National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-01-17
Give Us a rm of rnrticrlnls.


opponents ofa protective tariff to deal less
in vague generaitics and pay more at
tention to such things as facts and de-
tails. tits not Il difficult task, requiring
profound eudition or consummate skill
in rhetorical eloquonce, 10 hurl foamy
torrent ofdenunciation at the protective
ssystem and those who favor it. \ dcma-
gogne could do that sort of work quite as
effectively as a statesman of Senator
Beck's conceded ability.
A numerous class of Democratic news
papers have preceded the distinguished
Kentucky Senator in denouncing pro-
tective tariff as acongrcssional license for
capital to rob labor The country has
had something of surfeit of this invec-
tive.
We do not claim that the tariff is pre-
eisely right in all respects We do not
undertake to say that it works equitably
in all cases. There is no Republican
statesman, so far as we know, who claims
that the schedule now in force should not
be amended in any way. But we are
confident that the underlying principle,
the central idea, ofthc tariff is the source
of much of our prosperity as people, and
we have no doubt that, with all its imper-
fections, this tariff is far better for our
people as whole-for labor as well as
capital-than any schedule that would be
formulated by the frce-trade school of
political economists.
Instead of wholesale and dindiscrminate
abuse of the tariff, it would be far better,
we venture to suggest, for these icono-
elastic reformers TO point out specific in
stances of injustice. 1t is not sufficient to
declare in general terms that labor is
being robbed. Let us know what branch
of labor how much, and by whom. Let
us know who is getting rich on the spoils
of honest industry. Let us know whose
hand is in anothcr's pocket, and whose
pocket that hand is in. In short, let us
have bill Of particulars. This is prac-
tical age and we are utilitarian people.
An ounce Of solid fact goes further with
us than square league of the most ele-
CANT and eloquent diction that is desti-
tute of facts.
We are decidedly in favor of full and
all its bearings. A generation has grown
up in ignorance of this great subject.
Profoundly impressed with the belief
that we cannot afford to drop the pro-
tective idea in laying our imposts, and
fully convinced that the advocates of this
theory must gain converts as the discus
sion goes on, we rejoice when the free
4 II. 1 I
or on the stump to blow their blasts
against protection. They are, in our opin-
ion, making mistake from party stand
point The Democratic organization
cannot but suffer from this agitation. In
stead of chewing the cud of sweet
content, these orators will learn in the
near future that they are gnawing file.
The Republicans Of all sections are in
favor of protection to reasonable and
proper extent. The Democrats of many
sections are with the Republicans in this
matter. Every attack that Democratic
orators or organs make on the protective
theory adds voting strength to the Re-
publican ranks. We are sometimes told
by Democrats that they lost Indiana in
IocU DcCause tHe lallH question was
sprung on them so late in the campaign
that there was not time to get
their great array of facts before
the people and thereby repel the
impetuous assault that demoralized
their forces. In all probability they would
have carried Indiana if their position on
the tariff had not been accepted as n
menace to the leading manufacturing in
dustries of that State and section. But
more time would have made their defeat
more pronounced, for the more their
platform was discussed the more repel-
liant it became. The Democratic party is
hopelessly and irretrievably rent on this
great fundamental question. Agitation
will not heal the breach