Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-13
GOOD PLATFORMS.

The platforms of the Republican conven-
tons of the great States OF Massachusetts
and Pennsylvania lead Of with the cardinal
truth of Republicanism that this country u
to be set apart to freedom, and where free
vote, fair count and an effective system
OF free schools do not exist there is no re-
publican form Of government in existence
These truths are not temporary. but eter-
nal: they are not incidents, but essences OF
National life. They are truths TO be en-
forced if the Republic endures; they are
truths whose rejection viii ultimately pro-
duce National death or sectional revolution
There can not long be free voting and free
school cherishing North, and an heredi-
tarily ignorant and ohgarch-controlied
South, any more than there could long De
free-labor North and slaye-laoor
South. "This country must be all free or
all slave said Lincoln; it follows that this
is a country in which political conditions
must be everywhere equal The result
will as surely come to be equality OF pohti-
cal condition as 1t came TO be freedom from
involuntary labor.
Next to the question Of political equality
in importance is the question OF National
commercial independence. And the Repuo-
licans of the great manufacturing States OF
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania spoks as
firmly in favor of the protective tariff sys-
TEN as did the Republicans Of the great
agricultural States of Michigan and Kansas.
Says the Pennsylvania platform;
.'The principle Of American legislation is
10 secure the happiness. the elevation, the
prosperity and independence Of each indi-
A nd No mr. IL
best maintained by protective tariff, which
has for It's object the elevation and fair COM
pensation of American labor. The last
message of President Cleveland is an open
assault upon our industries, which Will, II
unresisted, result in policy of free trade
which in the near future will paralyze or
destroy these industries, reduce compensa-
ton of labor and impoverish the Nation"
That sounds differently from the Golden
Clubs Chicago Tri6u,oe's commentator OF
the Presidents message as "wise and
statesmanlike There is no divergence be-
tween Republican Interpretation OF the ef-
fects of a protective tariff in manufacturing
and agricultural States. The manufactur-
ing States known that manufactures have
increased threefold under protection; the
agricultural States know that farm values
On the same day in which the Republican
convention of Pennsylvania was declaring
"the prosperity and Independence Of each
individual American citizen is best main
tanned by protective tariff" the Chicago
Globe, new and ardent exponent of Cob
denism, Clevelandism, Calhounlsm and
Democracy, took occasion to say:
''When the st. Louis Republican sets in
vincible facts and figures in the field TO
show that much the greater part of the
wealth of the country is owned in the nine
States which are the chief seats of the
great protected industries, it does good
service in a righteous cause"
And the Chicago Inter Ocean, though by a
very different course of reasoning from
that pursued by these Chicago and ST. Louis
Democratic journals, admits that "good
service in a righteous cause" is done when
it is shown that much the greater part of
the wealth Of the country is owned in the
nine States which are the chief seats of the
protected industries" For this accumula-
ton of 1.-THE greater part Of the wealth OF
the country" in these nine States has not
been at the expense of the other States,
neither are these nine States likely TO con-
tinue 10 be the sole 50 chief seats Of the pro-
the wealth which these nine have secured
by manufactures, are developing other in
dustries than that of agriculture and as
they develop them they will become more
populous, and as they become more pop
ulous they will have larger home markets
Land will rise from it's present price Of
S5.lS per acre in the poorer States just as
soon, and not before, the percentage of pop
is raised.
There is no reason why Louisiana, Ala
bama, Georgia and Virginia should not be
as rich as Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsyi-
vania and Ohio. There is good reason why
they are not; none why they should not be.
They are not because they have been, and
part are still, largely hostile to protection,
and capital viii not invest where it is not
sure of protection; they have not been IA
vorable to free schools and free elections, |
and intelligent labor will not go where these /,
Go not exist; and ignorant and ill-paid labor |
is profitless either TO manufacturers or TO |
governments. Another reason why these |
States are not so prosperous as those in ths !
North is that they are not SO populous. /
And dense population can only thrive 4
where variety Of industries thrive. When /
the time comes. and there are signs of its 4
approach, that there are nine States in tho 1
Southern tier as rich as any nine in the /
Northern tier, it will be found that the rich |
est States North and South are those m I
which the benefits Of the protective system I
have been most eagerly sought after. And 4
when there are eighteen, instead Of n,ne, /
peculiarly rich States, 1t will be found that /
the condition Of their less prosperous sisters ,
is better than it now is; just ss Il is now
better than it was before there were line
peculiarly rich States.