Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-03-22
1ancaster !1ntelltgenccr.
SATURDAY EVENING. MAR. "a, 1884
Setting Things Straight.

says /" The editor Of the Lancaster IN
Is chairman of the DEM
ocratic state committee, and the politi-
cal deliverances Of his journal are made
specially important by reason Of his
quasi official party position" And the
eiitor Of the Times then proceeds to
correct our statement Of the relations
between Carlisle, Morrison and Waiter
son, TO reafiirm his own, and to declare
that we mislead the Democratic party
when we declare that Watterson, in his
brash aflirmations as to the test OF Dem
ocratic fealty and faith, did not speak
the words Of Carlisle and Morrison any
more than he spoke words Of truth ana
sOberness.
In making our affirmation we did 1t
from no peculiar sources OF knowledge
that are not open to every one. The
Times claimed to speak upon accurate
and intimate information and yet the
Times did not tell the truth as tits. We
refused credence to the Times, because Of
the inherent testimony In the matter {;
aud largely because we know that the
editor Of the Times is incapable Of noting
clear distinctions and is disposed to
inaccuracy as well as exaggeration of
statement.
The statement with which he enters
upon his criticism Of our remarks is a
fair sample of this disposition. He knows
as we'll as we do that the editor Of the
INTELLIaENCER Is NOT the chairman
of the Democratic state committee,
though the chairman of the state COM
mittee is one of the editors of the INTEL
LIeENcER. That we have often edito
rally said; declaring that no force should
be given to the INTELLIGENCER's edi.
tor.al utterances save such as should be
due to their logic and facts.
We have corrected the editor Of the
Times before now in Just such a state
ment as he has again repeated. We have
done it in vain, for he reiterates it. Pre-
sumably he does not realize the distinc-
tion between the fact as 1t is and the
fact as he states it, for We do not suppose
1t is a matter which he would care to lie
about, il indeed he cares to lie about
anything; which we do not suppose. |
His false statements are simply due to a
mental idiosyncrasy, which prevents him
from distinguishing important differ
ences and giving their accurate weight
to relative facts.
We find this popularity cropping out
in Col. McClure's statement Of the posi-
tiOn of Carlisle, Morrison and Waiter
son, and of ourselves. Having gone to
Washington to confer with the Demo
cratic leaders to find what they were
going to do about the tariff, he discover
ed--what he knew when he went there
that Carlisle and Morrison and Waiter.
son believed in free trade and he sup
posed that he discovered that II they did
not get what they wanted from the
Democratic party they would hunt it
elsewhere. That was his error. 1t was
only Watterson who talked that way.
Morrison had shown clearly that he
is ready to sacrifice his views to those
OF his associates, in the large modifca-
tions which he has made in his bill He
has cut off most OF his free list and after
going thus far to reconcile differences OF
opinion, IL will be impossible for him
to reasonably refuse to accept such
other reductions as the majority of his
party associates shall require.
The Times INDUCES In its characters
tic misapprehension and consequent
misstatenent, when 1t intimates that we
consider the free trade leaders of
the Democratic party to be fools,
because of their faith in free trade as
the proper policy for the country. On
the contrary we heartily believe our
selves that the time is rapidly approach.
ing when free trade will be the best
policy for the nation and we further
believe that we may now take steps
towards the reduction of the tariff. We
are thoroughly IN favor of the importa
tion OF raw materials free, as the first
and best step towards free trade. II Mr..
Morrison had kept his free list, and
struck out the rest Of his bill, he would
have done better than he has. We are
not in love with the Morrison bill, ,princi
pally because it will accomplish moth
ing. There is a great deal of cry, but
there will be little wool. The reduc
tion OF twenty per cent. will not greatly
affect any manufacturing industry
that we know anything about. l. will
not hurt iron, we know and ono Of the
strangest things In the world is to see
the iron manufacturers bowling so loud
ly against it. Iron is so low in price now
that foreign iron could not begin to get
In here at a twenty per cent. reduction
in the duty and our manufacturers, and
their sympathizing editors, are crying
before they are hurt, like little children
The question of the adoption or rejec
tion OF the Morrison bill we deem to be
OF very little consequence IN itself. There
is nothing in 1t to disturb the unity OF
the Democratic party, whichever way tn,
vote may go; and it should not disturb
1t. We think that in view of the fac
that the Senate will reject the bill, 1t i
improbable for the House to discuss 1t
and raise the bad feeling which /
always seems to engender. 1t excite
politicians as red flag does bull, an,
seemingly upon like lack of reason. l
Is measure Of 30 little real consequence
that Democrats In the House shoult