St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-21
REYENuR REE0RM.

Both political parties pledged themselves
In their platforms to revenue reform. The
Republicans headed their ticket with man
who was known as the special champion OF
the protection theory. The Democratic can
didate was man who had no legislative
record, but whose whole official life was re-
form record and in his letter accepting the
presidential candidacy planted himself
squarely on the platform of the convention
which nominated him and which declared
for revenue tariff. The Democrats won.
And on them now will devolve the actual
work of reforming the tariff. 1t is a big job,
for every inch of ground in the direction of
reducing the present war tariff will be con-
tested by the Representatives of subsidy and
monopoly In entering upon the work of
tariff reform, many ways and means may be
devised for the revision, but the admiRis-
tration will be confined to a selection
from only two principles as basis
one is the dogma of protection,
the other the doctrine of revenue.
The protection theory is essentially Republi-
can, the revenue doctrine is Democratic, and
the president should have no difficulty in
deciding which principle to adopt.
SO far there has been nothing to show the
purposes OF the executive in this respect, unless
it be in the action of appointing a commits
sioner of internal revenue which the news
papers construe into committal on the part
of the president to the RANDALL wing of the
Democratic party against the CARLISLE wing.
1t so happened that in the contest for this
position Mr. CARLISLE was backing his Ken
lucky colleague while Mr.. RANDALL's in
dorsement had been given to another can
didate. The RANDALL man won. And
Selling upon this fact the press fastened to
announce that it was victory for the pro-
tectionsts. Except that RANDALL and
CARLISLE each had their respective favorites
in the contest there is nothing in the ap-
pointm ent to confirm the theory that the
tariff in any way entered into the contest.
1t is true that Mr.. RANDALL is pronounced
protectionist and upon this question does
not stand in with his party. Mr.. CARLISLE
is a simon pure revenue reformer and upon
the tariff holds views in accord with the
party of which he is a distinguished leader.
While Mr.. RANDALL's views are at
variance with the principle upon which
his party is moved respecting tariff, still in
all other respects he is sound Democrat,
professed statesman, and has proved himself
a capable leader. 1t is not to be wondered
at, then, that in the trying exigencies which
surround a new administration the president
should be glad to avail himself of the exper-
fence of one whose political sagacity is so
we'll approved as that of Mr.. RANDALL.
Even Mr.. WATTERsoN recognizes this fact,
and while refusing to abate one jot of his re-
form notions, stands ready to uphold the
hands of the administration Notwithstanding
the apparent reverses of the Kentucky fac
ton. The truth is the appointment of an in
ternal revenue commissioner turned upon
the determination of the president to resist
the opportunities Of the whisky ring, and in
this respect his action must be applauded.
The tariff had nothing in the world to do
with the appointment. The president simply
felt that his position on the whisky question
made Mr.. THoMPsoN's appointment unwise
and i'm possible, though he did not doubt his
honesty or ability. When the time comes
for working the needed revenue reform it
will be done according to the Democratic
idea.