Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-03-01
The Tariff Question 10 be Made a
Leading Issue.

tucker, OF virginia, anu otnSE equallg
well known and influential free traders,
to bring the tariff question into promi-
hence, make 1t q leading issue,
and array the Democracy in favor Of
free trade. The subject is already be-
ginning to be discussed in the leading
Democratic papers, and while the West
and South appear to be in very nearly
perfect accord as to the policy and the
duty of the Democracy to make square
issue with the protectionists on the
tariff question, there is no doubt
whether the same unanimiiy of senti-
ment can be brought about among Dem
ocrats of the Middle and Eastern States.
II is in those States where the battle for
revenue reform, for the overthrow of
the odious and unjust government
policy, which gives protective
bounties to the few at the expense of
the many, will have to be fought, and it
is Of interest to observe the indications
of Democratic opinion on the subject in
that quarter. The Boston Post, the lead
ing Democratic paper Of Massachusetts,,
halls the movement to which we have
alluded as well timed and in the
right direction. ''The country" says
the Post, lis ripe and waiting for it.
The great mass of the people are igno-
rant on the subject. The young men
have grown up under the idea that what
is falsely called protection is vital to the
country, and have been taught to look
upon free traders, as in popular langu-
age denominated, very much as the
Southern colored people do on the Ku-
Klux. The time for this movement is
also propitious. 1t is at the dawn Of an
other four years administration of
the party which has fastened reye-
nue. laws on the country so bad
in principle and operation as to have
forced almost universal admission that
some reform is needful, and therefore,
the plan is Invested of all considerations
but such as aim at the public good. No
Presidential entanglements are mixed up
with it, no clique or section is specially
to be affected by it, but the movement
is addressed to the intelligence of
the country, and aims to reach
the great body of consumers who
never concentrate their influence
at Washington, as do the protected
classes to promote their exclusive
interests. We hail, therefore, this step
as an suspicious one aside from all
party considerations. But it has its
significance from party point Of view.
The Democratic party to succeed in fu-
ture must shake off its lethargy and put
on bold front of aggressiveness based
on sound and immutable and uucom.
promising principles. A party with no
distinctive policy does not deserve pop
ular support. For practical purposes it
is dead, and there is not virtue enough
in any name to secure for it respect and
confidence. If party patronage is the
only thing worth striving for
Democrats may as well unite
with the Republicans and go in with
them for their share of the public
rlunder. But there is special peril
nency in the Inauguration of associa-
tons and measures for revenue reform
at this time, from the fact that the tariff
issue at the extreme end of the last cam
paign was unexpectedly sprung upon
certain localities and thereby became
the pivotal point upon which the cleo
ton turned. The Democrats were taken
unawares, and under the delusive cry of
protection to home industry, their OPP
pOnents succeeded for want of the light
and instruction which it is now the aim
of these reformers and their associates to
furnish. We want no better issue with
the opponents of the Democratic party
than this of revenue reform. 1t cannot
come too soon. or be pushed too vigor-
ously."
The Bridgeport Farmer, one of the
ablest and most influential Democratic
papers in Connecticut, is not so sanguine
of the success of the proposed move
ment. Commenting on the subject the
Farmer says: There are two great
obstacles in the way Of the scheme.
First. the Democratic party is not
solid and cannot be made solid, for
free trade-in New England, this
is particularly true. Second, the
Republican party is not solid, and
cannot be made solid, for protection,
particularly in the West. The tariff
question cannot, in the present condition
of affairs, become the dividing line in
politics. The Republican protectlonists
dare not repudiate their free trade
brethren, and the Democratic free ira
ders cannot safely dispense with the aid
of the Democratic protectionists. But
Messrs. Hurd, Cox and others doubtless
say, why not have reorganization of
parties, we taking the Republican free
traders and passing over to the Re
publican ranks the Democratic protec-
tionists? Simply because partisan
prejudices are still too strong to be dis.
PEELED by purely economic questions.
The Democratic protectionists, and the
Republican free traders would refuse
to be exchanged at the behest of Messrs.
Hurd and Cox. The tariff question can
not become the leading political issue
until the public debt is very greatly de-
creased from its present total; then only
can it be made to cover up old party
feeling and bring about reorganization
of parties.
Whether it be or be not the true
policy to make free trade a Democratic
party issue, one thing is very clear to
our mind, and that is that little will be
gained by a Democratic triumph in 1884
if it does not carry with it a thorough
reform of our present bur
thensome, unjust and unequal
tariff system If the country
is to wait until the national debt is paid
before IL il relieved from our present