New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-29
THE PRESIDENTS BLCNDERS.

President Cleveland and his supporters per-
sist in grave ard incxcrsablc blundcr regard
ing public opinion. Sometimes error respecting
the relative strength Of opposing currents oil
popular feeling or belief is entirely pardoDabc.
But the wishes of the people on the taiiii ques-
ton have been made known by long scres OF
votes and acts, which there is no excuse what
ever for misunderstanding. Yet President
Cleveland and his advisers appear to believe
that IA majority of the people want change OF
the tariff in the direction of free wool, Tree raw
materials and removal or lowering of the duties
which protect home industry. The Admins
tration has negotiated a treaty on the fisheries,
in which it has dis gracefully failed to defend
American rights and interests in oyder to in
corporate a bribc to NcwEngland people to
favor the abolition of duties on fish. This
treaty-which is so hostile to the interests or
the country that it might with some proprIety
be termed dislOyal-thc Senate is about TO dis
cuss. Some supporters Of the Administration,
infatuated with the idea that Americans do
want free trade, affirm that The treaty ought
to be discussed in public.
Public discussion would only lessen the
chance that such treaty could be approved.
The people have made known their wishes on
the tariff question so often and so clearly that
an Administration not entirely given over to
dulncss would realize the situation. Prcsi-
dent Cleveland has only to remember the panic
among his ablest supporters, during the cam
paign which resulted in his election, and how
anxiously they begged him TO say something
to remove the belief that he favored frce-tiahe
theories lie was finally forced by political
.,,fn bo yitfar 1t
phrases which were understood, and were IN
tended to be understood, as pledges that he
would do nothing in hostility to the system of
protection. That panic came because public
hostility to his real opinions began to make IT.
self felt, and he knew that he would be beaten
if he did not disscmble.
By this time President Cleveland ought to
know that the attempt to change the tariff
according to his ideas has been made by the
Democratic party at every session of Congress
for years. 1t has always been defeated because
IN thirty or forty Congressional Dis
tricts Democrats as well as Republicans were
intensely opposed to it, Only four Rcpub-
! lican members could be found at the last test
who supposed that their constituents would
favor removal of protective duties. But Mr..
Cleveland also knows that fraud, terrorism and
crime prevented the election of members who
favor protection from many Southern districts.
The same great National crime by which ne was
elected-that and nothing else-preyents the
election Of an overwhelming majority of Pro-
tectiOnists to every Congress.
The free-trade Mugwumps delude the Presi-
dent with false pretences regarding their
strength. They parade hosts Of letters affirm
| ing that the wool manufacturers, of Rhode
Island, for instance strongly favor free wool.
! Then memorial comes to light, approved by
all the wool manufacturers Of Rhode Island
except about fonr, against the removal Of the
duty, and the Mugwump fabricators immcdi-
ateIy transfer the locality of their pretended
free-trade "uprising'' to Minnesota or some
other State Some ignorance there is on this
question, it is true, and here and there Repub-
'licans arc found who understand 1t so little
that they imagine their own interests would be
served by removal Of duties. But if Mr. Clcve-
land has the courage to test the matter, either
| by public discussion o. his treaty or by appear
ing as candidate on platform honestly ex-
pressing his opinions, Re will be convinced be-
yond tho possibility of future misunderstanding
that the people dctcst his British frec-trade
theories, and his persistent efforts in accordance
with those theories.