National Republican., 1886-08-31
Tho Fighting pemoorntIc Factions.

ANt BHtLiONSs
The principal reason why the Republi-
can party should, by every legitimate
means, keep the tariff Issue at the front Is
because 1t is right to do so, and that party
can always afford to be rlght-can never
afford to he wrong. A secondary but Inn
portant reason is that on this question "our
friends, the enemy,n are hopelessly at odds
and daily becoming more so, while the Re-
publican party is practically unit In sup
port of n protective tariff. Let this fight
be pushed, let It be made red hot in the
state and congressional campaigns of this
year, work to white heat in the presl-
Dental canvass two years hence, aud the
Democratic party can he split in twain, its
two wings sundered so widely that they
will never thereafter "nap together"
Already the tariff trouble In the Demo-
cratic party is becoming very serious. The
organs Of the Democracy are pouring hot
shot into each other, and the leaders Of the
opposing factions find more pleasure in
mutual assaults than in making war on their
common enemy. Congressman who voted
against consideration Of the Morrison bill
are assailed by the free trade organs with
continuous fire OF abuse. They are tread
out" black-listed, and told that they must
not and shall not be returned to the House.
Such leading and influential Democratic
newspapers as the Philadelphia Record, the
Galveston Ne,US, and the New York Star
the last-named being the only administra-
tion Democratic paper In New York city
are taking prominent part In the factional
| 6ght, while the protection Democratic pa
pers are openly charging that "Brtish
goldn has been freely used to corrupt the
free.trade Democratic journals. The Nash
vile american has made this charge boldly,
and has called the names of the alleged
culprits.
Republicans have no choice between these
fighting factions except that they recognize
greater consistency In the free traders than
in their opponents. There is no doubt that
the Democracy is a revenue tariff party. II
declared in 1876 for ia tariff only for reve
nue." in 1880 for "a tariff for revenue only
and in 1884 1t made tariff plank which
Carlisle and Morrison, representing large
majority Of the party, said was satisfactory
to them, for 1t meant the same as "revenuC
only"
The legitimate Democrats are those who
follow the free-trade flag. The illegitimate
are those who, protesting protective prin
ciples, vote for free-trade organization o
the House of Representatives and, when the
fight comes on, jump over to the Republi
can side to help in defeating the natura
result of their own act.
Open, honest opponents like Carlisle
Morrison, Mills, Dorshelmer, Watterson
and Hurd are entitled to such respect a
cannot be accorded to those bogus Demo
Gratis who constitute the protective wing o
their party. The Republican cause cal
gain nothing by any sort of alliance will
the Randall Democrats. 1t would havt
been worth two hundred thousand votes Il
the Republican side in 1884 or in 1856 II the
free traders had been able to put their bill
through the House. The true policy fo
the Republican party is to show no quarter
| to either faction, but to force the tariff
fight till the two parties are aligned or
this issue, as they must be in the neal
future.
| The preposterous spectacle OF a party
going into the congressional campaign oil
two opposing platforms-one made by Nor
rison, the other by Randall-ought not h
be possible, nor will it be again attempte,
II the tariff issue is kept at the fore an,
used for half what 1t is worth.