Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-03
Aanraster fntellgenrer.
FRIDAY EVENING. DEC. 3, 1880.
Is Business Men, In Politics.

- BUSINESS MEN, Id fOlltlCSs
Evidences accumulate that the So
called "business men" who ranged
themselves in the late canvass as Repub-
)ican partisans in their business capacity
have committed a serious error. They
took their course avowedly by way of
protection to certain monOpolies, which,
upon a fair examination, would become
extremely odious to the people whom
they plunder. OF course these men were
not disinterested. Most of them were
not even sincere. They knew very well
that no legitimate business would suffer
in the least from the success of Hancock.
They were ReDublicans-in nine cases
out of ten, bitter, malignant, thick and
thin Republicans-an they simply took
this dishonest method of bo1stering the
Republican cause, which before the dis
tinctiye business movement seemed en-
tirely hopeless.
Mr.. Benton, after giving an analysis
Of the vote on the tariff bill of 1921,
says: With this sectional aspect, a
tariff for protection also began to assume
political aspect, being taken under the
cue Of the party since Disseminated as
Wing, which drew from Mr.. Van Duren
a sagacious remark, addressed to the
manufacturers themselves, that if they
suffered their interests to become identi-
fed with a political party (any One), they
would share the fate Of that party and
go down with it whenever it sunk" In
this instance certain manufacturers,
claiming to represent the whole class of
interests, have allied the mSelves, not as
mere citizens, but rs {: business men, "
with the Republican party, and having
cast their fortunes with it must look to
it for that protection to their mOnOpolieS
which they insist they cannot live with
out. What their policy is to be, what
demands they will make upon the new
administration, and upon the new House
of Representatives, it is too early to pre-
diet. But one thing is clear. The Dem
Ocrats have accepted notice that they ex-
pect no favOrs from them, and they
would certainly be more or less than
Democrats, if they were now in Il humor
to extend any.
The Eaton bill, passed by the Senate,
is now OF the speakers table. But for
the attitude of some of the business in
terests concerned, this bill would doubt
less have become law at the approach.
ing session. The leading manufacturers
of the country petitioned for it but
most of the petitioners appear to have
changed their tao: les at a critical moment
in the canvass, to have made up their
minds to rely exclusively upon the parti-
san friendship of the Republicans and to
have determined to resist any revision of
the tariff whatever. But inasmuch as
the most progressive portion of the Re-
publ lean party, represented by its most
influential newspapers and some of its
ablest leaders, are in favor of revenue re-
form-that is to say, a more scientific as
we'll rs fairer adjustment of duties-it
is probable that the larger number of
Democratic representatives will join
with these in the next Congress, and for
the present session give the whole sub
ject the go-by. If the Eaton bill, there
fore, shall fail, and if later on a less con-
servative method of revision shall pre-
vail, the partisan monopolists will have
themselves to thank for the kindling of
that fierce light in which some of the
monstrous wrongs of the tariff laws as
Il 49,
to escape abatement.