| Show TIlE FREE TRADE DODGE I We notice that it is gotting to be quite tho thing to apply the term free trader to any paper or man who favors the elimination elim-ination of the war taxes and the consequent conse-quent rescue of the people from wholesale whole-sale pillage How many of those who use the term free trade so recklessly pause to reflect re-flect or even to inquire what the term really implies Free trade means the abolition of all duties the wiping out of all customs In all of the United States there are probably not half a dozen pure and simplo free trade newspapers This free trade stigma is cast just now especially upon Democratic journals It is being used as a weapon by those who desire to see the present destructive and galling taxation kept up that a surplus may ever accumulate in the National Treasury as a fund to be checked against by party corruption It is needless to add however that these free traders are Republicans The Democratic position on this question ques-tion is plain enough and is fully recognized recog-nized by the people It is tho position embodied in tho platform upon which stood tho robbed Tilden and upon which Cleveland was made President This Democratic proposition is that no more restrictions shall be imposed upon or maintained on the liberty to carry on trade or commerce external or internal than are absolutely necessary to meet the requirements of the State for revenue and for the enforcement of necessary police and sanitary regulationsin other words a tariff for revenue only The Democratic party does not demand free trade as charged by contemporaries contempo-raries of Republicanism and plunder but it docs demand that the robber surplus of the treasury shall be wiped out and that demand it will see enforced On this subject tho Kansas City Times says For last month May the public debt I statement shows a decrease of 7888997 the cash in the treasury afterward being nearly 500000000 Twentytwo years ago tho war closed since which time tho public debt has been decreased 1600000000 oran or-an average annually of 73000000 One billion six hundred million Is the enormity enor-mity of this sum comprehended at a single glancecan it be thus comprehended What other nation on this earth could have levied and collected such a vast volume of taxes in order to pay off such oolossal sums of money The debt is now only a little over 40 per cent of what it was at its highest high-est point and yet while the amount of taxes collected by the Government in 1865 was 322090000 the amount collected last year 1886 was 336000000 or 14000000 a year more than they wore in the year the war ended How much longer is it supposed that such financial management this is going to be permitted by the people The war tariff taxes still gorge the treasury with money which is poured out wastefully upon every job which comes along no matter what so only it helps to reduce the surplus and keep the robber tariff still astride the neck of the country After thin month June there can be no more legitimate debt reduction then why should the people be taxed to pile up anymore any-more money in the treasury Why should they be forced to provide for a debt that is not due for nearly ten years and which can furthermore be amply provided for by the opjritijiu < of the sinking fund Why to be suro We have just said To keep the present tariff from being reformed remodeled re-modeled or reduced in any possible manner and to denounce orery man newspaper asa as-a free trade crank who proposes any plan for reduction |
