The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-12-29
From the Wheeling Register.1
The Democracy and the Tariff.

The election of Mr.. Carlisle to the
Speakership goes far to make clear
the party alignment of next year.
The dominant sentiment of the Dem
ocratic party, as it is represented in
the House, and by its strongest news
papers, is for free trade. Republic
cans will not decline the gage thus
boldly thrown down, but this does
not help those Democrats who do
not believe in free trade or those 9TH
er Democrats who would like their
party to 60 into the campaign with
some show of success. The New
York Su'1s. which had been insisting
that "the Republican party must go.'
is telling Mr.. Watterson and his
friends that free trade won't do. The
Nashville american tells Mr.. Wat
terson very plainly that his policy
will have to be abandoned, and Mr..
Watterson himself, fiery as he is see
ing what rumpus has been raised,
desires to modify terms, though he
sticks to the original proposition.
While the tariff bill of last winter
was under discussion he wrote this
very plain statement of his views;
1.-The Atlantic Constitution does not
like the expression of tariff for reve-
nue. only Well, let it get better.
We are inclined to think the ,lin.n -
Co. -S~N~, SOOu OHe.. But we
are no stickler for mere phrases, We
demand tariff reform, and we set our
face in the direction of free trade.
We would not give a pipeful of to-
bacco for a Democratic party which
should go back upon the revenue rec
ord of the party. The Democrat who
is not a free-trader should go else
where. He should join the Republic
cans. No true Democrat can be a
protectionist. The fiddle-faddle about
the growing popularity of protection
in the South should mislead no one.
The Democratic party will make a
free trade fight in 1884. fit loses it
will make another in 1888. Demo.
Gratis who can't 90 it had better pack
up and get out. The conflict between
free-trade and protection is irrepress-
ible and must be fought out to the
bitter end. We spit upon compro.
misses. and propose neither to ask nor
give quarter. We have but one DO
litical life and just as soon lay it down
on this issue as any other"
This being put at him now he
pleads that he wrote it "when the
blood was up," and he explains that
1--WE are not nearly so hot as we
were." This is the baby act. Mr..
Watterson's Com'ier-Jounalha has been
quite as hot as that within a week.
We continue to agree with him that
1.-THE Democrat who is not free trad
er should go else where" In the
same vein Is this from the Charleston
NeaOS and Courier:
"The Democratic party must look
steadily towards "a tariff for revenue
only as its goal. Nothing less will
satisfy the people or justify the party.
The insidious suggestion of the New
York Sun that the choice lies between
a tariff for revenue only and tariff
for revenue with incidental protec-
tom is misleading and nonsensical.
There cannot be incidental protec.
ton under "a tariff for revenue only,'
because the instant that the tariff on
any article becomes protective it
ceases to be revenue tariff. There
will be for many years some measures
of protection, but this will last only
until the tariff shall be exclusively
for revenue. When that point shall
have been reached there will be no
protective duty OF any kind"
This is direct and frank, though it
means the destruction of American
Industries. The Richmond Dispatch
goes the Whole length Of Democratic