The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-22
THE OMISSION OF THE WORD
"ONLY" IN THE CHICAGO
PLATFORM.

After all, the greatest direct disaster
TO the country resulting from the Chi
cago platform was the result of the omis-
sion of the word "Only" in the tariff
plank. The cardinal principle of demo.
cratic platforms on the subject of tariff
had before 1896, been "a tariff for reve-
nue. only" but the Chicago platform
omitted the word only" and the result
will be as Senator Teller says, "thc most
oppressive and eXOrbitant tariff that has
ever been levied upon n free people,
If the democratic party had not back
ed down from its advocacy of "a tariff
for revenue only" at Chicago, the repub-
lcan ma j0rty in congress would never
have dared to propose the Dingley- lii
son tariff Their leaders were convinced
that two defeats of protective tariff
system in national races had killed that
system as dead as a door nail, and Mr.
Reed and other shining lights so ex-
pressed themselves, but when the Chi
cagO democratic convention weakened on
that subject it gave fresh encouragement
to the republican party to fOst protec-
tive tariff upon the country. Otherwise
they would not have risked it, nor would
the democrats in congress have supincly
laid upon their backs and made no war
against ii. Nor would some of the repre-
sentatiycs OF the Chicago platform in
the senate have dared to vote for the
IN, Ill al
In point of fact, the whole burden of
the Dingley tariff can be traced direct
ly to the omission of the word "only"
in the democratic platform of 1896.
When the silver democrats in the senate
who voted for the Dinglcy-Allison tariff
bill were twitted with violating one of
the cardinal principles and oldest doc
trines of the democratic party they in
defiance pointed to the Chicago platform
as vindcation of their vote,
wherein it was obvious that
the democratic party intended TO modify
their opposition to the protective system
and advocate general tariff with duty
on everything. Senator Vest, after hear
ing Senator Morgan's explanation of that
omission in the Chicago platform, said in
his place in the senate: Il was mem
Der of the Chicago convention, and voted
for ii (alluding to the tariff plank, but i
never would have voted for it if | had
thought that it meant this universal pro-
lection to everything in the country by
imposing a tariff upon everything, without
regard to Importation, without regard to
the necessities of the government.
would not have touched that platform any
more than ! would touch a rattlesnake
when there was ITO whisky within a hun
bred miles"
On another occasion Senator Vest said:
81 want to state now frankly that never |
knew until it was stated in this chamber |
that the word only was left out of that |
platform. If | had known it | should |
have risen in my place and moved to in |
scrt that word only because / believe
it is the creed of the democratic party. !
never would have supported that platform
with that word taken out"
Senator Morgan had explained in the
senate, which explanation called out Mr..
Vests declarations, that the word only |
was omitted in order to frame a tariff tax |
ing everything equally over the whole |
So it will be seen that the omis- |
sion of the single word "only" changed |
the lifelong policy of the Chicago wing of |
the democratic party, and that really that
omission is the direct cause of the burden |
Of taxation with which the people of this |
country will he oppressed for at least four |
years. 1t was the most fatal mistake OF |
the whole platform, and Senator Vest ad- |
mits it, and declares that if he had known
it he never would have supported it. Scna- |
tor Vest has finally discovered that new |
democracy which he helped to create has |
violated one of the cardinal principles of |
The old democracy, and sin the agony of |
his ancient democratic spirit" his soul has |
swclcd into indignant resentment of the |
abandonment of doctrine that has been |
lear to him and to the democratic party |
since its origin. There is life in the old |
time democracy yet, and as soon as passion |
by designing agitators Gains |
itself by reaction the old flag, with the old |
principles and doctrines of the old democ-
racy will again wave triumphantly over |
the land to which the democracy is de- |
voted.