The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-08
The Next Democratic Platform.

The election of Mr.. Payne as United
States Senator from Ohio does moi
serve in the least to clarity the atmos.
phere with reference to the position OF
the Democracy in the approaching
Presidential struggle. 1t rather tends
to confirm the already strong probable
ity that a state of impenetrable fog
giiness will prevail, and that the cam
paion of 1884 will be very much like
that of 1880. Latterly the tariff-for'
revenue-only men have passed through
a season Of rejoicing on account OF
their supposed capture Of the party.
The decided majority by which MIR.
Carlisle was elected Speaker e MIR.
Randall sufficiently indicated, it was
claimed, that the Democracy was nc
longer on the fence on the tariff ques-
ton; that it had hung the banner OF
revenue reform on the outer walls;
and that henceforth there would be no
ambiguity in its platforms. The policy
of the party would be humane but firm.
1t would not cut the protective cats
| tail off all at once. but would amputate
it gently inch by inch, so that the ami
NAL might receive no shock. But there
was no mistake about the fact that the
tail must be eventually eliminated sc
that the location of the stump even
would become purely a matter oil
memory. The Ways and Means Com
mittee was formed on this basis, and il
was understood for a moment that the
party had really struck the bedrock OF
a principle.
But all at Once there was a revulsion
of feeling. A number of the men who
helped to elect MI. Carlisle and to COM
init the party began to comprehend that
they had probably made a mistake, and
already there has begun to crystalize a
Democratic opposition to the Tariff Re-
form bill which is to be brought forward
as an er cdthedrG measure. What Is
represented by this opposition may be
regarded as strengthened by the choice
of Mr.. Pavne by the Ohio Democrats as
Senator. Mr.. Payne is an unqualified
protectionist. He does not beat about
| the bush and talk about a tariff for rev.
enue SO regulated as to protect nome in
duStry, but he advocates our tariff fol
being Just what it is-namely, n tariff
for revenue and protection both. And
here we are reminded that the DemOc-
racy of MIR. Payne's State have recently
made q demand for the restoration oil
the duty on wool, which was reduced IN
the late Tariff bill. Somewhere it is
stated that Mr.. Payne has said that in 8
direct issue between free-trade and pro-
lection in Ohio the pretectiOnists would
win by q hundred thousand majority.
Whether Mr.. Payne yer said this or not
it is pretty evident that he substantially
believes it. Now, Ohio is an October
State. The Democracy lay great stress or
carrying it in that month, not only be-
cause they want its Electoral Vote, but
because they place particular value or
the moral effect OF a preliminary vic
tory. Does it seem likely that MIR.
Carlisle and his Ways and Means Com
mittee will so prevail in the National
Convention as to incorporate a tariff
for-revenue plank in the Democratic
platform? And if they do not, what be
comes of the bold stand taken by the
party in the election of Speaker? There
will surely be some crow eaten by the
Kentucky school of statesmen before
election day. The revenue reform idea
will be dropped, and the Democratic
ticket will represent nothing but an
appetite for Office.
There is one inevitable course for the
Democracy to adopt under these circum-
stances. 1t is the course it has been
driven to adopt before, and there is nc
escape for it now Like causes produce
like effects. 1t must fall back on the
old cry of administrative reform, or Re-
publican corruption. And how is il
equipped for this kind of warfare? Mr..
Payne and the Ohio Democracy again
furnish us with a suggestive illustration.
Thus speaks a prominent party Journal,
published at the State capital, anent
the Senatorial election: 1.-The mind
is staggered 0y tie revelation that
putrefaction could gain a spot to
further rot within the Democratic
party" And again: Corruption has
made rotten the Democratic Legislature
of Ohio. Money has had its potency tc
drag honor down in the mire." And
still again: These perniciOus and for
eign elements must be eradicated, and
until they are no Democrat will enter
the Capitol of Ohio Or of the Nation"
The spectacle of Senator PendletOn, |
author Of the Civil-service Reform bill,
turned out in the cold, while good old
Thurman, disguised. fees from Column
bus for the time being. forms an appro-
pirate al unct to the scene. Allied to |
this comes the memory of the Mclean
Convention in Cincinnati. Ohio seems
to be just the State which the Demo
Gratis ought to carry on an exclusive
platform of political purity, doesn't it?
And New York is the other State which
the Democrats must make a tremendous
effort to carry. The political purity
dodge there on the part of the Democ-
racy while catering to the chief of the
Tammany rag-tag and bOb-tail, and in
the light of the Legislative experience of
last winter, will not awaken any great
amount of confidence.
Once more we will venture to make
use of Air. Pc ne for the purpose of il
lustration. He has distinguished him.
self by a sound financial record, and can
have no kind of sympathy with the Ma
t;onal qualification which was involved
in the placing of such men as Bland
and Buckner at the head of the two i'm
pOrtant finance committees of the
House. Fortunately, Mr.. Payne repre-
sents a strong enough constituency to
prevent the Democracy from being a
unit in favor of bad money, though they
have the cards in their hands and are
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