New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-12-25
THE Issues In the late Election.


controversy between US and the Albany Argus
respecting on, anticirations concerning and the
results Of the recent Election. We should have
been gratifed ii it had frs. attended to our array
of proofs, both positive and crcumstantial, Of the
gross frauds in Plaquemine by which Mr.. Clay
was defreuded of the vote of louisiana, OF which
operations the News has volunteered as de-
fender. We insist then, that common fairness
requires that the News should frs. face the proofs
of stuperdous fraud in that case which we pre-
scented from the Census and the afhdavlts of par
Elephants and eyewitness, before it opens new
controversies with us or interferes In our contro-
versies with others.
But no matter: Since we ask and desire m
sforbearance' from the News or its party, but
stand before them in the same attitude of hostility
and defiance that we maintained before then
fraudulent triumph, we beg them TO express al
the disgust and di-pleasute that they see tit &c
feel or affect. In the most urtoubting convc-
ton that we were cheated out of the victory thai
fair presentment of the questions 70 issue, On
even bare exclusion of the illegal votes, would
have given US, we shall continue to speak of ano
to the wire.workers of the Loco ,Foco party just
as we would TO the chap who had conveyed our
pocket book under circumstances which enabled
him to retain it and defy our remonstrances.
And, until they manifest Willingness to give us
Registration of Voters, or some equally efficient
safeguard the introduction OF Illegal votes,
we must believe that the mass Of our opponents,
if reluctant TO deprive US of our rights by gross
fraud, are no. averse to p.of,ing by such frauds
when committed by their less scrupuluus con-
federatcu.
The News undertakes to traverse our statement
of the frauds committed by its party in the con
due. of the canvass. And first, On the question
of Protection. We gro ready to make short
work of that topic WITH the conductors of the
News. One of them has been opposed to US in
public debate on this very question, and in that
debate he argued plumply against all Protection.
direct, incidental, or even strictly defensive, as
absurd and injurious. He urged that, if all other
nations should shut out our products by prohib
itory duties, we should, as "a matter Of policy
Eoqose on their products no duties but for Rev.
enue simply His associate, as Editor of the
Democratic Revlo~.' has steadily maintained
and vehemently proclaimed the same doctrine,
down to last summer. But we found no such
inculcatlons as these in their Morning News; on
The contrary, the aont-no-point sophistry by
which Silas Wright labofed to darken counsel at
Watertown formed their text book, md the News
now says that their doctrine is "a Revelraa TIA.
friff, with such Protective discrimination Incl.
sdentai thereto as might be found consistent with
'the equal rights Of all classes and interests under
'our system of government" This foggy oracle
reads very much like Folks letter TO Pennsylva-
mia last May, but not at all like any thing ad-
vanced by Polk, O'Sullivan or Tllden before May
last. Was this honest Looking at it in view
Of its palpable objects and its undensble results
we cannot see how it morally differs from any
act designed to obtain valuable pcsssssions by
false pretences If Folks letter to Kane is not
essentially fraudulent-if it was not written to
obtain votes which al ho2est statement of his
position and opinions would have lost him-then
call US 'knave' or swindler,' or whatever you
please. When we care not for the thing, we will
endeavor not to take offence at the name.
Now we enGeavored from the beginning to the
end OF this contest to make clear, broad issue
on principles, and on those principles on which
the two parties had clearly divided in the dis
cussions and legislation of the three preceding
years. 1t was not by Wings but by Loco Focos
that the broad issue of Protection or No Protec
tion was raised in Congress on The reference of
the Presidents Message in 1912 Il was not
By Wing that the declaration was then made in
debate that Protection was essentially Wing
and Free Trade Democratic doctrine. THIS
issue having been thus made, we did expect to
have the question of Protection or No Protection
stated, argued and decided III tue Presidential
canvass. We did believe that so much exertion,
30 much excitement, SO much sacrihce as mod
ern Presidential contest involves, could only be
justified and repaid by the successive settlement
of one great principle after anoher until a whole
system of National Policy shall have boon elabo
rated and settled through successive appeals 10
the understanding and judgement OF the Nation.
But we sought TO make no new issue, and we
desired no advantage in the statement OF the
question:. Compositions, our arguments through
out the campaign were identical with those on
which we had stood Though preceding years.
We defy any man to detect shadow OF dscre-
pancy Can the News say much for its con.
ductorsf We wished to argue the same CUES.
tions that we had bsen discussing with those gen.
flemen, and from the same positions respectively
they standing on the platform of the De,nocra-
nc Review, we on that of the American Laborer
and The Tribune. Let the honest and in,elh.
gent judge how and why those issues were ON
one side cvaded and slurred over.
While the News talks OF Mr.. Clay's Compro-
mise Act avowals at the South last Spring, it
suppresses the important fact that he there re-
peatedly avowed himself an advocate ofthe Pre-
tective Policy and OF the essential features of the
present Tariff. That these are inconsistent with
the Nsws's notion of the Compromise is true but