Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-18
THAT OLD TRICK.
The Republicans Trying to Humbug the
People Again.


Washington Correspondence Boston Post 1st1
There are some signs that the Republi
cans have frightened a few timid Demo
Gratis on the tariff question. At any rate
II IS the intention to either make the
/ Democratic party ridiculous through an
uncertain utterance in the national plat.
| form, or to construe its position to be i'm
laVor OF absolute free trade. The Repub.
hcan leaders have concluded that the
latter cannot be done. 1t was possible to
| make hurrah over the tariff during the
closing days of the campaign of 1880, but
1t is absurd to suppose that the voters can
be deceived now after the debates of last
/ winter, ana IN campaign during which
the subject will be discussed from the
convention to election. The advice of the
astute Republican leaders is that the issue
be forced so that the Republicans will
gam the full protection vote, and the
Democrats, being neither the one thing
| nor the other, Will command no earnest
| support on this question. The game of
the Republicans is shrewd and far-seeing.
| They expect and will deserve the votes
and money of all the protected mOnOpo-
| lists. Last winter the debates IN Con-
| gress instructed the voters good deal.
and Senators Sherman, Morrill, and some
others of the Republican leaders at one
time determined to modify their extreme
tiOn of tariff taxation.
After the close of the session. however.
another course was determined on. and
here the active agency of some of the Eas-
tern stalwarts was felt. 1t was found. as
result of last winters tariff agitation.
that the extreme protectionists formed
an important and well-OrganiZed body.
with plenty of'money that could be CON
tributed to campaign funds, and with a
hICInnGC ZnQl fhOt -,
close political fight Moreover, it was
argued that certain leading Democrats,
notably W. IL. Barnum, were protection
lists, and that it might be possible to pre-
vent the making of the issue so sharp as
to unite revenue reformers in
an enthusiastic support of the Demo-
cratic party. 1t was therefore de-
cided, and both stalwarts and half-breeds
agreed in the conclusion, that the basis of
the Republican campaign of 1884 should
be the solid, rich phalanX of protected
manufactures, the hope being to capture
the dupes and slaves of the capitalists by
demagogical Outcries in behalf of Amerf-
can labor. 1t was the belief that the
Democrats could be frightened away from
the doctrine of ''tariff for revenue onlv."
and if that could be there would be no
reason why anyone who had heretofore
voted the Republican ticket should 90 off
because of its adherence to protection.
The eye of the leaders has long been on
the Republicans of the Northwest, who
are strongly in favor of revenue reform.
precisely in the direction of the declara-
tions of the last two Democratic national
platforms.
1t is here that the Republicans look for
the first important break. There discon-
tent is felt at the party's attitude toward
the tariff, and the farmers can be kept in
line only by seeing that there shall be no
party for them to go to. If the Democrats
can be driven into an uncertain position
on the tariff, the Republican plan will be
carried out and the result aimed at effect
ed. The campaign orators and the news
papers will then again proclaim that there
is no reason for the continued existence
of party that has not the courage of its
convictions and that will not maintain
any positive position. The first step that
was taken was to beat the tOm-tOm in
such papers as the New York Iri-
6une and the Boston Journal on the
tariff, in order to create the impression
that the popular demand was asking
for protection, and that at least no inter-
ference with the tariff as remOdeled at
the last session of Congress will be tole-
rated. Unfortunately, some Democrats
have bitten at this, and the Republican
leaders who organized the plan are be-
ginning to think that their hopes will be
realized. They are sure of Ohio if Frank
Hurd and his followers can be suppressed,
and if the Democratic campaign can be
made to be meaningless. This expecta-
tiOn accounts for the assurance with
which Republican newspapers are already
beginning to predict Judge Foraker's
election. 1t is very simple game, and
the Democrats ought not to be demOral-
lied by it; it means simply that party
with positive conviction and positive
utterance will always beat half-hearted-
ness and cOMardice