Show A STEP IX THE RIGHT DIRECTION The tariff bill now before the United States Senate is not presented as a perfect per-fect measure Neither is it claimed ill i be satisfaotory in all its details to the Democratic party It is of necessity in the nature of a compromise Senator Hoar declares it is neither a free trade nor a protectionist measure The gentleman gen-tleman from Massachusetts is right for once and we thank him for the statement state-ment The Democratic party did not propose when coming before the country for the suffrages of the people in 1S92 to pass either < a free trade or a protectionist bill It proposed to reform the tariff with the view of bringing the duties on imports to a revenue basis their constitutional consti-tutional limit and purpose The voice of the people declared in its favor This was not a popular spasm but the third expression of the popular wall at the polls emphasized in an unmistakable unmis-takable manner so emphatic indeed that it laid out his party fiat on its back The various industries of this country I have been so pampered and fed and fattened fat-tened by protection that a sudden com I plete withdrawal of that support which high tariffs framed in their special interest in-terest have furnished would not only prove Injurious to them but be unwise as a matter of public policy How such a sweeping course would have been opposed op-posed can be seen by the clamor which has been raised and is now resounding from every section of the country for special and particular recognition in the bill under consideration We say it would have been Impossible to enact a measure that would suit ithe extreme radical portion of the Democratic Demo-cratic party An absolute free trade bill would be of course an absolute impossibility No one demanded it unless un-less the term free trade is taken to mean something approaching to the English tariff policy The bill in its present state has been arranged to meet the conflicting views and interests of different seotions of the country and so obtain sufficient support to secure its passage Because of the modifications that have been made Republican organs are proclaiming it as a protective measure If that is true it ought to gain their approval and be voted for by the Re publicansin the Senate But they appear ap-pear to be fighting it just as fiercely as ever Senator Hoar however sets that question at rest It is not a protectionist pro-tectionist measure he says The difference between a tariff for revenue and a tariff for protection seems to be ignored by Republican papers pa-pers in their tirades against the Wilson Wil-son bill Or perhaps they are not able to distinguish the difference when any measure imposing duties upon imports is under discussion Because the Democratic platform denounces Republican Re-publican protection as robbery and unconstitutional un-constitutional they contend that any impost whether low or high must be j open to the same denunciation 1 The purpose in view in framing a1 1 tariff bill is the turning point in the controversy If the object is to raise necessary revenue for the expenses of the government that is in accord with the letter and spirit of the Constitution Constitu-tion If it is for the purpose of promoting pro-moting the Interests of a certain class I or classes of the community it is taxing tax-ing the many for the special benefit of a few which in disguised robbery and no warrant for such legislation can be found In that Instrument The mischief of the socalled protective protec-tive system is that In addition to the wrong of this enforced contribution by the masses for the enrichment of the classes there is no line of limit to the burdens thus imposed But in the tariff tar-iff for revenue principle the limit is J d < I set at the necessities of the government economically administered i I The Wilson bill Is a tariff for revenue bill It is neither a free trade nor apr a-pr tect1on t measure as Senator Hoar has proclaimed It is not satisfactory I i satis-factory in all its parts to many of the people of the United States But it will be accepted as the longest step i towards the right position that is prac i j tlcable at present Sectionalism has I held sway 50 long in the land that it cannot be overcome at a bound It is manifest in the bill and its amendments amend-ments Mutual oncession and a determination determina-tion to make this advance at least toward to-ward the proper ground on tthich the Democracy shall stand will result in the speedy passage of the bill in the Senate its acceptance as amended by the House and the prosperity that will dawn upon the land when this moderate moder-ate measure of reform shall have had time to produce its natural effects |