National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-12-30
Afraid TO 90 TO the People.

Referring to an editorial which appeared
In the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN Of last Mon
day, the Washington Post of yesterday says
II has been suggested "that any agitation
Of the tariff question by the present Con-
gress would result in immediate CONNER
cial disturbance, and that therefore the
wisest course is to postpone all legislative
discussion Of II until the subject shall have
been directly and squarely placed before
the people, which might be done at the con-
grcssional elections Of 1886. This sugges-
tion, in addition to being considerably flaw
oied with impertinence under present cir
cumstancCs, involves two palpablc miscon-
ccptions.n
If that suggestion was "ilavorcd with i'm
portLence' the Democratic House aud
free trade organs will do well to cultivate
taste for that sort Of navoring. THO sug-
gcstion pointed out the only sensible and
proper course to be adopted 'under present
circumstances" Any revision Of the tariff
during the present session being palpable
impossibility, and an attempt to accomplish
the impossible being worse than foolish,
the one thing fitting to be done is that
which the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, sug-
gested. But let us leave the "'avor Of i'm
pertinence" and glance At the first Of "two
palpable misconceptions
First, it Ignores the fact that the great dis.
turbing element in American commerce isnow
aud for years has been the inlqultous and i'll
adjusted tariff under which legitimate enter.
prise has long laugulshed, and By which the
great body Of the peop'e have been com.
PEELED to struggle under heavy burden of
needless and unjust taxation. Secondly, the
question OF tariff reduction has been presented
before the people and they have already pro.
nounced their decision in an unmistakuble
manner.
"The great disturbing element in Ameri-
can commerce. has not been the tariff.
That has been the chief source of our won
derful prosperity-a prosperity unequaled
by that Of any other nation, and unknown
in this country at any other period of our
history.
The most conspicuous and almost the
only disturber Of business has been and is
the Democratic party, with its incessant
threats Of striking down the protective sys-
TEN and adopting, in his stead, the British
talk about 'ill-adiustedn dutiesi is insincere,
as was proven during the last Congress
when Mr.. Morrison brought forward his H.
fated bill. There was no attempt in that
measure TO readjust imposts and equalize
burdens, but horizontal slash Of 90 per
cent. was proposed, leaving all the alleged
inequalities just as unequal as before.
As to the Posts ''secondly'' we have to
say 1t is untrue. "The question Of tariff
reduction" has NOT "been presented be-
fore the people, " and they have NOT 'already
pronounced their decision" thereon.
After the decapitation OF the Morrison
bill the question which, next to the person.
mel Of the Democratic ticket, occupied the
Democratic mind was what position will
the party take at Chicago on the tariff
question. The free trade wing of the party
insisted on the old "tariff for revenue only"
plank. The other faction declared implac-
able hostility thereto, and demanded an
incidental protection plank. The Wash
ington Post polled the House of
Representatives and found the sentiment
in favor Of ''revenue reform" Both sides
went to Chicago prepared fort tariff fight
such fight as they had recently enjoyed in
the House. The committee on platform
held long and stormy sessions, and the re-
suit was compromise, straddle, fraud
such as might have been written by Mr..
Facing Both Ways, of whom John
Bunyan, or some other old writer,
discourses. or course, both sides
claimed to have been victorious. To
the free traders 1t was a free trade plat
form; to the protectionsts 1t promised pro-
lection. During the campaign the tariff
issue was Systematically and persistently
lodged by the Democratic press and speak
ers. After the campaign had closed more
than one leading Democrat, including two
distinguished senators, stated in this city
that If the Morrison bill had not been de-
feated, and the tariff question "skillfully
nanipulated,n their party would not have
had ghost Of chance.
In face Of this record, to say that the
question Of tariff reduction or revision
''has been presented before the people,"
and that they have pronounced their deci-
sion thereon, is to cay that which has no
warrant in the facts of history-is to say
what all intelligent men, of all parties,
know to be untrue.
But it appears that, according to the
Post, another question was submitted to
the people, and decided in the last presi-
Dental campaign
Upon two questions the people declared them.
selves unequiyoc0lly in the last presidential
election. These questions were the reform
ofthe civil service, and tariff revision and
reduction. 10 these two this Democratic ad
ministration and this Democratic Congress
are fully pledged. Whatever may be true of
other urgent subjects II is amply true OF the
reforms indicated that they admit of neither
negligence nor delay, The people in these
matters are closely observant, and anXiously
eNpoCtant Of congressional action.
The question Of civil service reform was
not, in any fair manner, submitted TO the
people in the Democratic campaign Of 1884.
If Mr. Clevelands views had been stated to
the Democratic masses he could not, by
any possible chance, have been elected. II
the central thought of Mr.. Clevclands
letter to Mr.. Curtis had been proposed as a
plank at Chicago it would have been re-
cciyCd with howl of rage. If Mr.. Cleve-
land had given utterance to that thought
during the campaign he would have Jared
worse than Gen, Scott did IN 1852. TWAS,
ON the Democratic side, u campaign of de-
ceptIon, Of dupliclty, and the election of
Mr.. Cleveland indorsod nothing,
Since the Inauguration Of the Democratic
administration II has been the anxious en-
doayor Of some Of the chieftains of the