Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-06-23
GlE Eanfaster 1ntelli9eafer,
LANCAsTER. JUNE 20 1856
Not Ready for Suicide.

Not Ready for Suicide.
Some of our estee med, more or less-es-
pecially less-DemOcratic contemporaries
are greatly exercised in mind over the i'm |
pending disasters to the party in this state |
because its representatives in Congress are |
divided in their views as to the proper |
method of revising the tariff. Because
Messrs Scott, Swope, and Storm have
voted one way and the other five members
have voted the other way, it is argued that |
the state convention must condemn one
set or the other, and drive all who agree
with the condemned out of the Democratic |
party of Pennsylvania.
This would indeed be distressing state
OF things if it were the necessary situation
of the case. But it is not.
It is true that the Pennsylvania Demo-
cratic congressman have disagreed as to the
amount of duty to be laid on wool and a
few other articles, and as to whether there
should be any duty upon them at all !; and
1t is equally true that the party at large in
the state is somewhat divided upon these
questions, but it is not true that it is the
supreme issue 81 our state politics nor the
highest Consideration involved in the selec-
1i0n of governor, lieutenant governor,
secretary of internal affairs, auditor gen.
eral and ongressman-at-large. For, ey-
cept the last, who happens still to be neces-
sary to a state ticket in Pennsylvania,
though not state officer, not one of these
officers has anything whatever to do with
the tariff. Last fall, when state treas
urer was to be chosen, it was argued in the
very quarters where the tariff is now made
the supreme issue, that the relation of cor
pOrations to the commonwealth and the
honest administration of the state govern
ment were the chief concern of state cam
paign; in vastly greater degree il it so in
campaign for a full state ticket. The Penn
sylvania representatives are Immediately
answerable to their respective constituent
cies in their districts and certainly their
votes on the tariff are not matter
for greater attention from the state con-
vention, to disturb its harmony, divide its
councils and demoralize the party, than
their votes on other questions Of national
concern.
1t is maintained that the Chicago plat
fOrm&n the presidents recommendations
have defined party policy which it is trea-
son for any Democratic representative to
depart from; and it is measurably true
that some revision of the tariff is univer-
sally demanded by the Democracy of the
cOcntry. But we do not understand that
any Democratic representative disputes
this; they all profess to favor some tariff
revision; they do not all assent to Mr..
Morrison's way. This is not treason. His
bill is not defined by the Chicago platform
to be the only proper way and we have
not even seen any declaration to that effect
from the president. Even if he had
80 said, that would not make it
binding on the party nor treason for
its representatives to differ from him.
He and his secretary of finance have un-
mistakably said that the checking of the
silver coinage and amendment of the cur
rency laws are, in their view, of greater
Importance than the revision of the tariff.
And yet in the House and Senate the
representatives of the presidents party
have largely voted against him on this
issue. Are they to be tried by drum-head
cOurt-martial for this There is
variance among Democrats and between
many of them and their president about
the best way to reform the civil service,
Is the detailed method of administration
to be test of party loyalty? We think
not. If each of these questions is intro
duced into state convention the organiza-
tion will be shattered to pieces right
speedily.
An attempt was made TO force this issue
at Chicago. 1t failed. That convention
saved the party by limiting itself to decla-
ration of principles, leaving to each dis
trict and to each individual matters of de-
tail and of method. The deliyerance of
the Democracy of the whole country was
for "a revision of the tariff in a spirit of
fairness to all interests" 1t was not pro-
posed to "injure any domestic interests
many industries" that platform declared,
"have come to rely upon legislation for
successful continuance, 80 that any change
OF the law must be at every step regardful
- sso iocoi ohu Sopitdl thuS luNUlNtu
the necessary reduction in taxa
uon can and must be effected with
out depriving American labor of the
sDihty 70 compete successfully with foreign
iaoor, and 'cithom imposing lo,oer rates Of
a~y man 'ciu be ample to corer ana in
creased cost Of production uhich D,ay erist
." consequence Of the higher rates of ,oaqes
Precasi'ng :" this country" We doubt if
one Democrat in hundred of Pennsylva.
mia has studied the Morrison bi,, IN d;0couo,
whether or not it squares with this itali.
cised clause of the Chicago platform. and
among those who pretend to have studied il
there is wide divergence of opinion as 70
the likely effect of its operation. Shall
then individual judgment of this bill be the
single issue Of the campaign and the only
tast Of party loyalty Or shall Mr.. Scott
b read out of the party because the ma
jority OF the House voted down his views
an silver. Shall Mr.. Rovle ha