West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-01-06
HAVE DEMOCRATS THE PLUCK
TO DO 1T?
\. Y. Standard.


principles that a few words Of
friendly advice from those who be-
lieve that political parties represent
ing no principles are obstructive
public nuisances may not be amiss.
In the first place, the party may as
we'll dismiss the notion that it can
run with the hare and hunt with the
hounds. Tariff reduction will sure
ly benefit the many, but it is, for the
time being, menacing to powerful
interests that have long been accus-
toned to use governmental powers
for their private advantage. These
men are going to fight, and they
know how to fight. They understand
what the Republican party has done
for them and they will freely supply
it with the munitions of war in or
der that it may continue the system
that has built up their fortunes
while impoverishing the country.
The Democratic trimmers need not
think that they can fool the protec-
ted monoeolies by any false preten-
ses. The men at the head of the
industries fostered by government
at the public cost are about the
shrewdest set of men in this coun-
try, and the Democrats in and out
of Congress cannot give them any
points in lying or trickery.
Neither can they fool the working
men by any halt hearted declara-
tions of their desire to continue the
protection of American labor. The
vorkingman who still believes that
the tariff is maintained for his bene-
fit is going to vote for the Republi-
can candidate. He may not have
much sense, but he would simply be
an idiot, if wanting that kind of
goods, he should pass by the shop
which makes them its sole stock in
trade to buy of the opposition shop
where protective tariffs are decried.
If the Democratic party is going
into this campaign declaring that
any tax on commodities protects la
Dor, and that it is in favor of only a
little less protection than the Repub-
lican party offers, then 1t will richly
deserve defeat. If protection is a
good thing workingmen cannot have
too much of it, and they would be
very silly not to vote the Republican
ticket.
But the Democratic party need
need not lose the votes Of working
men because of the attitude into
which it is likely to be forced by the
Presidents message. If it has any
pluck or sense at al, 1T can win more
votes than it will lose on that issue.
1t cannot proclaim itself for free
trade, because it has not yet learned
how to raise a federal revenue with
out tariff; but it can and, if it
hopes to win it, must deny that a
tariff protects labor The pro-
gramme is very simple one. The
Republican party proclaims that a
high tariff protects labor and that
that is the reason, and the only
reason, why it favors high tariff.
This involves a stupid untruth, and
all that the Democrats need do is to
show that it is an untruth. There
is no real difficulty in showing this
to workingman as well as to any
other kind of a man. The ability to
comprehend truth, clearly presen
ted, does not depend on mans vo-
cation, but on his honesty and intel
ligence.
The workingmen already know
that one half of the Republican dec
laration is false-the pretense, name
ly, that the protected monopolies
who have perpetuated the tariff
have done so from a desire to main
tain high prices for American labor.
The numerous strikes and lockouts
in the protected industries have
opened their eyes concerning that
matter. But many of them still be-
lieve that but for the system by
which their bosses profit so enor-
mously they themselves would be
thrown out Of work, and that there
would be less money to divide
among them; while now and then
they do, for a time, secure an adj
vance in wages. So long as they
believe this they will vote for the
high tariff party, and when they
cease to believe it they will desert
that party in body. The Demo
cratic party must show them that
the tariff hurts instead of helping
the great mass Of working people.
Every time the party does this it
makes vote, and every time it adj
mits that the tariff, "up to certain
point" really protects labor it loses
vote itself, or makes one doubly
sure TO the Republican candidate.
Whatever may be the plan Of
campaign with which the Democrat
ic party enters this fight, It's speak
ers, when they once begin to face
audiences, will find that they must
denounce and expose, and not at
tempt to defend the protective theo
nv. This the party must do or die.
The successful politician of the
ra :1l L. L. - ,loGo,