Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1884 — MR. MORRISON’S TARIFF BILL. [ARTICLE]

MR. MORRISON’S TARIFF BILL.

▼lews of th* Leading Republican Advocate of Free Trade Operations. Mr. Morrison's bill is an honest, simple, practical attempt to relieve the people of burdens which rest on every industry, every trade, every household and individual in the land. It is not a theorist’s bill; it is not in effect, though it may be in interest, a political bill, and it cannot be made one except by the mistaken conduct of party leaders. It does not receive the support of the Democrats as a party, nor reflect their views or policy or tendencies. It is bitterly opposed by a powerful faction in the party, and cannot now be claimed as a Democratic measure. It does represent substantially the views of a large part, if not of the great majority, of the Republican party. It starts from the Morrill tariff. It stops short of the avowed intention of the last Republican Congress. It is purposely framed to meet the position to which the Republicans are committed. There is no reason why it should not receive the support of consevative Republicans, except that it comes from a Democratic source, and that fact would, by sueh support, be deprived of all political significance or effect. Regarding the principle and expressed intention of the bill—andjf it be found, on examination, not te conform to these, it can be made to do so—it is the plainest dictate of duty and policy to adopt it. If, on the other hand, the Republicans oppose it utterly, or if they offer in place of it sonde such foolish device as the abolition of the sugar duty, they must suffer the penalty of conspicuous folly and bad faith. They will then force the Democrats into the position of moderate and practical reform, and assume for themselves the indefensible position of indiscriminate support of high taxes for the benefit of a few favored interests. No sane man can doubt what the choice of the taxpaying voters would be between parties holding these respective positions. It is idle now to talk of making the issue between free trade Democracy and Republican protection. The Morrison bill is for free trade, and the opposition to it is not, in any decent sense, the support of protection. The bill is, in effect, a moderate and conservative attempt to deal with the actual and pressing needs of the business of the country. By treating it fairly and intelligently the Republican party can serve the country with no harm to their own party and no decided advantage to their opponents. By blind adherence to the tariff as it is, exorbitant and oppressive, partial and unjust, they can do themselves great injury and greatly help their opponents. —New York Times.