Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-05-24
The Cenyention's Work.


The Cenvention's Work.
The Democratic state convention ac-
complished its work with little difficulty.
There seemed to be but one candidate for
euch office to be filed and the selection
therefore did not cause the convention
any trouble or labor. We have never
known q convention that showed less
contention, aud we may hope that the
concord Is indicative of unanimity of sen.
timent and onenessof feeling in the patty.
The discussion Of the platform would
have shown some disagreement in the
convention II the presiding officer had
permitted it to appear but Mr.. Wallace,
with manifestation Of his old time ia
cility In suppressing an obstreperous mi
nority, did not suffer Mr.. Sanders to offer
his amendment to the platform. Mr.. San
ders, Mr.. Sowden and another delegate
arc said to have been the only three
members Of the committee on resolutions
favoring this amendment; so that it
may be supposed that the convention
would have voted it down in hurry il it
had ever got before it,
The committee on platform evidently
had an earnest desire to endorse
the policy Of the Mills bill,
as the Democratic policy and that
which the president, who is the Demo.
cratic leader, desired to be declared the
party policy. While we are in sympathy
with its purpose we think that the plat.
form committee executed its thought awk-
wardly, in demanding the passage of the
Mills bill; because that bill may not be
the same after 1t is finally acted upon by
the Democratic majority in Congress as
It u to-day; and In fact It is very un-
likely to be the same. 1t is quite certain
to be amended, and may be amended
materially. II the declaration Of the
Pennsylvania convention is for the Mills
bill as it is, strictly construed it would
call upon the Democratic representatives
to refuse amendment to it and would
absolve them from voting for 1t, IL it
u amended. We think that Con-
gresham Sowden was quite justified
In protesting against the instruction pro-
posed to be given to him to vote for the
Mills bill in its present unfinished
state. A more skillful and correct
Interpretation of the will of the cOnven.
tion would have been a declaration in
favor Of the principle of the Mills bill, in
reducing the tariff duties with view to
the reduction of the reyenue.
Mr.. Wallace correctly described the
Democratic position in his speech to the
convention wherein he declared that the
party was, as it always has been, for a
revenue tariff with incidental protection
The revenue being now in excess of
our needs, there is no excuse under
the Democratic doctrine in keeping
up the old rate of tariff imposts. The
party position has not changed at all on
this question, but the circumstances have
changed, and the present situation de-
mands lower duties and is very prop
erly interpreted, according to the over
whelming Democratic sentiment in the
Mills bill, whose enactment we under
stand that our state convention de-
mands, not necessarily as it stands
now, but as it will stand after the Demo.
cratic majority in Congress has gotten
through with it. In other words the
Pennsylvania Democracy stand in rank
with the Democracy of the country upon
the tariff ques ion, that position being
taken on the general lines of the Mills
bill.
But that bill does not demand free
trade, and the state Democracy does not
demand 1t, as Senator Wallace explained.
There has been no change of front in the
national Democracy on the tariff issue
and 1t can hardly be said that there has
been change OF front in the state
Democracy, though it is true that there
Are q number Of members Of the party
who believe with Mr.. Randall in u higher
tariff than the general Democracy will
approve and there has been greater con-
cession to such opinion undoubt, dIy in
past state conventions than shown in the
latest one. But we know no good reason
Why all the Democrats of Pennsylvania,
including Mr.. Randall and Mr.. Sowden,
should not support the party position as
taken in favor Of the Mills bill as finally
amended, since it is only q question of
the pr0priety Of something like a seven
per cent. reduction Of duties.