New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-19
TIE DEMOCRATS And me TARIFF

L
The campaign of 1850 enters upon new
phase The DemOc attic party, confessing that
it is beaten already upon the issues submitted
to the people by the National COny cntiOnS, at
tempts to abjure all its past professions and
pledges and TO make voters believe that ii Will
hereafter be the only tue and simon pure pro
tective party. General HancOck's latest utter
ancr is not less stupid than his talk to Il PateT
son editor, but it is the ripe fIuit of IL
large conv ocation of Democratic leaders Oh
Friday, though dated back so as to ap-
pear TO have been written on the day Of
the elections at the West, and is
meant to be an official change OF platform after
the contest has been nearly finished. Very good !;
two things are thereby confessed: That the
ta1ilf is question of the very fist importance,
and that the people do not approve and will
not tolerate the official declaration of the party
on that subject.
The country trusted the Democratic patty
once Oh dtath-beG repentance OF this sort. 1t
was cheated into voting for Polk, Dallas. and
the Tariff of 40" But the success of the
party was quickly followed by the repeal of
the protective tariff of 1912, by the casting
vote of MI Dallas, and the signature of Nh
Polk was given to that repeal and TO the free
trade tariff which Immediately brought about
a proStration of industries. The country is
not in the mood to be cheated again
Moreover the country knows that neither
General Hancock nor Mr. Mule Buyer Barnum,
nor any other Eastern Democrats III secret con-
clave assembled, can possibly change the puI
pose or belief OF the Democratic party. That
peated formal declarations i'll national plat
forms, but by many votes in Congress. If Gen
eral Hancock is in any respecI mole sincere
than other candidates who are hungry to
pledge anything TO anybody for the sake of
vote. it is certain that he cannot possibly CON
troll his party. What ii will do, it has SAID.
And he has sIid, in another published letter,
that he would feel it his duty to carry out the
platform and obey the wishes oil a party, if he
accepted lis nomination. Hence, he is care III
NOT to say that lie would veto Free Trade legis-
lation. In his letter on Southern claims, this
same candidate took care to say that he would
veto bills covering fraction of those claims,
but he is careful not TO say that he would veto
IA tan1 foI revenue only framed inIaccord-
ance with the platform to winch he has publicly
candidate who publicly pledges himself to such
"A platform, and yet soon after, III the stress of
approaching defeat, and to each weak voters,
writes such letter.
General hancock says: " | am too sound an
American To advocate any departure from tie
general features of policy that has been
largely instrumental III building up our indus
tries and keeping Americans from the cOmpe-
t,ion Of the undeTpad labor of Europe"
Then nearly all other Democrats are stigma
tized by General Hancock a not sound Ameri-
cans for tley have been voting against and
dcnouncDg the very pOncy which has done
these things. That policy, be 1t rem INBRED,
WAS first adopted during the present generation
by the Republicans III 1851, every Republican
but two IN the House and senate voting for 1t. a.
a faithful performance of tie pledge given in