Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-06-26
Too Late for DOdgipg.

Democrats of almost every sort and
shade, in talking of the Presidential
question. show great anxiety as to the
platform. "The party will die, if it turns
the cold shoulder to tariff reform" says
one. "The party must face sure defeat,
If it utters any nonsense about tariff for
revenue" says another. But what an
amazing thing it is, if we look at it,
that a party should really suppose its
belated professions could have any
weight against its long established rec
ord.
The Democratic record cuts both ways.
The party has abundantly demonstrated
its strong leaning toward free trade.
But it has also demonstrated its utter
incapacity to frame, and its want of
courage to adopt, tariff in accord with
the will of its majority. 1t has disgusted
friends of American industry, because
it has continually threatened change,
and struggled to tear down the tariff,
and kept industry under the harrow of
uncertainty by its threats and struggles.
At the same time, 1t has disgusted hon.
est Free Traders by its readiness to
promise what it knew it could not per-
form, by its incapacity, and 10y its lack
of courage when brought to the test. Its
past record on the tariff question is the
worst that it could possibly have, for it
gains no confidence from anybody, but
has convinced American industry that
if it ever dares, the Democratic party
will be its deadly foe.
Having this sort of record, the Demo-
cratic party now hopes to mend it, one
way Ur the other, by a promise and a
nomination. One would suppose that
any man. even the dullest, must see the
impossibllity of this. Promises the party
has made before, by the cartload. Not
one has it ever kept. At the last impor-
tant State election it promised the wool
growers of Ohio to restore the old duties
ON wool. But when Mr.. Converse offer
ed such measure, nearly all the Demo
cratic members voted against it, and at
a later day four fifths of them voted for
d bill to reduce the duties still further.
On the other hand, at the last Presiden-
tial election the Democratic party PROM
ised tariff for revenue only. With Il
great majority in the House, it has not
dared to offer bill to keep that promise,
nor has it been able to command a ma
jority for the miserable piece of political
trickery that 1t did propose. Promises
from such party are worthless. 1t
will be judged by its record. and Justly.
Neither can the party gain anything
by the nomination of candidates of either
opinion. Let US suppose. for instance,
that the party nominates Mr.. Carlisle
himself, or MIR. Bayard, and that Mr.
Randall supports him. Is it not at once
apparent that we have trick or trade
to deal with? Either Mr. Carlisle has
secretly pledged himself to abstain from
effort for free trade, or Mr.. Randall has
privately agreed to cease defence of pro-
lection; who can tell which? The pre-
dicament would be no better if Mr.. |
Randall should be nominated, and Mr..
Carlisle or Mr.. Bayard should support
him, or if some political what Is 1t"
should be named, and supported by both
wings. The dishonesty of the perform
ance would be apparent. at the outset,
and then the party would be judged by
its record, as before.
No matter what platform the Demo-
Gratis may adopt, no matter what candi-
dates they may select, they are going to
be Judged by their record How thai
will help them they can guess when they
recall the last month of the campaign of
1SSO.-N. Y. Tribune.