may be raised, on the contrary, they
VIII not be led Of by side issues. but they
Will cVerywhera ceurageofsiy insist that
the people ia November shall Judge the
administration and its party by their works
and not hS any new and hoaxtful pfotesta-
tlons IS them. They win give due credit
FOR any sporadic outhnrsts Of PATRIOTS fer
vor fer our rights In foreign countries that
the administration may choose 10 Indulge
In and rejoice that Il - az last on the t.Eht
E'de OF great question. which IS where the
Republicans have always been The ship
OF state shall rot 10 iaFed into shallow wa
ters by false lights. Ne newborn zSai for
American rights. OF the national honor.
from any quarter whatever can raise an
issue with the grand old Republican party.
which Tor forty years has steadfaStiy main
tanned Il beth az home and abroad. The
new convert belongs g our ranks. and he
- welcome. but ne should remember that
-