St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-05
An Able Comment on the Tar
iff Views Of Minnesota
Republicans.
The Farmers Not Ready to
Vote for No Tax
Whisky.
McGill Hedges, Merriam
Dodges and Seheffer
Seems All Right.
New York Times Qnd)

| New York Times Qnd)
The recently expressed opinions of
three prominent Republicans of Mime
/ sofa concerning that part of the Chicago
platform which relates to the tariff have
peculiar significance, because these
three men are avowed candidates for
the Office of governor, and no other can
didates have thus far appeared. One of
the three, a real estate millionaire
named Merriam, declares that he would
prefer more elastic" tariff resolution.
Il think the people of the Northwest"
ne says, favor reduction upon those
articles most widely diffused in their
use, and prefer 10 keep down the sur
plus revenue in this way rather than to
take the tax OFF tobacco and whisky"
MR.. MERRIAM KNOWS
that the people whose votes he homes IN
obtain, both in the convention and at
the polls, are convinced that the tariff
duties ought to be reduced, and that
many of them ask for large reduction.
Albert Scheffer says that he stands
upon another platform, and favors "a
radical reduction of the tariff" Mr..
Scneffer, a banker of ST. Paul. is the
chosen candidate of the Farmers alli-
ance, an organization which is said TO
nave $4,000 members in Minnesota.
Inc present laws of the state concern
ing railroad rates and the inspection of
grain are IN large measure the work of
the alliance. I'VE demand a radical
reduction of the tariff said the alliance
in its last platform. Its executive COM
mittee said some weeks ago in the circu-
lar which recommended the nomination
of Scheffer:
The people of the state are subjects
of cruel, relentless system of robbery
that forces them TO pay exOrbitant
prices for all they buy, and deprives
them of a free market TOR what they
sell. Unjust discrimination against
persons and places is practiced with i'm
punlty. Laws enacted to relieve the
people are dead letter, or perverted
and made of no effect. Laws are framed
and forged in favor of mOnopOlists: cor
ruption reigns in high places. All over
the country there are hirelingS at work
to perpetuate this power; cunning
knaves, talking party preiudices to hide
their own sins and lead the people to
the polls like sheep TO the slaughter"
The Republican farmers whose repre-
sentativts talk in this way are men who
would
NEN Elk HAVE AOIED
for Mr.. Depew. For years they have
fought against the railroads. They
are opposed to the Il per cent tariff.
Mr.. Scheifer is Republican, and he
stands upon their platform. The third
of these candidates. Gov. McGill. who
seeks denomination. says that the
tariff laws ought to be revised. 1.-The
Republican party" he adds, ''m the
past has shown its ability to deal with
this question so as To benefit the entire
country, and when it comes into
power again our tariff will no donbt be
promptly,revised and readjusted." He
predicts that the Republican party's
work will be in refreshing contrast
with the do-nOthing policy OF the Demo
cratic party, as eXemplified in its three
years of power" One would suppose
that Gov. McGill had never heard of the
presidents message or the Mills bill.
But we remember that Immediately
after the message was sent to congress
his opinions were published far and
wide as follows:
The people of the Northwest are
naturally tariff refOrmerS. Democrats
and Republicans find no difference in
this material issue. / am glad to see
the president to take such radical DO
sition on the question. / am sure that
it will meet with general approval all
over the Northwest"
The governor Is still in favor of re-
vision, but lie is hedging little. That
| he has not been in perfect accord with
his party in Minnesota is shown by the
| fact that he ran many thousands of
votes behind the rest of the ticket in
1856, and gained his office by plurality
of less than $500.
Each of these candidates know very
well that it
WOULD BE FOLLY
for him to ask for a nomination if he
should not support without qualification
the Chicago tariff platform with its
declaration concerning free whisky. It
is reported that when one of Mime
sofas senators was asked some months
ago TO describe the condition and ten
denotes of the party in that state he re-
piled with a laugh: "Ohl they're all
for Blaine and free trade" Ii does not
appear that there are many Republican
free traders in Minnesota, but, so far as
we can learn, it is hard to
find Minnesota Republican
who does not believe that the
tariff duties ought to be revised
and reduced without delay. Mr.. Blaine
was both the candidate and the issue i'm
Minnesota four years ago. The peoples
admiration for the man temp rarily OBJ
scured their desire for a lower tariff.
That desire is stronger now, and Gen.
Harrison is not so magnetic a leader
that the tariff issue will be forgotten
The agriculturists will have time to
think of it and to ask themselves
whether they prefer cheap whisky and
eXtravagant public expenditures to wise
encOnomy and a reduction i'm the cost of
clothing, farm implements and other
things which they must buy.