Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1884 — The Democratic Tariff Fiasco. [ARTICLE]

The Democratic Tariff Fiasco.

Probably no great political party, controlling by an enormous majority the popular branch of the National Assembly, on the eve of contesting the possession of the Government, ever made so humiliating a confession of imbecility as the Democratic party has made in striking out the enacting clause of the Morrison tariff bill and abandoning the whole project of war-tax reduction., * This action would hive been startling enough if it had been taken early in the session, thus frankly acknowledging the irrepressible dissension in the party. But the revenue reformers made a struggle to keep faith with the country. They won a victory at the outset by electing Carlisle as Speaker. Morrison and* his associates in the Ways and Means Committee have been steadfast to the cause of tariff reduction, and they have acted with moderation. The proposed legislation has been discussed elaborately. It received the approval of the revenue reformers as a step in the right direction. The protectionists could not have expected a more reasonable bill if any measure of tariff reduction were to be proposed. The taxes are abstracting from the people 100 millions; a year more than Congress knows what to do with. To continue bleeding the people in this way is admitted to be sheer robbery, and wholly inexcusable. The Democrats the day the vote was taken had a clear party majority of eighty over the Republicans in the House. The latter opposed the bill for partisan reasons, just as the Democrats opposed the Republican revision bill of the previous session. But the Republicans, with a very narrow majority, acted together and passed their bill, which has resulted in material relief. The Democrats with their enormous majority have gone to pieces. They have confessed to the country that they are incapable of agreeing among themselves, and that no legislation whatever is to be expected from them on questions of the utmost financial importance to the people. The Democratic fiasco is not to be attributed to any differences as to details. The party has split upon the principle involved—upon the simple question of any reduction. The bill was not defeated because a reduction was proposed on the horizontal plan; any other scheme of reduction would have been similarly defeated by the protection Democrats. Proof of this is to be found in the fact that six years ago, when!the Demcrats were in control of the House by an immense majority, Col. Morrison, then as now Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, -proposed a bill to reduce the tariff by means of a general revision, taking more off some articles and less off others, and that measure met the same fate as his “horizontal” measure session. The protection Democrats denounced his bill then for exactly the opposite objections raised against his present bill. It was said six years ago that his bill favored some commodities more than others; that it took too much tax off one article and not enough oft' another; and that the fair and equitable policy was to treat all interests alike. This winter he brought in a bill on that very plan, and it met the severest Democratic resistance for the very reason that it was framed on the lines of equity and treating all alike. The fact is that the Democratic party, with an overwhelming majority in Congress, is not prepared to reduce tariff taxes by a horizontal cut of the tariff, nor by any revision thereof, nor by any other method of reducing the war tariff. It has made an open confession that its pretenses have been false, and that it has no policy upon which the country aen place its trust. —Chicago Tribune .

. The great opportunity of the Republican party lies in winning the support of this reform and independent element. With that support, success is fissured. Without it, success is not merely uncertain, it is altogether improbable, and nothing but fatuous blundering on tbe part of the Democratic party will make it possible. This aspect of the situation ought to be thoroughly impressed upon the minds of the delegates who are to gather at Chicago within a month. Some of them may not like to recognize it, but it is a stubborn fact which must be taken into their calculations if they propose to act with a view to party success. Neither of the two men who will go into the convention with the largest number of delegates favorable to their nomination can bring to the party the support of this e’ement which is so essential to success. To nominate either of them would be to invite defeat. —New York Times. The fact is that the Democratic party is desperately endeavoring these days to have its cake and eat it, to run with the hare and halt with the hounds, so far as the tariff is concerned. In the same breath it solemnly drclares that it will never condone protection, but is not to be understood as standing for free trade. Just as soon, however, as an attempt is made to induce .it to formulate its distinct and positive tariff convictions, it shuts its mouth and declines to be interviewed. Apart from all other considerations, the exhibition it is making, of itself pn the tariff issue ought to secure the defeat of the Democratic party in November.—New York Tribune* In a few months the Democracy has completely Undermined itself, and. at the opening of a Presidential campaign they were bold to claim they would win four months ago. The Democratic party has within the last few months been stripped of every assumption, bared of every pretension or protestation in favor of reform, even according to its own peculiar notions of reform, and stands on the verge of the 9 Presidential election naked, without an issue, and hungry--hungry for office.— Kansas City Journal.