Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-29
What the Speakership Contest

One Of the chief sources of Carlisle's
/ strength as a public man is his honesty.
/ He cannot be induced by mere cOnsidera-
I tions Of policy to abandon what he knows
10 be right. \ few days ago some Of his
/ adherents. thinking 10 advance his inter-
/ ests in the Speakership contest, stated
that he was not in favor of any further
/ agitation Of the tariff question at present.
He Immediately authorized a correction
/ 10 be made. He was not, he said,
{ in favor Of agitation simply for the
I sake Of agitation. He is in favor
I Of tariff reform and does not propose to
retreat from the position to which the
party has advanced under his leadership,
and which he has maintained with so
much ability. In a letter, written week
ago to Prof Terry. Of Williams College,
he defines his position relative to the tariff
in a way that cannot be misunderstood
In that letter he SAYS: I'm my opinion
retreat from our present position on tariff
reform would be disastrous. If we shall
ind ourselves unable to 60 forward we
can at least stand still and hold the ground
already won, which is far safer and more
honorable than To 20 backward. The cleo
ton Of Mr.. Randall or any other gentle
man entertaining his views would be very
properly regarded b. the country as an
abandonment of the contest. and, as you
/ say. il would drive away from US thou
sands Of earnest men who care more for
principles than spoils. Ny own position
on this subject has been deliberately
F taken and will be consistently maintained.
/ I do not wish 10 succeed in this or any
/ other contest by concealing any real SEN
/ timents orpurpOses concerning any public
/ question:
This letter Is characteristic Of Carlisle.
/ He wants the country to know where he
/ stands on the tariff and on every other
/ public question. and he does not want to
/ achieve success on false impression with
regard to himself or his views. This
/ Speakership contest means more than the
election of a Speaker. 1t is fight in the
/ party relative to the tariff policy that is to
/ control the party in the national contest
/ next year. The election Of Carlisle means
an advance towards tariff reform, if posi-
BILE. and if not possible the holding of the
/ position already taken. The election OF
Randall means the abandonment of the
/ contest for tariff reform. Mr.. Carlisle
wisely says that if the party was to aban-
don its position with regard to the tariff,
men who care more for principle than for
spOils would abando2 it.
1t is argued that the election Of Randall
does not mean the abandonment of tariff
reform. but a cessation of all tariff agita-
ton until after the next Presidential cleo
u ton. That argument amounts to this,
that the party is ready to deceive the
/ country relative to the tariff with
the hope OF gaining control of the
/ government. 1t may be accepted as
certain that the party Will not allow
itself 10 be forced into such dishonest
position. It's leaders are wise enough
to know that it is impossible to
deceive the country. If the business men
would be antagOnized by an avOwed tariff
reform policy their friendship and coop
Grafton could not be won by a policy Of
deception. The truth is, however, that
the talk about exciting the hostility OF
the business interests is simply for effect.
Randall does not believe in abandoning
the tariff issue because tariff agitation
would damage Democratic prospects next
year. He wants to abandon it because
he doesn't want any reduction in the tariff.
If. therefore, Randall is elected Speaker,
the country will understand that the
Democratic party has retreated from its
position on the tariff.