Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-10-06
the SPEAkERSHIP.

The Brownsville Democrats among
the most sensible OF our State ex-
changes and is. apt to take clear
headed and correct view of the politi-
cal situation. 1t is seldom that we
differ with the Democrat on questions
OF public polity, {the Brownsville
Democrat, we mean) but we think
that estimable paper is little wrong
in the matter of which we will pres
emily speak.
Our contemporary, in All editorial of
last week declaring itself for Randall
for Speaker says;
"The people, however, 80 far as they
have been heard from in their State
platforms, are in favor of protection
by discrimination in the tariff sched-
ule. While they demand that the
tariff shall be limited to necessary
governmental expenses, they say the
tariff IN its application must be 50
adjusted as to encourage and support
domestic industries-that is, they IA
vor protection within the revenue
limit A large majority OF the States
which have spoken authoritatively
stand ON this ground, showing con-
clusively that there has been a revul-
sion in popular sentiment since 1850.
This reyulsion viii, it is probable, re-
suit in the defeat of Mr.. Carlisle and
the election OF Mr.. Randall" q
The facts stated in the above are
correct but the conclusions drawn are
erroneous. We do not concede that
the election OF Carlisle will be an
overthrow of the Ohio tariff plank
which the Democrat speaks of as the
expression OF the people. The Demo
cratic expression of 1880 was most
faulty in being incomplete. There
has really been no such revulsion in
popular sentiment as that of which
our Brownsville contemporary speaks.
The tariff question had been shaded
by other issues prior to 1880 and the
necessarily large revenue required by
the government up to that time rem
dered reduction and reform impracti
cal and the subject had not been fully
ventilated. The Democrats wanted
reduction and reform in 1880 just as
they do now but they meant more
than they said when they declared for
tariff for revenue only. Their. in
tention, as they afterwards Intellectual
ly protested, was to declare for
properly adjusted tariff with a revenue
limit. Their intentions were very
correct, but BritshpOet once said:
Good intentions pave the way of many an
honest soul to He'll"
and the party understood the full sig
nificaD ce of those words after the cleo
ton that followed.
No democrat that we know of OBJ
jects to the Ohio expression. p
Watterson fastened to say that it was
a great improvement on the ambitious
ly sententiOus utterance in which he
formerly delighted, and Mr.. Carlisle,
no doubt, endorses it in full.
The Democratic party is committed
to revenue reform. 1t wants the tax
system readjusted so as not to impose
unequal burdens or to foster mOnOpO-
lies. The trouble about Randall is, he
voted for the present tariff laws, and
his appointments of committees, and
other acts while speaker, have shown
too much of leaning towards the
mOnopolist. But Mr.. Randall I'M
doubleday has high personal qualifica-
tons for the Office he seeks and his
election would not necessarily COM
NIT the party to the tariff position he
is supposed to occupy.
We believe that the policy lore
Swallowed by the Democrats of Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jer-
sey will be the policy of the National
Democracy next year, no matter who
is elected speaker. Revenue reform
is the motto OF the party and no
Democrat can object to the adjustment
of a revenue tariff, limited to the ne
cessities of the government economic
ally administered, so as to afford pro-
lection to American industries.