The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-04-11
The issues In the Next Presidential Cam.
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| We do not see what issue will divide
the two political parties in the nextP resi-
dentiaT campaign, unless it is the chief
one that has divided the Republicans
from the Democrats in the Forty-sey-
enth Congress tariff. The issues
that brought the Republican party to
the front in 1861 by the election of
Arabian Lincoln are practically dead,
and have ceased to excite public atten-
ton or discussion. Slavery has been
abolished; "free soil, free speech, and
free men" has long since ceased to be
the rallying cry Of new political party,
and most Of the vexations growing out
of the Rebellion and the Redistribution
of the seceding States, have passed
from the domain of politics to be settled
in the calmer atmosphere of Judicial
investigation. So of the resumption of
specie payments, and the National
banking system; so of Civil-service Re-
form and the payment of the National
debt iie i'i
The Democrats in the next House of
Representatives will be embarrassed
with majority so large that it viii
leave them no chance to divide the re-
sponsibility with the Republicans for
what is done or for what shall be left
undone. They dare not attempt to
meddle with the National banks, nor to
stop the payment of the National debt,
nor to do any other unpopular thing,
in the face of the impending Presiden-
tial election. The Forty-eighth Con-
gress is the one that precedes the great
contest of 1884, and for certain reasons
which are obvious enough without re-
capitulation, that will be one of the.
hardest-fought battles that has ever oc-;
CURED on this continent. The Demo
Gratis in the next Congress will have
the skirmish line on their side, and they
win try and omit their usual. blunders
How well they will succeed remains to
be seen. o..f 1890, =, e-. t4lf
So far as the Democratic party is con-
cerned, it is much worse off for popu-
lar and taking rallying-cry than are
the Republicans. It has been beaten in
every National contest during the past
twenty years because of its adhesion to
slavery, and its disloyalty to the flag of
the Constitution. Its recordin the past
has been SO black and damning that its
decent members have been compelled
to initiate the example of Noah's sons
| when the old man was found drunk
1 and naked in his tent .....r.-...
| Walk backward with ayerted gaze.
To hide the shame. 1 lsi-si' -
twill try and escape, if it can, all
allusion to the old questions growing
out of the Rebellion and its own COM
| plicity with that bloody and shameful
| event, and to make the fight squarely
upon issues that viii give them at least
an equal chance with their opponents
| in the result at the ballot-box. But
| what will it do with the tariff That
exciting and troublesome subject has
already rent the Democratic party into
| two desperate factions, both intent on
supremacy, and neither of them as
yet recognized by the action of the
National Convention. Possibly, the
| fight over the Speakership of the
| next House may be the preliminary
1 skirmish which will decide the bat
tie in favor of one side or the other.
| But before that battle is fought out in
the Democratic. National Convention
between absolute free trade and "a
| tariff for revenue only" or ga tariff
| for revenue with Incidental protection"
the party will be confronted with an
other grave question. s Congress will
meet again ON the first Monday of next
| December, and before the country has
had a chance to test the practical opera
I ton of the Tariff act that has Just
| been enacted after a fierce discussion
in both branches of Congress. That act
| was passed in defiance of their wishes
and against their solemn protest. If it
proves to be q wholesome measure as
a majority of the Republicans believe
| it win, the Democrats are not entitled
to any credit for 1t, and they win not
dare disturb it. II it proves to work
badly, they will attempt to repeal or
modify it, and the moment the ques-
| ton is reopened then chaos win have
come again. If they repeal the present
law, which they are pledged to do if it
is half as wicked, unjust and monstrous
as they claimed it was, they will be
held responsible by the people for the
substitution of something better. Here
is the rub.
It looks atfhis time as if the opera
ton of the present Tariff act will exert
a mighty influence in the settlement of
| the question in the next Presidential
| electiop as far as the Democratic party
is concerned. If it works acceptably
to the country, the next tariff plank
will declare for "a tariff for revenue
with incidental protection" and the
radical free-traders viii be squelched.
But in any event the questions of pro-
lection and free trade are likely to be
the dominating. exciting and over
shadowing issues in the next Presi-
Dental election between the two great
contending political parties. - Chicago
Journal.
-Boston's population is now Ss7, ,69S