Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-10
THE CAPITAL.
DEMOCRATS BACKING WATER ON
THE TARIFF.
Tom Reeds Sledge-Hammer Argu.
ments-Important Land De-
cision-Congression
ESPECIAL orPArcHs TO THE RECORD UNION.
THEY ARE HEDGING NOW.
The Democrats Scared Out of Their Wits
by the Oregon Election.

The Democrats Scared Out of Their Wits
by the Oregon Election.
Copyright, 1885, by Ne California Associated Press
WASHINGTON, July 9th. - The Demo-
cratic leaders in the House are beginning
to see the folly of their earlier free-t trade
declarations, and are now lndustriousy en-
gagged in hedging. The Oregon election
was the first intimation to them that they
were on the wrong track, and its signifi-
canoe was duly noted. 1t is generally con-
ceded that had the Oregon election oc-
Cured after the St Louis Convention, in
stead OF before it, the National Democracy,
in Convention assembled, would have un-
hesitatingly and unQualifiedly Endorsed the
Mills bill in their platform and positively
declared for free trade. Oregon's vote of
warning wss needed, and the Dem
ocratlc t, Convention mapped out the
Chinese puzzle" for platform
Ever since the Convention the Dem
ocratic statesmen in the House have
been trying to create the impression that
they are protectioDists, and at the same
time to secure the passage of the Mills bill.
They are now for the bill, not because they
believe it is the best thing for the country,
but because they feel it would be cowardly
to abandon it, and would place them in
such ridiculous light before the country
as to insure Democratic defeat They
will, therefore, persist in the passage of the
Mills bill, but they are all now engaged in
trying to explain that, after all, it is pro-
lection measure.
Even the astute and ordinarily audaci-
Gus Mr.. Mills is now hedging. In his
recent speech to the Tammany Democrats
in New York he asserted that his bill was
calculated to protect American industry
and this in direct contradiction of his
former declarations. MIR. Mills evidently
appreciates the difference which he thinks
ought to be observed between Democratic
addresses on great manufactures in polit-
ically close State and Democratic addresses
on the wide prairies of a State which gives
Democratic ma 0rity Of a hundred thou
sand. That, from MIR. Mills, the author Of
tie bill, and ~ oil times III ilIe pasr an
av"~ed and acknowledged free-trader, was
IN the nature of surprise but ii mas
shown clearly what was to be the line of
action in the coming campaign.
The Mills bill, although the product of
such tree-trade leaders as Mills, Carlisle
and breckenridge, is to be cited as a con-
spicuous and shining specimen of protec-
ton literature, although the proposed law
was framed by seven Democrats, members
of the Ways and Means Committee, six
AnoihpOio VI "hiNH HldioIlty are lTOll oOutn-
ern non-manufacturing States.
The Democratic campaign orators are
now to make excuses for the bill by de-
clarlng that, after all. il is a protection
measure, and that the free-trade ideas of
Speaker Carlisle and Premier Mills and the
ex-Confederate Brgadiers were never in
corperated in the Mills bill, and that it was
never for an instant intended by any good
Democrat that they should be-
The saddest feature of this sublime spec
tacle is Mr.. Mills placidly repudiatiDg his
own ideas in the belief that it is necessary
to Democratic success.