Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-07-29

stated as follows.
The Republican party maintains that
under tire power to regulate commerce
and the general welfare clause OF the
Federal Constitution Congress has the
riglh 10 exercise the taxing power for
the purpose Of excluding partially or
wholly inqorfations OF ne products OF
foreign industry, in order 70 foster and
protect Dtar domestic manufacturers.
Holding this view they claim the right
to so adjust tariff schedules As 10 check
Imports With them protection IS the
object OF tire exercise Of the taxing pow
er, revenue only the incident Their
policy is. in practical effect. to let the
tariff wal 81 prOhibison down from the
top only low enough to admit sufficient
ampor1ztions 70 RAISE the necessary rev
enue.
The Democrats. ON the other hand,
deny the Constitutional right OF Con-
gress 10 exercise the taxing power con-
ferred by the Constitution cxcep. Tor the
public purpose Of raising the necessary
revenue for the suppors OF the Govern
meHt, and they therefore uneomprornis
ingly challenge the right 10 sestra;- i'm
portations 10 any greater ntthzn the
necessary revenue frosn imports re-
quires: but they have always admitted
that the incident OF protection which
necessarily results from raising the nee
essary revenues BY tariff taxation ought
10 be equitab.y distributed among the
different domestic industries. The Dem
ocratic policy IS % encourage not to
CHECK" imports. With the Democrats
revenue is the object OF tariff taxation.
protection only the incident Their pol
icy is 20 raise the tariff wall up from the
necessary revenue sro;n import duties.
"TARIFP FoR REyEsuE aSLY."
The proper and only reasonable mean
| ing OF the term tariff for revenue only"
as sometimes used in Democratic plat
forms and often perverted in nn-Dem-
ocratic circles. IS tina. the only legitimate
| object OF tariff taxation is 10 raise the
necessary revenues. and that there is no
| constitutional warrant for icvying more
taxes upon the peop.e than IS necessary
| for thai purposs. This, as already shown.
/ is distinctive Democratic doctrine. This
phrase never appeared in Democratic
| platform prior To the civil war. Its FIRST
appearance was in the platform OF 1876
| In that campaign the tariff was only
subordinate issue, and il did not attract
any attention. The same phrase was re-
peated IN the platform OF 1870. and then
| II was that it was subjected to the strong
attack OF the Republicans who Claimed
| that il stood Tor tie extraordinary prop
| osition that the nearly S2oo.ooo.coo OF
| protective benefit. which necessarily re-
suits from a revenue tariff. was 10 be
| distributed without any regard TO Amer
| ican industry a certain small but ultra
school OF Democrats. led by Henry Wat
terson, encouraged this stupid and sense.
less construction, so utterly at variance
with the antcbellum record OF the party,
and the result was that General Hancock
lost the support OF the labor organiza-
tons, the electoral vote OF the State OF
New York and his elections
But when the Democrat: convention
of 1884 came TO make up its platform for
the successful CAMPAIGN OF that year, It
carefully quart against a repetition OF
that construction by inserting a long
and explicit declaration negativing the
idea that the party was inimical in its
tariff policy to American labor, from
which the following is an extract:
But in making reduction in taxes
| II is not pronoscd TO injure any OF the
domestic industries. but rather TO pro-
mote their healthy growth. The ncees-
sary reduction In taxation can and must
be effected without dcpriving American
! labor OF the ability TO compete success
fully with foreign labor. and without I'M
posing lower rates oil duty than viii be
| ample 10 cover any increased cost OF
| production which may exist in conse-
qrrence OF the higher rate OF wages pre-
vailing in this country"
This identical plank was again inserted
by endorsement in the platform oil 1888.
| after a strong contention with Mr.. Wat
terson, President Cleveland having per-
sonaIly requested Senator German oil
Maryland to attend the convention for
that purpose. Again. in fS92. rs viii ap-
pear by the sterographe report OF the
| proceedings OF that convention. which Is
presumably III the possession OF every
Democratic editor. the friends oil Mr..
Cleveland who controlled the resolu-
ions committee presented this same tar
| iff plank for adoption. But the anti
Cleveland forces in the convention, I'M
| der the lead OF Mr. Wattcrson, presented
a catchy substitute plank which took the
convention BY storm and was carried
over the protest OF Senator Villas and
other Cleveland leaders. Then for the
third TING the phrase tariff for revenue
only" vas written in a Democratic plat
form, 5ut Mr.. Cleveland very promptly,
IN his speech and letter OF acceptance,
gave his authoritative Interpretation oil
| The phrase in accordance with the defi-
milton given at the commencement oil
this paragraph, and -eafirmed the sub
stance OF the platform OF 1884,
as ExEMPLIFIED ny LEGIsLATIoN.
All the tariff legislation of both OF Mr..
| Cieveland's administrations was o based
| upon the principle OF the platform oil
| 1884. The Mills BILL, which passed the
House IN his first administration, was a
skillful and fair exernplihcation OF the
principle. and the Wilson bill, wlIic,' be
came a law in Cieveiand's second admin
istration. as clearly stated by Mr.. Viii
son in the report which accompanied i,
| was drawn upon those lines. The Nor
| rison horizontal reduction bill. presented
to the House in the first Cleveland adj
fninistration. was the only measure
which disregarded this principle. and
| that was never endorsed by the Presi-
dent and was never even considered by
the House. although larpe,y Democratic.
The Wilson bill as finally passed. IS a
model tariff law from the Democrats
| standpoint There was no coatravention
OF is original principles in the Senate
| amendments. however vigorously that
may have been asserted in sources inim-
ical TO Democratic uai.y. The Wilson
biz was perfected in the Senate. just IS
al tariff laws have always been. and as
| perfected IT has had most beneficial
operation, very largely Increasing the
exDort trade OF the country and would
have provided ample revenue but for the
unexpected fzilure OF the income tax.
STANDS ron Its OLD TINE raINcIrLgs.
From the foregoing il cicarly appears
| that the Democratic party stands to-day
en- the tariff question just where il stood