The Bourbon news., 1909-09-21
A Tariff Battle Line.

In every fight there must be bat
tie line. IL the Democrats desire to
control the next Congress they must
convince the voters that they not only
intend to reduce the tariff, but can be
relied upon to do so. If the Democrats
in the Senate and House had voted
solidly fCr every proposed decrease in
the tariff and against every proposed
increase we might make the next con-
gressional fight on the party's record
without outlining a specific affirmative
policy, but the fact that a considerable
number of Democrats in the House !
and a majority of the Democrats in
the Senate repudiated parts of the last
Democratic national platform and vot-
ed against reductions urged by the rest
Of the Democrats and by progressive
Republicans makes it impossible for US
to make the fight next year upon the
party record in Congress.
The country must nave assurance
that the Democratic party can agree
upon tariff policy and carry it out.
If the Democratic candidates for Con-
gress cannot agree upon program be-
fore the election they are not likely to-
agree upon bill afterwards. The in
Huence of the special interests is so
great that it is absolutely necessary to
pledge Congressmen in advance in or
der that they may be fortified against
the pressure which the protected inter-
ests bring to bear against the legisla-
tors. The necessity for specific dec
larations was shown in the last Con-
gress when the Republican tariff re-
formers attempted to interpret their
ambiguous platform was interpreted
differently by different members of
the party.
In view of the fact that some of the
Democrats denied the binding force
of platforms every Democratic plat
form should contain plank endorsing
the Democratic doctrine that platform
pledges are inviolable.
The Commoner presents, below.
sample tariff plank. 1t contains three
propositions. the first declaring that
platform is binding, the second. prom
ising a revision of the rules of the
house of representatives and the third.
outlining a tariff policy. No Demo.
cratic candidate is deserving of sup |
port who denies that a platform is :
binding or who refuses to announce his
positions on questions at issue, and no
Democrat should be elected to Con-
gress who is not willing to assist in re-
storing popular government in the
House of Representatives. Democrats
may honestly differ as to schedules but
they are not likely to differ much un-
less they are tinctured with the pro-
tective tariff idea. 1t is only when
they are seeking pretext for giving
protection TO some industry that they
begin to manufacture reasons for op-
posing reductions. Here is the sample
tariff plank:
First. A platform is pledge. given
by the candidate to the voters and.
when ratified at the polls. becomes a
contract between the official and his
constituents. To violate it, i'll letter
or in spirit, is not only undemocratic
but repugnant to the principles of Re-
preventative government. and consti-
tutes an embezzIement of power.
Second. We denounce the despotism
known as Cannonism and favor such an
amendment--of the rules of the national
house of representatives as will re-
store popular government in that body
and insure the rule of the majority on
every question.
Third, We endorse the tariff plank
Of the last national Democratic plat
form and believe that the measure
csrryiag cut the p-cmise CT that plat