Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1888 — A GRATE BLUNDER IN THE PLATFORM. [ARTICLE]

A GRATE BLUNDER IN THE PLATFORM.

[From the Chicago Tribune, Republican.] The platform first declares in favor of repealing the tax on alcohol used in the arts and for mechanical purposes—a policy which has always been met with the objection that it would be impossible of enforcement on account of frauds, ancj would amount virtually to free whisky, However that may be, the platform goes on to declare further: “If there should still remain a larger revenue thmi is requisite for the wants of the Government, we favor the entire repeal of internal taxes (whisky and tobacco) rather than the surrender of any part of our protective system at the joint behest of the whisky trusts and the agents of foreign manufacturers.” Four years ago the Republican party

pledged itself to correct the inequalities of the tariff and reduce the surplus. Now it is made to demand the placing of whisky and tobacco on the free list in order to prevent any reduction of the surplus by correcting the inequalities of the tariff or by reducing the sugar tax. The Republican tariff platform of 1884 in substance declared: "The Democratic party has failed completely to relieve the people of the burden of unnecessary taxation by a wise reduction of the surplus. The Republican party pledges itself to correct the inequalities of the tariff and to reduce the surplus." Is putting whisky on the free list an honest redemption of this pledge ? It is hard to believe that the convention intended to repudiate the pledge in the platform of 1884, and to substitute a demand for free whisky. It is still more difficult to believe that Republican voters favor such an extraordinary flop, or will, under any circumstances, approve the policy of cheapening intoxicating drink as a method of getting rid of the surplus, when there are so rpany other and better ways. Can the party leaders venture to go before the people with such a platform, and hope that the fearful blunder committed by the framers of the platform will be overlooked or excused?