The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-25
Trying to Obscure the Issue.

The efforts which the protection journals
in this State are making to hide tho fact
that they had not shadow of a following
in the late State Democratic Convention at
Atlanta are amusing. In that convention
the issue between tariff reform and the
present high protective tariff was squarely
presented, and it was discovered that there
was hardly a corporaps guard in
the State, Judging from the prevailing
sentiment among the delegates, in favor of
the tariff policy demanded by the protec-
tionists. In order to keep out of view the
fact that the protection programme was
overwhelmingly defeated, the protection
journals are calling Senator CoIquitt a
political boss, and are trying to arouse sym
pathy for Hon. Patrick Walsh by holding
him up to the public as an ill-used and
greatly prosecuted man.
Senator Colquitt is in no danger of being
hurt by the attack upon him, and hence
needs no defender He is in full sympathy
with his party, and the people understand
that he has done nothing more than to in
sst upon an Endorsement of President
Cleveland and his tariff reform policy. In
insisting upon this he has done only that
which meets with the approval not only of
the Democrats of Georgia, but, also, of
the whole country. He has not advised the
adoption of a proscriptive policy, nor has he
attempted to defeat the political aspirations
of any member of his party. There was no
reason for advising a proscriptive policy,
because the Democrats of Georgia are
harmonious with respect to the policy the
National Democratic party should pur-
sue.
With regard to Mr.. Walsh it is difficult
to see why he should be placed in the atti-
tude of a prosecuted man, and it is doubt
full if he thinks he has been ill-used. He is
honored and popular throughout the State,
and nobody thinks the less of him because
he failed to be elected a delegate to the ma
tional convention. There are many other
men in the State who are as good Democrats
who would like to have been selected to
represent the State at st. Louis, but they
do not think they were ill-treated be-
cause they were not honored as they
desired. Mr.. Walsh, has been
delegate to several national conventions,s
end there was no reason why he should
| have been chosen a delegate TO the ono this
year, which could not have been adva need
in favor of a score of other men who have
never been so honored.
But, honorable and popular as Mr. Walsh
| is, there was very good reason for not
sending him as a delegate to st. Louis. 1t
was that he is not III harmony with his
party on the chief POLITICAL issue between the
two great parties. In the Atlanta conven-
ton he attempted to have resolutions adopted
which virtually condemned the Presidents
| tariff message. After the convention re-
pudiated his resolutions, 1t could hardly
have been expected that it would send him
| to st. Louis to assist in making a national
| platform. and it is rather strange that he
| should have wanted to represent his State
| there, when he knew that he could not do
otherwise than antagonize the tariff
| reform sentiment that is certain to prevail
there His personal popularity gave
him pretty big vote for delegate, and if
he had been in full sympathy with his party
no would have received the honor, doubt
| ess, that he sought If it had not been for
| the kindly feeling for him, however, it is
| safe to say that he would not have recei we'd
| dozen votes The fact that he received so
many votes is proof that the convention
was not controlled by a proscriptive policy
So much attention has been given to the at
| tacks upon Senator Colquitt and the efforts
to excite sympathy for Mr., Walsh in order
that the public may not be led into forgetting
the real issue. The Atlanta Convention rep
resented the Democratic party of Georgia,
and that convention was overwhelmingly in
| favor of tariff reform Senator Colquitt
was in harmony with the convention, and
the protection journals, therefore, seek to
| belittle him. Mr.. Walsh was not in har-
| mony with that convention, and these same
| journals are striving to create tho impress
sion that no was ill-used because he was not
elected delegate They seem to think that
| by raising an issue about these two gentle
men they can push the tariff reform issue
into the background and cause the signal
| defeat of their effort in behalf Of protection
| to be forgotten.