Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-07-25
A DEFENSIVE CAMPAIGN.



Them on the Defensive.
On the l7th Of June, 1876, the day after
Mr. Blaino's defeat in the Cincinnati con-
vcntion, the New York Tribune, in a leading
editorial after rcmarlSiug that "AIr. Elaine
has mado a magnificent fight, end has de-
vclopod qualities OF leadership Of which no
othor candidate has shown a sign" and
that hc evidently controlled not merely
The support but tho sympathics Of a very
largo section OF Tho Republican party"
said "But his most ardent friends must
now admit FIRST. that he had bitter enemies
in his own party; and secondly, that his
campaign, il Dc had been nominated, would
OF necessity bo "a defensive one" Tho cam
palm of . showed that the editor Of tho
Tribune had boon right IN 1876. The cam
ruirm was "a defensive onon from the day
OF Mr.. Blaino's nomination, and IL oBdcd IN
the dcfcat watch such campaign always
invites.
Tho dcath.blow % Mr.. Blainc's candidacy
a. i5s, was dealt by the Illinois Republican
State convention Of May 2, WHOM il dc
maudcd tho selection OF a candidate whose
courage, .charactcr and record command
universal confidence" and declared that
"wc must have ar ar~rcs live. not dcfcns-
ivc campairun TAc movement for judge
Gresham w,s, FROM The very nature Of the
case, i9rCdQcucd 20 defeat, SO fer as his
personality wa1 concerned, but 10 succeeded
an tlwHrUug the conspiracy 90 impose again
up1l tho party the di8crcditod candidate Of
1885, and Ina securing u nominee who is an
honest man.
But, says the New York Evening Post,
there is moro than one kind Of "a defensive
campaign. Tho Tribune twelve years ago
was contemplating the sort where q party
has 20 defend It's candidate, as the Rcpub-
licans had 10 40 Ia lssf from charges Of pcr-
sOnul dishonesty and uuntucss for Office. IL
was this sort also which the Illinois Rcpub-
lCans had in mind when they adopted their
platform last month But as u party with n
good platform may bo put upon the defens-
i've by nominating bad man upon II,
80 party with "a good candidate
may be- put upon the defensive AZ
ne stands upon bad platform. IL is
already evident that this Is the fate Of tho
Republicans this year. General Harrison
personally commands universal conf
fiuucc,n but he represents "a policy which
makcs his campaign as truly n defensive
ono as Mr. Blainc's four years ago.
Heretofore the Republican party has
always protested 20 bo tho champion Of
economy, tho foe OF extravaganza, tho
advocate of cheap necessities and dear
whisky, tho friend Of the taxpayer. So re-
Gently us four years ago IL maintained this
traditional attitude and pledged itself % re-
ducc the surplus "by such methods ga viii
reduce the taxpayer" But this year tho
party he's deliberately turned it, back upon
its whole record. nj NO longer makes oven
a protcuso OF favoring economy, but openly
advocates cXtravagant appropriations as
tho best method Of reducing the surplus. N
thcro finally remains more money than is
needed, The party would not "rClCvc tho
Taxpayer" by making ms food aud cloth
ing cheaper, but would abolish tho whole
internal revenue system, 50 as 20 mako
whisky cheap whilc Keeping wool dear.
Instead OF making an aggressive cam
pa.ru, therefore, the party "a thrown upon
tho defensive ut the very start. 10 has 10
admit that It's present policy n diamctrical-
IS opposed OBJ its whole past record. and then
try 90 give some reason why 10 has made
this change of husc. Whenever the qucs-
tion has boon referred 90 n National plat
forms before, the party has declared in fa-
vor 81 retaining the tax on liquors., on tho
ground that tho vices Of tho community
should carry as large part as possible Of
the expense OF government, % the relief OF
industry and temperance; but now il advo-
Gates the entire removal Of the tax on
whisky, and The consequent chcaponmg OF
its price, rather than any tightening Of tho
load on tho industrious and temperate labor
inc man.
Tho frce-whislsy plank In the Republican
platform serves 20 show In the most vivid
hght what the policy Of protection for pro-
toCtions sake really means. 10 makes 10
easy iorcvcry voter 20 understand the differ
cneo between the polcica advocated by the
two parties. Tho Democrats say to tho
a. -.
salt and cheaper lum1tr." The Republic
ans say; awe favor cheaper whisky
rather than cheaper wool, or salt or lum-
ber.n
From this time until election day the
whole Republican press OF the country, from
the New York Tribune down, the whole
army Of Republican stump-spculscrs, from
"thc Plumcd Knight down, must devote
their energies entirely to defense, and what
Is worse stlll, 10 defending what Is indie
feasible. They address a party which
used with pride as well "a with justice,
10 call itself ''tho party OF moral IDEAS and
they ask people OF such ideas 20 indorsc tho
immortality of free whisky. The Republic
an press only last December indorscd the
sound position taken by Mr.. Blaine In his
'Paris MESSAGE that "thero il a moral
BidC" To tho question of the whisky tax:
increase its consumption enormously and
that tho removal Of the whisky tax ''would
destroy high license at once IN all tho
States" Now they have got TO ridicule the
idea that thorc IL any "moral sidon 70 the
issue, and TO defend the notion that IL will
promote tho prosperity of the Nation much
moro 10 make whisky cheap than TO lower
the prices of tho necessities OF life.
A "dcfcnsive campaign OF this sort
must inevitably lose tho Republican party
tho voto of very many thousands OF its best
members. II II already evident that the %
volt OF the intelligence and morality Of the
party viii assume great proportions. Brook
Ism has long been the stronghold Of the In
dependent voter Inquiry shows that al
most every loading Independent who sup
ported Cleveland m 1884 on tho personal
issue will support him In isSS on the issue
Of She party platforms and that they VIII
be Joined BY great number OF Republicans
who supported Blaine In lSsL Ex.Afayor
Low, tho most influential man of tho
younger generation, announces that ho
muet abandon his party and support tho
Democrats In this campaign. Row. Dr..
Gtorra protests against the assumption that
he Ia a high protcctionist, and leaves IL 70
be Inferred that he can not vote for the Re
publican ticket In New England tho
Providence Journal announces It's belief
that upon the vital question 1.-THE Dem
ocratic policy and platform are right, and
the Republican policy and platform are
wrongn and Il viii live up 20 its convic-
tons In tho West tho Chicago Tribune,
tho Omaha Bee and other Republican pa
pors which believe IN tariff reform, give
tho ticket only half-hoartcd support,
which "A. about as bad as open opposition,
ana while other papers Of similar record
may cat their own words, tho effect Of their
former teachings Wal not be lost upon their
readers The defensive campaign OF isSo
already promises to BE- even more DIS
nstrous than that Of 1884.
OUR word blizzard IL said IN England to be
q corruption of the phrase blazing hard"