With the tax reduction issue, Democrats main emphasis was on heavy post Civil War taxes, and limiting all taxes to the "requirements of economical government- (Hirsch 1585). The protective tariff has been an issue dating back to Alexander Hamilton, and its purpose is to raise the prices of imported goods and stimulate American industry. Democrats viewed the high tariff as government intervention in the market, and a way for businessmen to get favors from government. This leads to the third issue, more government control of big businesses in such a way to help labor unions, and legislation designed to regulate big corporations. .
The Republican Party on the other hand had been an immense supporter of big corporations. They (Republicans) turned the protective tariff to political ends; it rewarded industrialists who wanted protection from foreign competition. This protection soon turned into enormous profit for the big businesses and the Republican Party as well. The small percentage of people who benefited from the tariff, were millionaire businessmen (Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan), and they firmly opposed any tariff reduction - proposed by Democrats. This of course led to Republican opposition of tariff reduction. Another important position the Republican Party took was opposing organized labor unions and antitrust legislation. During the 1880's, big businesses found a powerful ally - the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court struck down many lawsuits against the businesses as unconstitutional, protecting them from state regulations, taxes, labor unions, and antitrust legislation. It (Supreme Court) also sided with the corporations on the issue that rights of property are higher than rights of people, which has generally been the Republican view. Finally, another issue rises in this election, that may not be relevant or as important at that time, but proves to be one of the major issues in the future - the military.