New-York tribune., 1885-07-11
A REPUBLICAN ADVANCE.
EDWARD MITCHELL ON THE STATE ~,
YENTION.

YENTION.
PROTECTION SHOULD BK THE LEADING PARTY crv
-EvARTs rHE TYPE FOR GOVERNOR.
The election of Edward Mitchell as chairma. -
the Republican Central Committee has in the -.
ion OF politicians much strengthened the Repuh,;.
can party organization In this city. Mr, Mitchell,
had an exceptionally distinguished career in ~.
Legislature in 1880 as tho representative Of ths
XXIst Assembly District of this city, and since thcn
has taken a leading part in the various city reform
movements.
He has alaw Office in the Orient Mutual Jpsurans.
Company's building on Wall-st There he wa.
visited Yesterday by TRIBUNE reporter. who
called his attention to tho meeting OF leaduc
Brooklyu Republicans the previous evening tn
adopt measures for the election Oft superior class
OF delegates to the coming Republican State Con-
vcnton. "That! is an excellent idea." said Mr.
Mitchell, glancing at the newspaper slips contain.
ing an account of the meeting. 81 hope" he con.
tinued. that the Brooklyn movement will extend
over the State, and that we shall have convsn.
tion composed of the best men ia the Republican
party"
" Do you favor an early or late convention
before or after the Democrats Mr.. Mitchclr
" In my opinion we ought to hold an early con-
vention and before the Democrats. Let us have a.
aggressive campagn; let MS Dominate men of tho
highest character for State Offices and adopt plat
form taking ground far in advance Of the Demo-
Gratis They will have to come np to our position or
be defeated in advance CT election day. For sevsra
years past party lines have been confused. Let
clear line of demarcation bo drawn between the
Republican party ami the Dem m,cratic party. For
twenty years thu Democratic party Jagged four
years behind the Republican party in the adoption
of uolitio.I prino;plas Tae fha
National Convention contrived in their platfora
to catch np with the Republicans, aud / have no
doubt a good many voters thought that there was
no difference between the two parties and that it
solely a question of the merit of the two eau
dldates for President. Perhaps it is too early yet
to make a line of division between the two parties
on their principles; such things arrange themselves
naturally and gradually, but at least We can try
to mark such line. We can make such pro gress-
i've platform, for municipal reform and for Civil
Service reform that the Democrats will have to 90
a long way to come up to it. The mass of that
party is not ready for progressive platforms; but
PcndctOn showed that there is q small proportion
of men in the Democratic party who have the pro-
gressive spirit. He connected himself with tho
Civil Service reform movement, anil assisted the
Republicans in passing the Civil Service letormlaw.
In my opinion that act of Pendletoa's elected
ClcNclanu III - question:, thou5u, WHcthcT tncTo
are enough Pendletons in the Democratic party
to keep it at a high level. thiak the Republican
party Is full of such men. Ii they can secure tho
adoption OF their progressive platforms and the
nomination Of men OF high character for office the
Republican party will return to power Otherwise
il will sink into the mere Bourbon party that the
Democracy became from the beginning OF the war;
. What progressive plank would you have adopted.
al would make Protection the leading thing in
our platform. And by Protection don't mean a
unquestionably be modified with benefit to the
country. Some duties be lowered. Others
be abolished Others should be raised. What
is that the tariff should he revised with the
sole object of protecting the American wOrkingDan
Theoretically. free trade may he all right; but
when you come to deal with bush matters yOu
will lind that yOur argument don't run quite SD
smoothly. Protection is undoubtedly the policy
for new country like America. 1t attracts foreign
capital just what we need. and it attracts foreign
labor. another need. In America also II has stimu
lated the inventors of machinery. The constant
design Of the manufacturer has been 20 undersell
hts competition. and thus sell larger quantity Of
his goods The effect of tho Protective policy Of
the Republican party is now being seen in the re-
duced cost of hundreds of manufactured articles.
We have invited in capital and labor, have stiInu-
lated invention, till many manufactircrs are ready
to meet tha competition OF the world and do not
need ask protection. In my opinion the shortest
road to Free Trade is by Protection. time comes,
as have said when the protected manufacturer is
ready have tariff duties reduced on raw mate
rials in order that he may cheaper the cost OF hs
the world. Take thread. for instance. There
never was n timein the history of the world whenyou
could buy spool OF thread SO eheaply a You can
in this land. So it IS with other manufactured
products. Protection therefore, should he made
one OF our leading platform planks.'
"Whit about the Republican candidate Tor Gov
ernorP
1--WE ought 10 take q man of the Evarts type
Nr. Evartss election | regard as one OF the wisest
acts of recent years of the Republican party. The
sole fighting ground left for Us party Is in the
United State Senate. Mr.. Evarts was just the man
To select for the task of showing TO the conntry
the partisan acts and the imbecilify OF the Demo-
cratic Administration. Having sent to Washing
ton such a man we ought 10 nominate for Governor
a business man OF like high character. As | have
said the Democrats will he Compelled To put for
ward man of the same high class. In addition We
ought, as have already sad. TO have progressive
platform. 50 clearly expressed that no one could
doubt our meaning. ii the Democrats lodged It
they would fail il they controverted 1t they would
be beaten. Yes | am in favor Of An early conven.
uon progressive platform. and the nomination of
an Evaris man for Governor"