The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-05-23
The Democratic Plight.

], Directly after the Presidential election
in. 1880 Democratic leaders from Maine
to California began with, one accord to
point with pain to the tariff plank of the
platform upon which Hancock ran.
They were an agreed that twas that
plank that beat them, but they differed
when they came to explain precisely
how il, beat them. Some said that il
beat them because 10 was TOO radical
I" q tariff for revenue only with 10
qualifying clause advocating incidental
protection, was great blunder. Others
argued that the plank in iitselfswas all
right, reflected the sentiment Of the
party, but the trouble was that Demo
cratic editors and stump speakers bad
not been earnest, and aggressive enough
In commendihg 1t to the masses Ahad
not in fact proved themselves foernen
worthy of the steel of the protectionists.
Well, another Presidential campaign
lies inst ahead And,a the Democratic
party scans the p6lihcal probabiIities Of
1884, It realizes that whatever desp
hopes il may have entertained of then
electing a President of its own nominal
tion stand q precious good chance Of
the tariff. What sort Of tariff plank is to
W IuJO b1o oDciuOcIdlk6I ISdCtOudl JlalIOTll
next yearpR There is not . man in the
United States, whatever his political ex-
perience, shrewdness or standing, IN the
question. The high,toned Democrats
who believe in unswerving fidelity to
distinctive party principles at all
hazards, are likely to insist upon q re-
assertion Of "a tariff for revenue only. y,
But they viii be fiercely opposed by the
| larger element that cares nothing about
principles and thinks only of immediate
success. This larger element, with the
Hancock campaign in view, will be GER
tain to favor . tariff plank that viii be
all things to all men, and that, there
fore, win be admirably calculated to
| drive away thorough-going free-traders
from the Democratic ticket and to exs
cite only the derision of protectionistss
What VIII be the Outcome Of the disa-
| greement2 VIII the Convention, in one
of those moments of brilliant blunder-
i ing to which the Democratic party is
addicted at critical times, attempt to
hedge by nominating q conspicuous
free-trader on q platform that leans
toward protection. or by nominating q
| man who is known to lean toward pro
lection on an iron-clad free-trade plat
form, or viii they nominate Sam Ran.
DAN, who leans both toward free-trade
and protectione Right here it is inter
esting to note what in the opinion Of
the aotoG Statei Leader, one of the
most prominent free-trsde organs in the
West, the Democratic party must do If il
would escape being stranded ron the
tariff. The Leader talks in this strain:
"The Democrats must either accept de-
feat in 1884 or they must balance their In
evitable protectionist losses by free trade
gains. If their utmost efforts fail TO Sc.
1 cure that balance then they must accept
defeat. If they make no such efforts
then they are defeated before the battle
opens" Surely this will prove solemn
reading for the Democrats of the West
For they know that they might as vel
look for white crows as for s.free trade
tgains;" and so, If they believe the
Leader, their Presidential ticket fol-
4 1884 stands beaten in the spring Of 1888
The more sit is looked at the worse
this particular Democratic plight ap.
pears. And what lends the situation
Increased and multiplied gloom is the
conviction. which can not but force itseli
upon the candid Democratic mind, that
quite apart from the tariff their party il
very likely to be beaten in 1884 upor
the general issue.-N y, Tribune.