New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-16
PREvrp,T4rED DISHONESTY


The Democrats who assembled Mt Chicago
last month, to nominate n candidate for the
Presidency, shamelcssly tri1ed with the leading
issue now before the country That is to say,
they placed n tariff plank in their platform
which was worded so artfully artlessly that
to-day leading Democratic newspap are dis
putting in regard to its meanngl or course the
committee which reported the plank and the
Convention which unanimously adopted il were
well aware that it could be interpreted in
several ways. 1t was prepared with that object
in view. Too cowardly TO speak out plainly
and without circumlOcution or reserve, the Con-
vention rcSorted to juggle of words. The in
tention of the machine that ran it was not to
exhibit but to hide Democracy's position on the
tariff question, n question in which every voter
in the country is vitality interested.
A few days ago we called attention 10 the
fact that The Brooklyn Eagle did not hesitate
to confess that it was unable to say what the
Convention which nominated Cleveland meant
by its tariff plank. Here is what The EG9te had
to say on the subject, August 10: NO sup
"porter of Cleveland expects OF asks Mr.. Carl
@Schurz to nd0rse the Democratic platform
q II is nonsense TO criticse Mr.. SchurZ
"for anything contained in the Democratic
"platform, particularly as no feiter can tel err
= actin rhat the principal plank means" BE 1t
remembered that this tribute to the party's ila'
grant chicanery at Chicago is paid by a leading
Democratic newspaper Another prominent
organ of Democracy, The LOuis0'He courier
journal, entertains a different opinion OF the
plank. "The plank says" The Cou1er-JOarhdt
explains to its readers, that revenue shall De
"raised exclusively for public purposes. Inc
@plank means nothing more nor less than a
"tarif for revenue only" Which OF these
exponents of the Democratic party has the right
of the matter-Ihe Eagle in calling the plank
riddle without IA clew, or The COurieT-JOWhdt
in naming it u deiverance for free trade
Well according to that eminent Democratic
authority, The Ncc. York San, they are both
wrong. 1t argues that the plank means pro-
lection. Pointing TO it The san inqulres " Is
"this anything but the doctrine of protection
~ Is il anything hut the old system of putting
the American laborcr upon an equality with
the foreign laborer by imposing protective
"ra,es of duty upon foreign products so that
"they cannot be sold in the American market
~at prices lower than those of the same goods
manufactured i'm this country"
Cleveland is conspicuously weak candidate
and is growing weaker every day. But even II
he possessed great personal strength he could
make little Roadway with such a peculiarly well
developed milestone as this tariff plank about
his neck. The Republican plank Is squarey
for the protection of American Industries ana
the American worltingman. lie who runs may
read that in IT. But this Democratic tarlH
plank. Democrats themselves being iudgcs.i per-
hans political fifteen puzlle-ls perhaps Tor
free trade, IA perhaps for protection a party
that would deliberately promulgato such sham
rnon such nm issue has NO right to expect the
confidence of voters who favor irankneSs and
fair dealing. II il good rule to misIrust u
marty that misirusta its own principles.