The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-31
AMAZING RECORD OF DEMOCRACY.
nc HAS Been ON All sides 81 All Great
Questions.


New York san
or course. tna early record Of the Demo-
cratic party was 81 favor o. national ex-
naassoa and Il 50 remained Up 10 fae Time
Of the civil war Democracy brought IN the
Louisiana territory, acquired the Faorsca
territory. annexed Texas pushed forward
tha Mexican war against Wing opposition.
and added California ard the rest o. the
region which came 10 us - consequences
OF that conflict Marcy negotiated treaty
Cor the annexation OK Hawaii. and II Yell
through ossly because os the death OF tire
reisning king. A project for the purchase
OF Cusa was Sc. on foot by the Democrats.
But what viii! be he policy Announced by
the Democratic party in 1859 cannot b fore
seen. neither can il be imagined, fer the
reason that since the civil war the position
IL has taken in os.e campaign mas never
given any assurance that II would not turn
Its back upon IL ssuarvly IN the next Let
Tsse recSpitniate this record briefly. Tor Il
will be surprising reading for people whose
memories are short.
In 1864 the national Democratic platform
denounced the war tor the Union As a fall
ure" and called for an ''inUediase cessa-
ton Of hostiitties.s' 4 few months there
after the war was brought 10 a close by
the complete TRAN Ih az the Union.
The Democratic platform Of lssS. reccg-
Mining the settlement by the war OF the
questions Of slavery and secession for ali
time. raised the Few Issue OF paying the
bonds in greeuoacks then greatly depre-
cia.ed as compared with gold. In the past
Ii had been a hard money rarty. now 1t
went In for soft money.
In lss2 the Democratic party adopted the
PLATFORM CT rhe f.ileera: Republican party
and nominated Ht race Greeley. 'recogniz-
ing that there are in our midst honest and
ifreconeslaole differences Of opinion with re-
gard to protection and free trade" That
Is. II abandoned its previous positions az To
the tariff. 1t also dropped the subject of
the greenhacks and went squarely In the
ofer direction, demanding a speedy re-
turn to specie payment"
In lsIs the Democratic platform turned
around again and demanded that "aIi Gus
toms house taxation shall be only for rev.
enue.' secting up snew the free trade prin-
ciple. 1t also abandoned Its position OF
four yeirs before on specie payments and
denounced the resumption act and demand
ed its repeal.
In $50 IT went in again for "a tariff for
revenue only" and the wisdom of the re-
sumption act having been demonstrated in
powerful wave OF national prosperity IL
avoided the subject
In 1854 ii turned about again and PROM
ssed that 1t would make a tariff without
imposing lower rates OF duty than will be
ample to cover any Increased cost OF pro-
duction which may exist in consequence OF
the higher rate of wages prevailing here
That Is. Instead of demanding a tariff FOR
revenue only 1t went in for incidental pro-
tecticn.
That same principle CT protection II pro-
CLAIMED in 1855. but In 1892 it proceeded to
denounce Ii as essentially undefnocrasic.
as "a fraud ,hIery." and even declared
1t to be "a fundamental principle of the
Democratic party that the Federal govern
nent has no constitutional power to inn
rase and collect tariff duties except for rev.
enue only" Having obtained the power.
however. 1t proceeded forthwith to enact a
strictly protective tariff. In lndicrous def
ahce OF its proclaimed principle.
In 1896 II again turned about. and instead
Of demanding that the tariff should be for
revenue only" reversed its position anew
by declaring In iaycr of tariff for ''pur-
poses OK rove'sIe," emitting the only" and
thus putting forth a mere trHsm. for of
course every tariff is for purposes OF reve-
nue., whether II Is protective or otherwise
II also introduced novelty in IT'S record
by demanding 1.-The free and unlimited coIn-
age of both silver and gold at the nrnse,.
legal ratio OF Is to !, withou. waiting for
the aid or consent Of any other nation.
(which would give silver dollar worth
less than half a geld dollar 1t went In
moreover. Tor an income tax In direct CON-
nadiction of previous Democratic orinci
pie
is hei that an amazing record for a par
tyF Therefore 1t Is that say that no course
taken by the Democratic party in 1000 f,,
expansion viii surprise me. Ii nav ro for
or against 1t.