The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-12-22

him when it adopted Parker's gold
telegram? Did not Mr.. Bryan and
David B. Hill agree upon platform;
the gold standard and the income tax
to be left out. How can Mr.. Bryan
support the platform, with the gold
plank inserted by Parker. but no IN
come tax inserted? And. now, that
the campaign is over. how can Mr..
Bryan continue to be a democrat, IN
the sense of being part of a machine,
that all impartial men must look
upon as fraud? Does Mr.. Bryan
suppose that his old friends can con-
tinue to give him credit for honesty
if he continues to act with a fraudu-
lent party?
1t seems to me that if he continues
on, in, his present course, his old
friends will soon begin to look upon
him with distrust.
Look at the evidence! Can the DEM
ocratic party be trusted for anything?
| used to think that it could be relled
upon to stand for free trade or tarllf
fCr revenue only, but the recent cam
paign has demonstrated that it can
not be relied upon to stand even for
tariff for revenue only. Judge Parker
himself, in the recent campaign, was
almost for protection, while the plat
form declare protection to be rob-
berry.
If any mere evidence is needed as
to the unreliability and uncertainty
of the party with respect to the tar
if, we find it in the platform Of 1872,
when the party abandoned all of its
old leaders and took up Horace Gree
ley. one of the founders Of the repub-
lican party; and adopted platform
which RENTED the discussion of the
subject (tariff) to the people in their
congressional districts, and to the is
cussion of the congress thereon" Here
was an abandonment of tariff for rev.
enue only as national policy
In 1876. a great national financial
panic having swept over the country
and still being in full force, the party
took up one of it's old leaders, Samuel
]. Tilden, who ignored all the old is
sues, including tariff, and tried to ap-
ture the presidency by what he called
pa estill hunt '-and it was, indeed, a
very still hunt for the Offices.
In the next presidential year 1880
the party stood upon tariff for rev.
enue only" They neglected their old
political leaders and took up General
Hancock, as a candidate; the repub-
licans this year, nominating and elect
ing Garfield, who stood for tariff for
protection as well as revenue, as it
always had done since and is still do
ing.
In 1884 the democrats came out lor
protection, in their platform, whether
it was in t. cir hearts Or not. The IAN
guage of tie platform was:
The democratic party is pledged
to revise the tariff in the spirit of
fairness to all interests. But. in
making the reduction In taxes
democrats say tariff is taxi it
is not proposed to injure any do
nestle industries. but rather to
promote their healthy growth
The necessary reduction in
taxation .(tariff is a taxi can and
must be effected without depriv-
ing American labor of the ability
to compete successfully with for
eign~ labor, and without imposing
lower rates of duty than will be
ample to cover any increased cost
of production which may exist in
consequence of the higher rate of
wages prevailing in this country.
This was, and is, sound protection
doctrine.
This was in the var 1884, when
James G.. Blaine was nominated by the
republicans and Cleveland was elected
by the democrats. Blaine was de-
feated not because he stood for pro-
lection cleveland standing for the
same), but because there war quar-
rel and jealousy among the great po-
litical leaders, notably between Conk-
ling and Blaine.
In 1888 (the next presidential year,
the language of the democratic plat
form was:
A fair and careful revision of
our tax (tariff) laws, with due al
lowance for the difference be-
tween the wages of American and