The Portland daily press., 1883-10-29
The Democrats and the Tariff

There is good reason to suspect that the
Fabian policy which the cooler-headed Dem
ocratic leaders have mapped out for the
next session of Congress will encounter a
good deal of fierce opposition. The South
ern Democrats are evidently anxious to do
something. The policy of keeping dark I'M
til after election which has always been
favorite one with their Northern allies is
not to their taste. The men from that sec
ton are naturally aggressive. They are i'm
patient of restraint, and have little faith in
the notion of the Democrats of the North
that the country can be deceived in regard
to the Interior designs of the Democratic
party by postponing the work of accomplish
Ing them, The champion of the men with
these feelings is the Louisville Courier
Journal while the do-nothings are repre-
scented by the New York Sun.
The attitude Of these journals, therefore,
very accurately foreshadows the nature of
the struggle which the Democrats are to en-
counter at the threshold of the coming
session of Congress. The sLibboleth of Mr.
Henry Watterson's wing ia "a tariff for
revenue only; the shibboeth of Mir. Dana's
wing is .'The Republican party must 60"
Mr. Watterson and his allies probably as ar
IDENTIFY desire the defeat of the Republican
party In the next election as Mr.. Dana and
his allies, but they are not quite SO sure that
the best way to turn the rascals ont is to
do nothing but shout corruption" The
policy which Mr.. Dana would have the
Democrats at the coming session adopt is to
do nothing but investigate Republican Of
hcals for the purpose of manufacturing
campaign thunder. He wants the tariff let
alone In Congress for fear that it may be-
come an issue in the campaign, and a very
troublesome issue. With this end in view
he advocates the election of Mr.. Randall to
the speakership because Mr.. Randall is
pledged to nip tariff agitation in the bud.
Mr.. Watterson on the contrary wants the
Democratic House to tackle the tariff at
once, and he advocates Mr.. Carlisle's cleo
ton to the speakership because that gentle
man is free trader and will not stife tariff
agitation, even If he does not promote it.
II Is pretty evident that these two wings
are evenly enough matched in numbers to
ensure an exciting struggle, the result of
which it is not easy 10 predict. A recent
canvass of the Democratic representatives
seemed to show that a majority of them
were in favor of some kind of tariff tinker
Ing. But it by no means follows that their
views of a month ago will remain their
views when Congress meets. The average
Democratic representative is prone to sacri-
fee principle to expediency, and the tongues
of Northern Democratic leaders will wag
with great persistence and persuasiveness to
convince him that tariff agitation is not ex-
pedient.
Whatever the result of the struggle, how
ever it cannot fail to enure to the advan-
tsge Of the Republicans. If the tariff tink-
erers win the tariff will be made distinct
Issue In Congress, which the Republicans
will be only too happy to meet there as well
As in the coming campaign, while if the let
aloue-till-after-election wing in the end
scores victory II will not be won until the
hlterior purposes of the Democratic party
have been pretty fully disclosed and deeply
impressed upon the country.