San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-02
DEMOCRACY AND FREE TRADE.

cans who pretended to believe that
Blaine had been guilty of political
corruption. Cleveland has not in
creased in strength in New York since
1884; on the con trary his antagonism
to pensioning Union soldiers has
aroused the indignation of those who
fought to sustain the Union. In 1884,
Mr.. Conkling and his friends refused
to support Blaine.
Now, the republicans in New York
are heartily united on Harrison and
Morton. Every faction is enlisted UNI
der the banner of Harrison and Nor
ton and is confident of success. No
republican is skulking in his tent. L
do not regard the mugwumps as re-
publicans, but as quassi democrats.
Harrison and Morton have to over
cone only majority of 1904 in order
to carry the state of New York, and
that will be an easy task, with all the
republican factions working heartily
together.
The Mills tariff bill and Cleveland's
last annual message were declared by
the st. Louis national democratic con-
ven ton to be the correct and authori-
tative exposition of the tariff plank of
1884, which was so purpOsely ambigu-
Gus and studiously unmeaning. that
it might be construed to favor protec-
ton, or free trade, to suit the pre-
conceived views of protectionists and
free traders, from their several stand
points. This game of thimble rig and
sleight of hand succeeded in 1884.
In Cleveland's lengthy letter of ac-
ceptance in 1884, he made no allusion,
directly or indirectly, to the tariff.
but lodged that issue. The tariff
clause in the Chicago platform of 1884
was purposely dOuble-dealing, decep-
tive and perfidious, Henry Waterson
himself admits it was straddling of
the question. in short, it was a wilful
fraud and studied deception, menda-
ciOusly resOrted to in order to catch
the votes of protectionists. The tar
if question for the above reason. was
not really an issue in 1851. But Cleve-
lands message and the Mills bill,
plucked off the mask from the democ-
racy and committed to tree trade.
The legitimate and inevitable Sc
uuence of Cleveland's message and
the Mills bill is free trade. Both are
pronounced in their hostility to pro-
lection. The Mills bill is the enter
ing wedge, the initial step to free
trade. and will be followed up by fur
ther reduction of duties. The people
can no longer doubt the attitude of the
democracy upon the subject of protect
ing American manufacturers, and as
the majority of the people are opposed
to free trade, thousands of men who
voted for Cleveland in 1884, will now
vote against him. This change of
sentiment will give Indiana, New
York, New Jersey and Connecticut to
Harrison and Morton and ensure their
election. 1t will also give them
West Virginia, and Virginia, and
render Tennessee doubtful. The
loss of the Mugwumps will be
repaired an hundred fold by the votes
of protection democrats for Harrison.
The New York Sun admitted last
January that the passage Of the Mills
bill would inevitably lose New York
to the democrats. The bill would be
a law now, but for the republican
senate, a fact not at all calculated to
reassure protection democrats who
are engaged in some branch of manu-
facture or in handling American
goods and on that account bound to
resent and oppose legislation likely to
subject them to heavy pecuniary
losses.
The compulsory closing up of mills
and factories would deprive thousands
of working people of employment and
reduce them to the humiliating con-
ditiOn of paupers. Working men
foresee that such will be the result of
a tariff approximating free trade, and
they will wisely protect themselves
from such calamity by voting
against Cleveland. What will it
profit poor men to have cheap goods,
when this very cheapening of goods
deprives them of employment and the
means of earning money with which
to purchase even meat and bread?
Provisions and goods may be plenti-
full and cheap, but of what benefit is
that circumstance to men, without
work, and consequently, without
money? Poor men and women must
have work in order that they may
possess money, and protection by
fostering manufactures, gives them
this needful work Free trade
lays an embargo on industrial pursuits
by rendering them unremunerative.
Capital will abandon a losing bust
ness. Laboring men would "kill the
goose that lays the golden egg" that
furnishes them with labor by helping
Cleveland to paralyze and strike down
American industries. They will
scarcely destroy their own supply of
bread and meat.
But the purblind free trader insists,
that American manufacturers can
compete with goods made by Euro
l., NfI