Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-07-23
Mr.. Randall and the speaker
ahin.

bl0nALe UOne uas eNOkeo mOIe OOm
ment, favorable and otherwise, than
was expected. We merely desired to
check the utterances of some partizans
who are continually asserting that the
election Of Mr.. Randall would ruin |
the Democratic party. This Is
thoughtless talk which will have to be |
retracted in the event of that gentle
mans election. If there is any fair |
way to defeat him and to elect Mr., |
Carlisle or any other good Democrat
not SO closely identified with high
tariff interests, all right. If not, we
m ust submit to the will of the major
ity, still holding that the success OF
the Democratic party is
a higher consideration than
q Speakership which cannot control
or even shape any national legislation
with regard to tariff reform. Our dis
tinguished aud esteemed contemporary
of the Henderson, KY, Reporter goes
off on an intellectual bycicle in the
following eloquent strain:
Under this caption we have read a
very strong editorial in the Memphis
LEDGER Of Monday, 18th inst, favor
ing Mr.. Randall for Speaker Of the
next House of Representatives. We
regretted to see that our friend Mathes
had gotten into error, for he is gener-
ally level headed, and his views and
positions are very apt to be correct
But in this instance he is decidedly
wrong, both in position and in his
reasoning In the first place, tariff
for reyenue-or "a tariff for revenue
only" if you please-is net
free trade; neither is free trade
one of the articles of the Democratic
faith, but opposition to protective
tariff is. If Mr.. Randslls views on
protection are not eXtreme-at least
as to iron-we confess we have totally
Inexperienced the drift OF all the
acts of his past lire, and if we have
done this, we would be glad to be in
formed why it is that extreme pro-
tectienists are so warmly advocating,
and so industriously working to &C
oomplish his eleetionP 1t our friend
Mathes will point out any act OF Mr.
Randall's, either while he was Speaker
or at auy other time, that sntagonized
or. we will put it in a mllder
form. did not favOr-the views
of protectiouists, we will not only
thank him for enlightening US, but We
will confess that we have misappre-
hended Mr.. Randalps position on the
tariff question. We agree entirely
with our friend that by the Republi'
cars sit Is hoped the Democrats
will make some mistake soon, and
thus pave the way to easy Republican
success" And We would ask, what
greater mistake can they make than to
desert the party platform in electlng
to the second most important othce
under the constitution a mau WIN
does not stand, and never has stood,
upon that PLATFORM We note that
our friend says, ut does not follow
that Dir. Randall, Pennsylvania
protectionist, must be our first choice
for Speaker, but he is less objection
able as regards this issue, than ne
would have been only few years ago
And wherefore is he so. prayY Have
our friends views on the tarit
question undergone a changer .Nr
Randall has never given any indlea
tion Of change in his, and the natu'
raj presumption Is that he is, as OuT
friend denominates him. "a Pennsyl
vania protectionist," and that toe
latter the most straightest sect. Al
to the charge "that the Democratic
party cherished communistic spirit
and is therefore in favor Of free trade,
it is only one OF the many baselesl
charges that have been brough
aQai ust the party ever S;Ree il sprsD!
into existence, and only one OF thi
many Ii, 1T will be made against it a
long as there is another party to max
them. AVA back yOnder, when gu
friend was Young enough to be TEL
with a spoon, notification" wa
charged against it, evel
though "Old Hickory" threat
ened, by the eternal" t
strangle the monstrosity and its cd
herents with halter. 1t has been In
deed charged with all the crimes il
the political catalogue. But mer
charge and actual guilt are two, an,
widely different things, and ii whel
charged with crime, an innocent part
recedes and backs down, it is regarde
as virtual admission of guilt. TIL
Denocratic party cherishes no "cem
muniStic spirit" but it would proteC
the masses, the tiller Of the soil. tn
honest lahorers, the taxpayers VIII
earn by their toll the money they cor
tribute to the support Of the govern
ment; it would protect these, we 50,
against the rapaeits Of monopOlies an
monopolists. True the Senate and Ii
President are Republican. and the
caa defeat anything the House nay 3
towards reform. Let them do SO, an
the country will then see where Il
fault and the failures lie. But let n,
the Democrats, having made one az
vance step and being backed in it |
the great masses OF the people, tut
back or pause to daily with c0mpr
misses, and thus lose the confident
Of those people and the advsntag
they have won, Let them elect N
Carlisle Speaker Of the House, al
they will certainly have "a firm, pr
dent man" in the chnir, upon who
they may safely rely at 81 times al
under all circumstances, as belng
full accord and sympathy with ;
great Democratic party.
If Judge Simmons will go back al
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