The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-18
A Clean Gut Issue.

(New York Journal of Commerce;)
 The only issue upen which the two political parties have set themselves squarely face to face as attag agontsts Tn their platforms is that of the nation tariff policy. That furnished the nFst back as the Federaiit and Democrats dividing line between parties as lar back as the Federalist and Democrats of the days of Hamilton and Jefferson. persisted in the division between Whigs and Democrats until the slav- cry question arose to disturb the alignment, and revived after the ClVll
 war in the Hayes and Tlden cam paign of the centennial year It haS he'd g. more or ess conspicuous pace been confused from time to, time by
 the currency question and agitation over the regulation of interstate eem- merce and the control of great corpo' rations. Ii appears now more clear" iy defined than ever before since the
 recrudescenee of the protective policy
 after 1880. when eommission was publican Congress defeated it's efforts.
 At Chicago the Republican party re- affirmed it's belief in a protective tar
 iff,ah as "of the greatest benentS 70 the country, developing our resources, diversifying our industries and pro
 tecting our worknlen against conpet1- tian with cheaper labor abroad. It declared that import duties should be
 high enough while yielding a sufii- cient revenue to protect adequately American industries and wages" and.
 admitting that some duties are too high and should be reduced" contend ed that the tariff was so woven into
 the fabric of our industrial life" that adjustment to changing conditions l I~H,A A< iFa f0Pna fi0n. t' obtained by an expert commission: Here was an admission of the need of tariff revision. but it must be so effected as to maintain the protective
 policy in full validity and force.
 The Democratic convention revert ed boldly to the tradition ground of tne party, declared 1t to be Sfunda,,
 government under the constitution has no right ar power to impose or collect [,tariff duties except for the purpose of revenue" and demanded that "the
 collection of such taxes shall be linn ited to the necessities of governneni
 honestly and economically adminis- tered. Denouncing the .'Republican consequences and denying that 1t es- abolished wages or benefited work men. it favored the Immediate down
 ward revision of duties and placing on the ire list articles entering into |competition with trust controlled pro-
 ducts and articles of American manu- fracture which are sold abroad more cheaply than at home.' But 1t rec ognized that the existing system is intimately connected with the busi- ness of the country" and favored the .sultimate attainment of the principles it advocatas y':byA legislation that will
 not injure or destroy legitimate in dustry..
 These platforms put one party squarely on record as believing in pro, lection by tariff as a fundamental principle. to be maintained with care in any revision of schedules of duties and the other as devoted to a tariff for revenue only as the object of ul- innate attainment in revising. the schedules. The positions are clearly defined and the opposition is direct on Fundamental principles for the first time in many years.