Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-08-19
NEVER WIDER APART
CAMPAIGN ISSUE FOR 1904 is SHARP
" DRAWN.

In Their Attitude on the Tariff Cues
tion the Two Parties Occupy the
Extremes of Doctrine and Policy.
The Republican View.
The tariff issue has never been more
clearly defined or more sharply drawn
than 1t is in the national campaign OF
1904. The Republican and Democratic
parties seem at a casual glance to have
been brought nearer to each other than
heretofore as regards the tariff ques-
ton. That is the first impression like
ly to be gained from reading of the
tariff plnnks In the two platforms.
Closer examination discloses the error
Of this conclusion. The two parties,
in fact, were never wider apart as re-
CARDS spirit and intention in the treat
ment of the tariff For example:
REPUBLICAN TARIFF DEMOCRATIC TARIFF
PLANK. PLANK.
Protection which We denounce pro-
guards and develops lection as a robbery
our Industries Is a of the many to en-
cardinal policy Of rich the few, and we
the Republican par favor tariff limit
ty. The measure OF ed to the needs OF
protection should al h government
ways at least equal economically admin
the difference In the istered, and so lev
cost of production at led as not to dis
home and abroad. eliminate against
any industry, class
or section. to the
end that the bur-
dens of taxation
shall be distributed
as equally as pos
sible.
Here are the two extremes Of doc
trine. The Republican view is that
protection Is cardinal principle and
that 1t guards and develops domestic
industries. The Democratic view is an
absolute negation: Protection is a rob.
berry Of the many to enrich the few
The two propositions are entirely anti.
thetic.
If protection, in the belief Of the
Democratic party, is robbery by
which few are enriched while the
general mass is plundered, why, then,
protection is an outrage and a crime
which the Democratic party will at the
earliest opportunity undertake to sup.
press with stern and implacable rigor
namely, by the prompt repeal of all
protective features of our tariff system.
OF course the Democratic party will do
this. 1t must.
Again, 1t will be noted that two to.
tally different theories and purposes
govern the principles which the two
parties profess as to the function of a
tariff. The Republican design is that
the rate Of duty should always be high
enough to cover the difference in pro-
duction cost here and in countries
where labor earns one-half or one third
the wage that prevails in our own
country-that is to say, the duty should
be adequately protective.
Not 80 the Democratic design-quite
the reverse. The tariff is to be so regu-
lated as to supply the needs of the
government, economically administered
"a nonprotective tariff, tariff for rev.
enue. Being tax merely, 1t is to be
80 levied as not to discriminate
against any industry, Sass or section,
to the end that the burdens of taxation
shall be distributed as equally as pos
sible."
In the light of the declaration that
protection is robbery" which does dis
eliminate between classes and sections
and which does distribute the burdens
Of taxation with criminal inequality,
we are led irresistibly to the conclusion
that "the two parties, in fact, were new
er wider apart as regards spirit and in
tention in the treatment of the tariff"
1t would be well to discard the delu-
sion that In the platform adopted at
st. Louis the Democratic party has
shown itself to be "sane, safe and con-
sentative" on the tariff question. Let
no one indulge himself in this halluci-
nation. Hatred of protection has never
been stronger and the purpose to abol-
ish protection has never been more set
tied in the minds Of the Democratic
party than at this moment