| Show IT would be creditable to the great political parties of this country it if in the coming campaign they would refrain f from tactics that in agles have been very disgraceful to both in the first place there should be no flinging of futh filth against the respective candidates it should be a conflict of principles ples not mot of individual the shameful report circulated at st louis against the personal character of the chief magistrate as the democratic candidate was vile and contemptible both in manner and motter matter it ought to be drowned in a flood of universal condemnation the disinclination of its originator to as knowledge its paternity is a good sign at one time be would have gloried in recognizing his bis child of infamy now he be is keeping in the dark where he properly belongs this should be a token to the slanderers slander ers and scandal mongers bongers that this is not to be a mud throwing campaign in the next place there should be no falsification of the views of the appo there ought to be virtue enough in the doctrines of either party to stand upon their own merits and manhood enough in their advocates to pit their adverse opinions one against the other fairly and without misrepresentation sen tation for instance take the comments of baoy ady papers on OB the democratic platform orm au as an illustration of common political cai prevarication that with the presidents message on the tariff and the mills bill has been attacked as a declaration of free trade Andye and yet titis it is no such thing thine the platform the bill and the message do not either advocate or aim at free trade they only strike at an excessive tariff which piles up a surplus in the national treasury at the expense of the consumer and to the detriment of the country and the measure before congress which embodies the views of the majority major ltv of democrats is in itself a refutation of the charge of tree free trade so freely made and andro do industriously circulated by the it does not de destroy 8 troy but only modifies the tariff it cuts down the duty on certain articles and places a few on the free list but in its whole scope and purpose sustains the tariff principle but gives as its legitimate object the raising of revenue without increasing the surplus why not let the facts faces go to the country and then if possible show the fallacy of the arguments and the instability of the position assumed by the revenue reformers instead of ef falsely accusing them of taking a stand lor for f free ree trade the prohibitionists held a national c convention not long ago when they declared their views on the tariff question and the protectionists projectionists have denounced them equally with the democrats as advocates of free trade here is the resolution which was introduced trod at indianapolis that an adequate public revenue being necessary it may properly be raised by import duties and by an equitable assessment upon the property and the legitimate business of the count country but import duties should be so re reduced need that no BO surplus shall be accumulated in the treasury and that the burdens of taxation shall be ae removed from foods clothing and other comforts and necessaries of life who can fairly construe this as a tree free t tade fade ade declaration it distin distinctly cly pronounces ariff noun ceis in favor of a modified tariff but for revenue purposes and the legitimate business of the country abis is the policy of the administration there are but few democrats Demo crato who now contend tor for free trade pure and simple that is considered bythe by the majority of both parties as impracticable in the present condition of national international affairs whoever pretends that the question before the country is that of free trade versus protection raises a false issue the dispute is really as to whether the tariff shall be tor for protecting protect lne certain industries dus tries or tor for raising raffling revenue sufficient only tor for the purposes of government m nt members of bolh parties are divided as to what articles shall be placed on the tree free list and what shall be the reductions duct ions on otheus but neither clamors for free trade and t the lie pro in fairness ought not to pretend that their opponents do this they should bring forth their strong reasons to sustain their position that it is one of the f functions of toe gov to protect manufacturing and other interests by imposing a duty upon similar foreign products as against the democratic idea that the government government overn ment has no right to do this gut Jovern u that the tariff should be simply for revenue purposes and that such protection as is thus thas afforded to home products should be incidental and not the special object of legislation this bovid be honest fair and square and either party could stand on its own principles leaving the public to decide with a proper understanding of t the h e controversy this would be honorable warfare war tare slander vituperation abuse are undignified lowbred low bred and vulgar misrepresentation is equally to be despised the proper method in colem it its s is for either party to state the position of the other at least as str strongly on gly as he would put it himself and t then be proceed to demolish or overcome it with that intelligence which I 1 error as light drives darkness from the earth let us have a campaign of principle of honor and of decency 4 |
